Die question

W

William Suter

Well-known member
I have two 223's, ones a bolt action, the other an AR. Should I use two different sets of dies? I feel like I might need to so I can keep a consistent sizing. I feel I'm always guessing when I set up my die to reload.
 
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I use Hornady LNL bushings and it's sure nice to grab them and start reloading. Nothing to change unless I change bullets, awful handy.
 
You can check your fired cases from both rifles for headspace and see how much difference there is. I load for several bolt guns of same caliber and they are close enough that I set die to chamber in the tightest chamber and am good to go. I load for a BAR and a bolt .308 and use separate sizing dies set for specific rifle to be sure I don't have a failure to chamber in the BAR which would increase the danger of a slam-fire in the gas gun.
 
William Suter said:
I have two 223's, ones a blot action, the other an AR. Should I use two different sets of dies? I feel like I might need to so I can keep a consistent sizing. I feel I'm always guessing when I set up my die to reload.
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When I loaded 223 I always neck sized with an FL die. But all I shoot is also bolt action rifles. If I were shooting semi auto's, I've always read they should be FL sized every time! So with a semi I would FL size every time.
 
I use Redding competition shell holders and a hard stop on the bottom of the die. I list the shell holder on my data sheet/box lable. No adjusting dies for multiple rifles with the same cartridge.
 
AWS said:
I use Redding competition shell holders and a hard stop on the bottom of the die. I list the shell holder on my data sheet/box lable. No adjusting dies for multiple rifles with the same cartridge.
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What I do these days if I have more than one rifle in any caliber is every gun get's it own set of dies and those dies set and locked in to seat the bullet out as far as O can but keeping it seated a min one caliber deep. That way I simply don't need to re-adjust the dies again. had two 243's at one time and dies for one would not let the round chamber in one rifle but dies for the other let the round seat in both. Truth be known I believe the best seating depth is with the bullet base even with the joint of the neck and shoulder.
 
I shoot mostly contenders in several cartridges. I also load for a couple bolt action rifles and rem xp100 handguns.
I know where my die settings need to be for each one for correct headspace.
I use feeler gages to set however many thousandths I want the size die off the shellholder for each one’s headspace adjustment.
I have a 223 bolt rifle, a 223 xp100 bolt pistol, and a 223 contender pistol barrel. I use the same die set for all 3. I don’t lock the ring down, but adjust each time to each firearm by using a automotive feeler gage. The range will usually be from .005”-.015” off the shellholder for the size die, for example, between many different firearms
Cheap and easy imo.
 
I use to just neck size or bump the shoulders, but since annealing became so easy, I full length size everything. Same die for each cartridge. (I do 204 Ruger and 223 bolt actions and ARs, plus 2 different 300BO and 6.5 Grendel ARs.) Previously, my concern was over working the brass and accuracy, but I anneal to address brass and have no issue with accuracy.
 
I load for 5 different 223 barrels(3 AR, 2 bolt guns)and a 20p. No competition, varmits,prairie dog and load development. I use one rcbs .223 rem standard FL sizing die. Ring is locked, designated shell holder. It sizes brass to minimum SAAMI on a Lyman ammo checker(low step). That brass fits all the barrels even in the winter. I have a witness mark on the press/die ring I make sure to check. This is for using range brass. For brass dedicated to a specific rifle, I use a shim ring to put lift the die about 0.002. But really it hasn't made any difference accuracy wise, and I haven't had case head separation. So I wonder why I bother. I do anneal. Most new brass and ammo is short(lower) in the ammo checker. KISS seems to fit me best.
 
I have used a LOT of machine gun 5.56mm brass in the past so yeah there I do use a separate die (Small Base) for sizing. (MG's as in 249's have very sloppy chambers for a reason).

Currently don't own a .223/5.56mm bolt gun but if I did I would consider a neck sizing die maybe. Even though I know by backing off the FL die I can just size just the necks with 1 die set.
But before doing that I would separate the brass between the two different actions. If it made a accuracy difference if not I would set to the tightest chamber as hm1996 pointed out ( Which is what I currently do for all my AR's). Yes I too anneal the necks every 2 to 3 firings.
 


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