The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

I am comfortable loading pistol ammo and am about to load some 303, initially just to get the hang of it and then to load develop. I am using Lee dies and am not too concerned about the quality of the ammo as I'm sure it will be fine for open sights in a 50 year old rifle.

The 308 and all future full bore rifles will be loaded for accuracy, so my questions are what make of dies should I buy, should I spend money on just the bullet seating die (probably micrometer type) or is it best practice to have high quality FL/NS dies and should the de-priming action be removed from sizing?

I'm using a Lee Turret Press (yes, I know) but will be investing in a single stage press in the future but after I start reloading 308 so probably wont go for a Forrster Co-Ax.

Personally I mostly neck size, I de-prime with the same operation and use a mix of Redding competition and Forster, both with separate size bushings to get the neck tension I am after.

I full-size .303 and I've got LEE dies. I haven't got a problem with them. They're cheap, but they work well. I don't understand all the LEE hate that's out there

Get the Lee Deluxe set it has the FL die and the Collet die for neck sizing. Lee dies are one of their better products and the Collet die is pure genius. Their seating dies can be a bit iffy though. I like and use Vickerman seating dies or a Lyman AA micro adjust seater. Hornady make good off the shelf seaters too as do Forster.

illll throw a spanner in the works here. go for wilson and an arbor press

its cheaper to equip than comp standard dies and youll get better results as well

ovenpaa wrote:Personally I mostly neck size, I de-prime with the same operation and use a mix of Redding competition and Forster, both with separate size bushings to get the neck tension I am after.

I will second ovenpaas die choices and sizing practices but also deprime seperately on a cheap lee press before tumbling to make sure no primer crud ever gets anywhere near my Forster Co-Ax (BRILL press!!!)

I have Redding body dies for shoulder bumping after many neck sizings but they only get used sparingly.

ovenpaa wrote:Personally I mostly neck size, I de-prime with the same operation and use a mix of Redding competition and Forster, both with separate size bushings to get the neck tension I am after.

Likewise I usually also neck size. The Redding 'Competition' bushing neck die is one good choice if you use standard dies; it has a sliding sleeve that is claimed to align the case better for improved concentricity, and if you really want you can order blank sleeves for machining with your chamber reamer. I get very straight results from mine, even without neck turning or a custom sleeve. For seating I use the Redding seater from the 'Competition' set (which also has a separate 'body' die to be used in conjunction with the neck die for FL sizing) - if I had to buy again I might choose the Forster seater (I think it's the 'Benchrest' model), but I don't think there's much between the Redding and the Forster seaters and the Redding has worked very well for me. Many Benchrest and MR shooters like to use a Toggle/Arbor press, especially for seating, usually with Wilson dies which are only suitable for that type of press. I've also just bought the Forster bushing bump die. This can apparently set the shoulder back a little while also sizing the neck in one operation (but without touching the body), but I haven't used it yet. It doesn't have a sliding sleeve though, so depending on the results I may use it only to bump and still size the neck with the Redding die. Of course, many swear by the Lee collet die which, although cheap is said to produce very straight ammo, can run without lube, is independant of brass thickness, and sizes against a mandrel to push inconsistencies to the outside. I haven't used one, but have one on order. I like to decap as a separate operation, usually as soon as I get back from the range, particularly as I do like to clean the pocket (to save blasting hardened carbon into the throat more than any other reason). I don't think there's much to choose between decapping dies - IIRC mine is a Lyman. For my planned progressive setup I've also got a Lyman 'M' die on order, plus a powder through expander and a Redding taper crimp, but these aren't applicable to routine single-stage loading.

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Gemmels are making the Vickerman now, I've found them helpful when I've ordered.

http://www.gmwvickerman.com/html/products.html

Mike save yourself the hassle of a Lee Collet die possibly not working properly by "NOT" buying one, if you want to use Lee dies at least get yourself a standard F/L sizer die set.

Ian.

Great advice, thanks to all so far. I have Lee dies for the 303. It is the 308 and ultimately 260 that I need the best dies for.