6.5 Creedmoor Dies

[Vodoun daVinci]

Been asked a thousand times and I apologize but this stuff changes as new information come to the surface. I'm going to start reloading 6.5 Creedmoor this coming Winter having become addicted to Precision Rifle Shooting with this caliber.

What dies are ya'll using and why? I leaning towards RCBS simply because I have been shooting pistols and reloading for them for 40 years but this ain't that. Had great luck with RCBS, I'm not really planning on competing but I'm shooting well enough so far that other folks are pushing me to that...I like to shoot as best I can but breaking records or winning competitions is not in my future.

And Thank You in advance!

VooDoo

 

[spife7980]

I like the master hunter series Redding’s though I have a type s as well. Normal sizer and competition seater which is really what I like out of the kit. I also have the micro Forster and while it’s great the Redding’s just feel more substantial.

 

[XLR308]

I recently bought a set of the Redding type S FL dies and am impressed with what I have seen so far.

With new untouched out of the box Lapua brass I set up a couple of dummy rounds for measuring with 147Eldm and the run out was less than .001" with out any fiddling around with the seater die.

 

[hertz654]

I bought the Redding Premium Deluxe 3-die set; full-length, neck size and micrometer seating die. I tend towards micrometer dies with black/white lettering -- I have a hard time reading the numbers on my silver colored Hornady dies.

 

[Pho]

I use a Redding body die followed by a LEE Collet neck die. Seating is done with a Forster Ultra Micrometer die.

 

[supercorndogs]

Hornady, because they were the cheapest.

 

[Jbova]

I use the Redding Competition Die set. I only use the body die when I need to bump the shoulder back. So far with fresh Lapua brass I have 5 firings neck sized only and they still chamber fine. The micrometer dies are nice but they’re pricey.

 

[easyrdr]

Been asked a thousand times and I apologize but this stuff changes as new information come to the surface. I'm going to start reloading 6.5 Creedmoor this coming Winter having become addicted to Precision Rifle Shooting with this caliber.

What dies are ya'll using and why? I leaning towards RCBS simply because I have been shooting pistols and reloading for them for 40 years but this ain't that. Had great luck with RCBS, I'm not really planning on competing but I'm shooting well enough so far that other folks are pushing me to that...I like to shoot as best I can but breaking records or winning competitions is not in my future.

And Thank You in advance!


Depends on what brass you get. Lapua makes brass that has a Small Rifle Primer and ultra small flash hole. You need a ultra small decapping pin to load that brass. Reports are that this brass gets twice as many reloads than the large rifle primer pocket brass.
That is the brass I purchased and I'm using Whidden dies.
If you get Large Rifle primer brass you can choose any brand you wish. I have shot other's loads with their Ruger Precision Rifle that were loaded with Hornady dies and all my shots were touching at 100 yards. Berger bullets and H4350.
I have had sub 1 MOA with Federal Gold Medal Match 130GR and Hornady 140GR American Gunner factory loads. Go figure!

 

[tnbowhunter]

I’m currently using the Lee ultimate die set for 6.5 and 308 with no complaints. I might be missing out on something with the higher end dies but up to this point I see good consistency and accuracy for the kind of shooting I do. The collet neck die seems to be working well for mid to long range accuracy

 

[tnbowhunter]

I’m currently using the Lee ultimate die set for 6.5 and 308 with no complaints. I might be missing out on something with the higher end dies but up to this point I see good consistency and accuracy for the kind of shooting I do. The collet neck die seems to be working well for mid to long range accuracy

 

[tnbowhunter]

Not sure why that showed up 3 times lol. But another thing to consider is which brass you will be using. Lapua and maybe a couple other brands have small primer pockets and the primer stem on my Lee set won’t fit a small primer pocket. I know some guys that have sanded down the stem to make it work but there is more than likely a replacement or a different die that’s made for the small primer creedmoor brass. I’m currently using hornady brass so haven’t had to mess with that issue on mine yet. I plan to use Lapua once the hornady wears out.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

I'm shooting sub MOA at 100 - 200 yards right now shooting Hornady 140 gr. ELD and saving the brass. I'll have a few hundred rounds of once fired brass easy by this Winter when I'll start reloading that brass. Might not be The Best brass but it'll certainly do until I get my feet under me. This stuff has a large primer pocket and a huge flash hole.

VooDoo

 

[Changed]

If I had it to do over again, I'd buy a Redding S Type Bushing Sizer, and a Forster micrometer seater.

 

[redleg1013]

I've used them all at some point, Lee, Hornady, RCBS, Redding, and Forster. At the end of the day they all get the job done and it becomes a Coke vs Pepsi debate.
I'm currently settled on Forster, largely because I like the feel of them, and they haven't given me a reason not to like them, along with the follow on services available for dialing the dies.
For what you're talking about, I would suggest either Hornady or RCBS, they'll do the job without lavish expenditure. As it has been previously stated, having a mic seater is a nice thing.

 

[tnbowhunter]

I'm shooting sub MOA at 100 - 200 yards right now shooting Hornady 140 gr. ELD and saving the brass. I'll have a few hundred rounds of once fired brass easy by this Winter when I'll start reloading that brass. Might not be The Best brass but it'll certainly do until I get my feet under me. This stuff has a large primer pocket and a huge flash hole.

VooDoo

That’s exactly what I did. Found it on sale and got a couple hundred rounds and kept the brass. The factory 140 eld match shoots awesome out of mine. That’s what it’s throated for as well. Ive reloaded them twice now and with 41.5 h4350 the dope out about the same as the factory’s and shoot really well. It’s not the best brass out there but I works fine if you already have it

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

Yup. Just priced brand new Lapua 6.5 CM at $1.25 a case and I'm shooting factory Hornady 6.5 140 gr. ELD Match at $1.46 a round and I get to reload the brass. For a newbie this is a no brainer especially since it's gonna be hard for me to build a hand load that beats the .45 MOA I'm shooting right now at 100 yards with the factory ammo.

This might change as I'm pushing out to 200 and beyond this Summer but I'll be surprised if buying new Lapua Brass and a $200 set of dies is gonna get me group sizes that disgrace what I'm already getting with factory loads. Cheaper in the long run (to reload) but not earth shattering and I'll not likely realize much cash savings until the barrel is near shot out at 2000 rounds or so.

VooDoo

 

[tnbowhunter]

Yes I suspect it will work out just fine for you. I’ve shot the factory loaded and handloads mentioned out to 930 yards with acceptable accuracy just ringing steel which is mainly what I do. Velocity es in the teens. Hard to beat for brass you already have.

 

[trob_205]

Redding type S FL bushing and comp seater. Hornady “Custom” dies if looking to save $ and still have a good seating die. If you use Lapua or similar SRP brass the Redding die comes with correct size decapping pin if you choose to roll like that. I wanted to decap before cleaning so I use a Lee decapping die with sanded down pin for my Lapua brass. If using LRP brass have no concerns about any dies you choose.

 

[McHaggis]

I use a Redding body die followed by a LEE Collet neck die. Seating is done with a Forster Ultra Micrometer die.

Ditto. But I also use an expander mandrel before seating.

 

[j741]

I keep considering reloading but when I can get Prime 6.5 ammo at $1.1784/round, hard to justify the price of just lapua brass. I'll have to shoot through the Prime and then maybe use it to reload.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

My problem is that I really get off making hand loaded ammunition built to the gun. At least I have making handgun ammo - my 9mm and .32 acp is bad ass and I build it one round at a time on a single stage.

It's gonna be very easy for me to obsess with building my own 6.5 CM from once fired brass. If I save 45 cents a round over buying factory and get the same performance/accuracy the nerdy obsessive/compulsive urge to build my own will soon take over.

I'll shoot factory this Summer and likely have enough once fired Hornady brass to fuel a couple years of shooting with hand loads. Can't wait for Winter...looking hard at RCBS dies and a couple pounds of Alliant RL-16.

VooDoo

 

[spife7980]

I say “why wait?”

 

[Rthur]

Redding type s match bushing set.

R

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

I'm moving kinda slow on this. Really savoring the shooting and soaking it all in....this is my first fling with shooting high powered precision rifles and I don't want to get any bad habits or push things too fast.

I'm really loving the precision and nerd aspect of the ballistic calculations and DOPE and all that. Building precision ammo out of the once fired brass and tuning it to the gun is really appealing to me. Up to now I have only built handgun ammo - not the same thing.

I really interested in pushing the 6.5 CM to 1000 yards and beyond with hand loads. But I gotta try and not obsess as I'm kinda on a budget. My Wife has been really indulgent but got really excited when I started shooting this build and was hitting stuff at 100 - 200 yards with precision. She's kinda letting me spend more than I'm comfy with making this happen.

Trying to concentrate and move slow and not drop hundreds on dies and components and hundreds on a Tactical Chassis and thousands on better glass before I exploit what I can do with a $500 factory action, a $250 scope, and factory ammo. I'm already shooting beyond what I thought I'd accomplish and I wanna push to greater distances and maintain sub MOA and develop my skills of controlling breath and heat rate, getting the shot to break correctly, reading wind, loading the bipod, DOPE, and then building my own ammunition.

Trying to slow down and savor this and not get manic. It's hard as this Discipline appeals to my nerdy, geeky, computer/ballistic tech brain. I wanna quit my day job and shoot 100 rounds a day for the next year.

VooDoo