which resizing die type?

[davsco]

i've been reloading .223 with a redding small base full length sizing die for a couple of years. no bushings, one step process that sizes and removes primer. pretty easy and i'm getting 100% reliability and great accuracy in my ar-15.

so... what die type do i want for my 6.5 prc in a tikka action with proof carbon prefit barrel. hunting out to 5-600yds max, most likely using 156 bergers or 143 eldx. prob reusing hornady brass. there are bushing, type s and all kinds of options. i do have a rcbs matchmaster seating die if that affects what sizing die i should choose.

do i want just a plain full length sizing die. sizing die with a neck bushing. type s, whatever that is, sizing and then a separate bushing die...?

what do i lose if i just go with a plain full length sizing die? accuracy, brass life, etc? thanks!!

 

[Axlrod]

I like bushing dies, used without the expander ball. I have found a lot of my guns shoot better with more neck tension than the often recommended .002"- up to .006". So the bushing dies give me the opportunity to test different bushings. "type S" is just what Redding calls their full length bushing sizing dies.
I have had good results with Redding, Hornady and Forster bushung dies.

But very good results can be had using most standard full length sizing dies, when properly adjusted.

 

[SDHNTR]

Redding type S with expander ball removed here too

 

[Tx_300wsm]

I run standard redding dies for all my bolt action rifles. My next set will probably be a bushing set though.

 

[G37some]

i always full length size but only bump the shoulder back .001 on my bolt actions. i remove the expander ball and use an expander mandrel as a second step to control my neck tension.

 

[sickles107]

Im looking to upgrade from standard fl dies. From a bit of research it looks like the hot setup is either FL die no button, then mandrel, or redding type s with sac bushings, mandrel not needed.

There is also quite a controversy on cam over or not. In my mind it makes sense to cam over, and some have seen inconsistent headspace not camming over, so throw a shell holder kit on the list too.

By the time you add up all the parts, it's almost making more sense to just get the new sac modular die and be done in one stroke. Bushing tapers to touch shoulder so no risk of doughnut, shims for headspace so no need for a shell holder kit, can get a decapping mandrel.

Oh the rabbit hole...

 

[N2TRKYS]

RCBS full length die set. No need to waste time removing parts and all that garbage. Bump shoulders back .002 and rock on. It’s been making me accurate ammo for years.

 

[Lone Hunter 1]

Redding Type S die works very good. Adjust neck tension with the bushing. However just a straight full length sizing die works great also. I like the micrometer seating die to adjust cbto instead of the tip.
You can also use the Redding Type S as a body die just have to take out the stem which is no great feat..

 

[wind gypsy]

Bushing dies are nice to avoid overworking the brass and adjust neck tension. The more anal amongst us set neck tension with a mandrel anyway so you could still remove the expander ball in a FL sizer and use a mandrel to set neck tension.

If you have a set brass you'll be using and known neck tension, my favorite option is the forster standard FL dies with the neck honed to your specified diameter. Cheaper than bushing dies and I believe they are likely to make straighter ammo but have no proof.

These look pretty sweet if one wants to drop some cash but i've no personal experience with them. https://shortactioncustoms.com/product/modular-sizing-die-prc-2/

 

[ResearchinStuff]

i've used standard dies, and bushing dies, and bushing dies with neck turning. for concentricity, what i've found is that in order of straightest to least straight my results go like this:

1. bushing dies and neck turned cases
2. standard dies
3. bushing dies without neck turning (and low-quality remington brass)

Neck turning is a huge time waster, so i'm considering either adding a mandrel step, or using a lee collet sizing die after body sizing / using a full length bushing die without a bushing installed. The theory behind the collet die being that it will iron out the neck thickness variations without having to neck turn, and you might work the neck less than you do with a standard die.

SAC modular dies have the best set of features - and they charge you for that.

 

[SDHNTR]

i've used standard dies, and bushing dies, and bushing dies with neck turning. for concentricity, what i've found is that in order of straightest to least straight my results go like this:

1. bushing dies and neck turned cases
2. standard dies
3. bushing dies without neck turning (and low-quality remington brass)

Neck turning is a huge time waster, so i'm considering either adding a mandrel step, or using a lee collet sizing die after body sizing / using a full length bushing die without a bushing installed. The theory behind the collet die being that it will iron out the neck thickness variations without having to neck turn, and you might work the neck less than you do with a standard die.

SAC modular dies have the best set of features - and they charge you for that.

You should try #3 with good quality brass. I’ve found it works just fine. And exceeds concentricity of your #2 in most cases. In my quest to reduce steps that aren’t truly needed, I found that a welcome discovery.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

You should try #3 with good quality brass. I’ve found it works just fine. And exceeds concentricity of your #2 in most cases. In my quest to reduce steps that aren’t truly needed, I found that a welcome discovery.

i'm majorly changing up my reloading philosophy, trying to go to barrel life sized batches of single lot powder/brass/bullets, less tinkering, more consistency and practice.

Curious to see how using lapua or other premium brass changes things wrt bushings. Still not sure if i'm going to wait for a SAC bushing for my redding type S full length sizer, or if i'll just use that as a body die and add in the lee collet (actually cheaper). Also planning to test out a lee crimp die - some folks are reporting benefits, and the scope drop testing/rifle freezing stuff has me wondering how ammo behaves when it gets dropped and how much temps actually effect things with H4350. it'll be interesting to see if there's a difference for crimps there or not.

 

[longrange13]

i've been reloading .223 with a redding small base full length sizing die for a couple of years. no bushings, one step process that sizes and removes primer. pretty easy and i'm getting 100% reliability and great accuracy in my ar-15.

so... what die type do i want for my 6.5 prc in a tikka action with proof carbon prefit barrel. hunting out to 5-600yds max, most likely using 156 bergers or 143 eldx. prob reusing hornady brass. there are bushing, type s and all kinds of options. i do have a rcbs matchmaster seating die if that affects what sizing die i should choose.

do i want just a plain full length sizing die. sizing die with a neck bushing. type s, whatever that is, sizing and then a separate bushing die...?

what do i lose if i just go with a plain full length sizing die? accuracy, brass life, etc? thanks!!

I use the Redding type s full length bushing dies, they work great. If you want to simplify things just grab the regular Redding full length dies or the master hunter set. Comes with the competition seating die and full length die. There’s a lot of craze around minimal neck tension right now, but new data suggests that more neck tension can be beneficial.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

i'm majorly changing up my reloading philosophy, trying to go to barrel life sized batches of single lot powder/brass/bullets, less tinkering, more consistency and practice.

Curious to see how using lapua or other premium brass changes things wrt bushings. Still not sure if i'm going to wait for a SAC bushing for my redding type S full length sizer, or if i'll just use that as a body die and add in the lee collet (actually cheaper). Also planning to test out a lee crimp die - some folks are reporting benefits, and the scope drop testing/rifle freezing stuff has me wondering how ammo behaves when it gets dropped and how much temps actually effect things with H4350. it'll be interesting to see if there's a difference for crimps there or not.

Update on this, I did end up with a sac bushing for my 6.5, and the results with alpha brass have been very good.

On the 223 I tried a bunch of stuff that didn't produce good results. Recently have been using a lee collet die after annealing, which is working well, but i have broken 3 hornady lock n load female bushings using that die. I'm hoping to switch back to a standard full length sizing die for that rifle now that I've literally ironed out the neck defects that my ~900 lc brass had

 

[TaperPin]

Unless your gun is capable of less than 3/4 moa, I doubt you would see any difference in accuracy between regular and using bushings with turned necks. Many 1/2 moa guns are fed from a regular set of fl dies.

If you like to tinker, bushing dies are interesting.