Die Choice

[Sim G]

Mike, I'll say Lee as well. Collet die set includes the "dead length bullet seater". Lee guarantee it will make the most accurate ammo of any commercial die set available. Other die manufacturers tested this. Lee are still in business and didn't get sued. And when you can sue for anything in the US, regardless of the size of the shooting industry, it says only one thing. The Lee guarantee is true.

I load for eight calibers and only use Lee dies. I have been known to sell "better" makes and replace them with Lee.... (Shooting for 35 years, reloading for 25 years....)

[DaveT]

I think that die choice actually comes down to how much CONTROL you want with your tools and what you feel confident in using.

For example I like to KNOW what neck tension I am applying and that it will be consistent AND that I can vary it if I see fit....(or as different brass thicknesses occur as your brass ages or across batches or manufacturers) thats why I use Redding Bushing dies.

I also like the idea of the sliding chamber on the seaters which helps keep bullet and brass aligned as well as the micrometer control for 'creeping up' on seating depth and repeatability across different bullet types via a simple micrometer measure recording.

Lee does good stuff for the basic loading process .... IF you want more control then go Redding or Forster or Wilson..... if not then save your money.

The same criteria apply to my choice of press (Forster Co-Ax) ...IMHO far better than the variability introduced when screwing down dies into a threaded press at different tensions...... just my view of course but the 'joy' of simply sliding a preset die home instead of unscrew / screw-down only to find that the thing is not EXACTLY as it was last time works for me! Guess you could get the same from a turret press and leave everything in place BUT you would need something like a Harrel with multiple die heads per calibre.

[dromia]

True that is why I like to use the Collet dies as I can control the mandrel size exactly.

[DaveT]

True that is why I like to use the Collet dies as I can control the mandrel size exactly.

Ah.... so you grind the stock factory product to suit your diameter requirements? Not many people have the skill or equipment to do that I would guess.

Do you also keep multiple mandrel sizes to hand?

[dromia]

I have little skill in the metal working department so if I can do it it isn't difficult.

I just chuck the decapping pin into a battery drill mounted to the bench with a G clamp and set it away using an emery cloth with drop oil to reduce the diameter, the trick is to check often.

I get my mandrels direct from Lee in the states they are quiet cheap.