What dies do you use? Long range shooting

[Schw15]

I ask because i only use forster benchrest dies and great results. But my dad was getting into long range shooting and he bought some hornady 2 die set the custom grade nothing fancy $35. Been loading for him and very shocked on the little run out i get there doesnt seem to be any difference

 

[Steel head]

Lee collet
Redding body die
Forster micrometer seating die.
I turned a 7mm-08 collet into a 7 saum rather easily.

 

[Schw15]

Lee collet
Redding body die
Forster micrometer seating die.
I turned a 7mm-08 collet into a 7 saum rather easily.

I use to use the redding body die til i made my change over to forster. Love there full length sizer. You use alot mixture

 

[Steel head]

I use to use the redding body die til i made my change over to forster. Love there full length sizer. You use alot mixture

It’s a combo that works for me.
I’d be confident with a honed Forster as well.
I’m not a fan of bushing dies though.

 

[Schw15]

It’s a combo that works for me.

I really like that body die I used it with a Forster neck die but when I saw that rifle I sold the dies with it are you got a great combo

 

[Ryridesmotox]

I use a lee FL sizing die and a forster micrometer seater. My gun doesn't seem to care either way. I've done thencollet die after a FL size and tried a body die, not much difference. So I just stick with the easy one step process

 

[Schw15]

I wonder if there much difference really besides price? Seems like the dies produce consistent and accurate rounds but just seeing peoples thoughts

 

[MotorOilMcCall]

I have RCBS, Lee, Redding, and Lyman dies... I prefer the Hornady seating dies for the precision rounds (others seem to deform the bullet somewhat). FL Sizing dies, I really haven't found one to be better than another. I'm not BR shooting though.

 

[hafejd30]

I run the same as steelhead

Lee Collet
Redding Body Die (when needed)
Forester or Redding seater

keeps my runout .000-.002” for most ammo.

 

[Guns&WhiteWater]

It’s a combo that works for me.
I’d be confident with a honed Forster as well.
I’m not a fan of bushing dies though.

Same here. I started with a bushing die on my 47L but now I primarily use several honed Forster FL dies on that and my long barreled 308. Use the Forster micrometer seating dies with nearly everything.

 

[Schw15]

I just use the benchrest 2 die set. I usually pick one bullet and 1 load and stay with it so never used a micrometer

 

[Ryridesmotox]

I think the added costs of the higher end dies is just ease of use. You want to bump .001 further? Dial the sizer a click... you want to dial the lee FL sizer .001? Guess somewhere, I played around enough to figure it out.

 

[Schw15]

I think the added costs of the higher end dies is just ease of use. You want to bump .001 further? Dial the sizer a click... you want to dial the lee FL sizer .001? Guess somewhere, I played around enough to figure it out.

Yes very true. I was really surprised with hornadys seater die though i hate the sizer

 

[BrentlyWhite]

I use the Hornady dies for both FL sizing and seating (with micrometer). I took the ball out of the sizer and use a Sinclair expander die and expander for necking to .002 under bullet diameter. Works for me with ES in the single digit.

 

[Kyskeet]

Load for both 6.5 CM and 6 Dasher, L.E. Wilson bushing sizing die and L. E. Wilson Micro seater die on a arbor press

 

[whatsupdoc]

I have measured the case runout on a few different brands of dies and it seems that it is the luck of the draw. No one brand has less runout than the next. Forster dies have the worst internal finish of any dies I own and hornady match grade dies seem to have the best internal finish I just wish they were not bushing dies.

The last few dies I purchased were rcbs, old reliable you cant go wrong.

 

[Shadow knows]

I use hornady match grade FL bushing and non, RCBS FL bushing and non, RCBS neck size bushing for my rifles. I like my bushings the best, I do like the RCBC competition die a lot but it literally doesn’t perform any better than my other bushings I guess as long as the proper stem is installed.
I guess if your happy with your 400/600 yd MOA/sub MOA group and/or single digit SD’s the whatever your using is working and it sounds like a great setup.

 

[slm9s]

Hornady are very good. Whidden is best IMO. (And Harrells)

 

[Rocketmandb]

Whidden FL bushing dies, and LE Wilson micrometer seaters under a K&M arbor press. Quite thankful that Wilson got the 300 PRC die released recently so I can get rid of my last standard seating die.

 

[Sincerd]

Rcbs matchmaster dies. I really gotten used to the seating window when not using a bullet feeder.

1. Rcbs matchmaster sizer
2. Hornady powder funnel die
3. Rcbs matchmaster seater

On a lnl its pull, powder, drop/prime, bullet

Powder from a chargemaster 1500.

I run the cases through with universal decap and rt1500 trimmer first. Then wet tumble. Works for me when not loading with powder dropper and full progressive. Havent found anything better yet.

 

[clcustom1911]

Lee Collett

Lee Full Length size

Lee Dead Length Bullet seater.

Old ass Dillon RL450 press.

Its awesome and makes great ammo.

 

[Ryridesmotox]

Lee Collett

Lee Full Length size

Lee Dead Length Bullet seater.

Old ass Dillon RL450 press.

Its awesome and makes great ammo.

Putting the old pacesetter set to work. I have that set, mynokly change is the seater.

 

[clcustom1911]

Putting the old pacesetter set to work. I have that set, mynokly change is the seater.

I have custom mandrels for each caliber to play with neck tension and I modified my seater to work better with VLD bullets. Good stuff.

 

[locutus]

I use many. Mostly Redding.

Don't use Lee products, except their FCD for semi-auto handgun loads.

 

[supercorndogs]

Standard FL dies.

 

[flyright]

Honed Forster FL then mandrel and a Forster micrometer seater here. First setup that gave me noticeable results on target and the chrono and minimal runout. My friend swears by his Whidden dies and he gets great results too. We both sold our Redding bushing dies but I know plenty of shooters that do great things with them too.

 

[shoot4fun]

The one thing that the replies here prove is that there is no shortage of really good dies out there. Ease of use and, for some, gadget features, are what we pay for. I'm really happy with Whidden dies of late and especially their click-adjustable bushing FL sizer die.

 

[kthomas]

Started with Redding, but now all of my reloading dies are Whidden. The Whidden click adjustable FL sizer die is the tits.

I don't measure run-out, as I've never seen a need to do that. My downrange results show no need to check for run-out.

 

[natdscott]

What is “long” range?

I’ve used from RCBS through custom Neil Jones.

All of the above can produce excellent ammunition.

My BASE choices for precision would be this:

—Redding FL S-Type or Whidden same.
—PPP mandrel die.
—Forster Ultra BR Seater
—Lee Collet Crimp.

And that, ya’ll, is probably enough dies to produce 0.1 groups at a kilometer.

But that does not solve the majority of the problems people have with shooting well at long range.

 

[Gustav7]

Another fan of a Honed Forster full length. I bought the Forster Benchrest set off ebay for like $85. Don't really need the micrometer seater. Sent the sizer into Forster and got it honed to 0.0035 under, then used a 21st century TIN mandrel to get 0.002 neck tension. Inexpensive, and seems to work great so far.