Dies & Presses

I have Viersco 1-1/2” dies but no longer made. My experience with Whidden was that they were POS. Be aware also there are many reamers that folks are calling 375CT and they’re not all the same and JGS will not even sell you a 375CT reamer Bc of a cease and desist letter from Cheytac the now mostly insignificant company - no doubt in part because of that kind of douchebaggery.

For my next (4th) barrel I’ve ordered a reamer of the same dimensions as the DT chamber and will get custom dies built from that reamer. I wish I had done that on prior builds. It will also make your custom does have more resale value because whoever buys them will be able to recreate the chamber they’re made for. For custom dies look at WTC and Triebel (Germany).

If I were buying off the shelf dies I’d look at the AB ones and the ones from that one Texas company.

For press you can use a standard one and tilt in the projectile onto the case - with the projectile atop the case it will be taller than the press gantry before seating. I don’t think you need more force than a standard press will provide. However like many others, I use a 50 BMG press with 1-1/2” dies (like my viersco). I used the RCBS 50 press for 8 years and then just upgraded to the Turban Prazipress 150 mm. My big gun reloading game is now maxed out LOL. TBH I don’t think it makes any better ammo, but it’s a work of art and every stroke is like the best strokes you can think of

edited to correct: JGS couldnt sell me a reamer not PGS
 
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In the old .408CT days I used an Ammomaster press, but now I'm curious if a .375CT could be loaded on a Zero Press? The longest cartridge I'm loading on the Zero is .338LM Improved 40 that's pushing 4.100" COAL and it fits just fine but not a whole lot of clearance to work with.
 
I have Viersco 1-1/2” dies but no longer made. My experience with Whidden was that they were POS. Be aware also there are many reamers that folks are calling 375CT and they’re not all the same and PSG will not even sell you a 375CT reamer Bc of a cease and desist letter from Cheytac the now mostly insignificant company - no doubt in part because of that kind of douchebaggery.

For my next (4th) barrel I’ve ordered a reamer of the same dimensions as the DT chamber and will get custom dies built from that reamer. I wish I had done that on prior builds. It will also make your custom does have more resale value because whoever buys them will be able to recreate the chamber they’re made for. For custom dies look at WTC and Triebel (Germany).

If I were buying off the shelf dies I’d look at the AB ones and the ones from that one Texas company.

For press you can use a standard one and tilt in the projectile onto the case - with the projectile atop the case it will be taller than the press gantry before seating. I don’t think you need more force than a standard press will provide. However like many others, I use a 50 BMG press with 1-1/2” dies (like my viersco). I used the RCBS 50 press for 8 years and then just upgraded to the Turban Prazipress 150 mm. My big gun reloading game is now maxed out LOL. TBH I don’t think it makes any better ammo, but it’s a work of art and every stroke is like the best strokes you can think of
Ptg does sale cheytac reamers in fact out side of cheytac they are the only legal ones who can a results of a oregon court case. Ptg was the orig designer of the reamer for cheytac all revisions. revision f from 2015 is the reamer used to build all of past cheytafc builds for chambers from cheytac the dies he sales are revision f dies out side of warner making custom dies its the best way to go hands down .
 
Excellent information thank you! I had a typo in my original post, I meant JGS precision can't sell a "Cheytac" branded reamer according to them because of the C&D letter from CheytacUSA
 
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I use one of these for things like .50 BMG and .55 Boys and .577 Snider. Big dies... long cases. Plenty of capability for a CheyTac or any of the big Magnums. Both in throat size, die diameter, etc.


Great press. Not a bank breaker. As for Dies... see above. But I hear they are hard to get due to 'design copyright' and cease and desist stuff.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
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Yes Shootlong.com Brian is great to deal with and as you can see he still has the 375CT dies listed on his website. I use these and they are very high quality and the micrometer seating die is very accurate. I would stay away from PT&G as the last bolt I got from them was junk and I sent it back for refund. Also CH4D no much better luck there. I did try a set of 6cm Whidden dies didn't like them so I sold them and and went back to Redding comp dies
 
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My Whidden dies were so bad I sent them back - they had sharp metal edges so sharp that I cut my hand every time I threaded one of the dies into the press. Terrible finish, basically a hastily made product sold as "custom" or semi custom or whatever who cares. Redding dies are all I need for all but the most special calibers.
 
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Yes Shootlong.com Brian is great to deal with and as you can see he still has the 375CT dies listed on his website. I use these and they are very high quality and the micrometer seating die is very accurate. I would stay away from PT&G as the last bolt I got from them was junk and I sent it back for refund. Also CH4D no much better luck there. I did try a set of 6cm Whidden dies didn't like them so I sold them and and went back to Redding comp dies
I personally know of 3 people that had issues with the cheytac dies from AB i have purchased over 20 sets of cheytac dies from pt&g and no one has had any issues. They might not be fancy but they work flawless
 
One thing worth considering is what brass you are going to be using. At this point, Peterson is the favored choice. That is noted because they posted cartridge and chamber drawings for both the 375 and 408 a while back - 375 here (https://vertassets.blob.core.window...7c-4837-9f62-ce16bb6fc15d/_375__9_5_x_77_.pdf). They have a whole "resource" section on their site - https://www.petersoncartridge.com/technical-information/cheytac-resources/ Were I to get dies made today, I'd send JGS the link to the cartridge and chamber pdf and tell them you want BOTH a chamber reamer and a resize reamer produced for that chamber. Then have Warner build you a set of dies using the resizer and your smith use the chamber reamer. The end result is that the brass matches your dies and both match your barrel(s). Yes, the expensive path. IMO, worth the trip.

As for presses, my preferred is the Turban 120 - https://turban-shop.de/produkt/heavy-praezipress-120/?lang=en. I list 12 presses that will work (press sub-section) - https://www.elr-resources.com/page5.html
 
This is my setup with a Hornady 50bmg press. Pacific Tool and Gage 1.5x12 to 1.25 adapter was a pos, and I had to run a tap thru it and chase the threads(should have made my own). I went with this setup, as I have 2-650's and a Forster coax. Whidden dies are as nice as any forster product I've seen. I really like the LNL as I mainly use the press with a bulge buster to take the glock bulge out of 9mm.
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One thing worth considering is what brass you are going to be using. At this point, Peterson is the favored choice. That is noted because they posted cartridge and chamber drawings for both the 375 and 408 a while back - 375 here (https://vertassets.blob.core.window...7c-4837-9f62-ce16bb6fc15d/_375__9_5_x_77_.pdf). They have a whole "resource" section on their site - https://www.petersoncartridge.com/technical-information/cheytac-resources/ Were I to get dies made today, I'd send JGS the link to the cartridge and chamber pdf and tell them you want BOTH a chamber reamer and a resize reamer produced for that chamber. Then have Warner build you a set of dies using the resizer and your smith use the chamber reamer. The end result is that the brass matches your dies and both match your barrel(s). Yes, the expensive path. IMO, worth the trip.

As for presses, my preferred is the Turban 120 - https://turban-shop.de/produkt/heavy-praezipress-120/?lang=en. I list 12 presses that will work (press sub-section) - https://www.elr-resources.com/page5.html
Oscar;
I never use a resize reamer or any other when I make dies.
Alan
 
Alan, care to explain what you mean so I don't go buying a reamer that I don't need?

My original reason for buying a chamber reamer was so subsequent chambers were all the same, recognizing that if the gunsmith uses the same reamer a lot, it will wear, and your second chamber he cuts 2 years from now may be different dimensions from the first when the reamer had less wear. I presume that logic still stands.

So is there a reason for me to ever buy a resize reamer?

SOA
 
Alan, care to explain what you mean so I don't go buying a reamer that I don't need?

My original reason for buying a chamber reamer was so subsequent chambers were all the same, recognizing that if the gunsmith uses the same reamer a lot, it will wear, and your second chamber he cuts 2 years from now may be different dimensions from the first when the reamer had less wear. I presume that logic still stands.

So is there a reason for me to ever buy a resize reamer?

SOA
A chamber reamer is all you need for your chamber and arbor press seating die should you go that route.
I never use a reamer to make sizing dies.
Alan
 
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I'd love to see the process of how you make dies with out a reamer. I have to assume a cnc lathe ???
Maybe talk Cortina into letting you build his next set of dies and videoing the whole process... 7x47 Lapua
They are single point cut on a lathe if you were familiar with how the dies are designed and work you would understand perhaps the manufacturing process. His die design is the most versatile consistent accurate design on the market you have total control of sizing process. It Is by no way a typical or conventional design. Simply put its bad ass
 
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As a 25 year Tool and Die Maker, you're going to have a hard time convincing me that single point boring will be more accurate than a reamer. More versatile yes, but accurate... prob not. I've had some cnc grinders hold some crazy tolerances, but you get deflection the deeper to go on a hole while single point boring. Kuddos to pushing the boundaries though... I'd be a buyer if the die set wasn't pushing 1k
 
I'd love to see the process of how you make dies with out a reamer. I have to assume a cnc lathe ???
Maybe talk Cortina into letting you build his next set of dies and videoing the whole process... 7x47 Lapua
I'm sure you would, but its' not for public disclosure.
FYI: the only cnc involved is when the housings and housing components are made
 
As another poster said on SH a while back when I was complaining of the cost: "WTC dies are the finest piece of steel you will ever own." True statement.
 
Its really simple in a world where new brass is not properly formed to spect and chambes are all over the place and with that sizing dies and reamers being .003 .004 .005 under sized (003 is typical) its no wonder there is issues warner tool understands this. They understand what it takes to make your high doller build function properly. The high doller dies are worth every penny. Thanks Alan and Dan Warner for understand My and John pierce vision and being able to make what we needed and wanted to make our 416 colossus function flawlessly.
 
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Yeap , so believe it or not I have OLD Betram 408CT Brass & Peterson 375CT brass , and I may get the rifle maker to make me dies if possible , failing that will look at what they reccomend .
Want to run normal bullets so looking at the ATip etc .
I live outside the USA , so what is available or easy in the US , is not necessarily the best option for me .

Cheers Chris