dies

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nick2010

Member
What is the difference in dies? With Lee's are the cheapest would they be just as good as RCBS dies? or is there any diffrence? New to reloading and just looking at what brand of dies to get, i have a RCBS single stage press.
 
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I have everything but Lee dies. It doesn't mean they won't work, It just means I'd rather have Redding, RCBS, Hornady, or Forster dies.
 
Originally Posted By: nick2010What is the difference in dies? With Lee's are the cheapest would they be just as good as RCBS dies? or is there any diffrence? New to reloading and just looking at what brand of dies to get, i have a RCBS single stage press. Nick,some are finished better than others,and have better features (like a precision bullet seater,ect.) Ron
 
I've got RCBS, Hornady, Lyman, C&H, Dillon and Pacific dies they all work great. I don't have any Lee dies at all.
 
I have RCBS, Redding,and LEE. The LEE's work just fine. I load my .223 with them. Always happy with the results. Bought all the RCBS used for a good price and the Redding are for my 6BR gun.
 
Nick,
Depends on your purposes. Like others have said, some are better quality but cost more. For hunting reloading, Lees are fine and will do the job. But for Benchrest and ultimate accuracy, best get out the wallet.
 
I have Hornady for my .40 S&W, and assorted Lee and RCBS for my rifle dies. I like the feel and finish of the RCBS better but they both accomplish the same thing.
 
I've used Lee dies for as long as I can remember...I used the old "hammer" dies to load for two Rem 788's...22-250 and 308 and shot the first bug hole group in the 22-250 with Horn 53 HP and 308 with the Sierra 130 gr SP...powder dipper and all.

I use them for intermediate sizers for some of my wildcats and also for resizing larger cases to smaller cals...and I've found the resizer to be just as good as any other of differing brands of dies and I have just about all the brands going back umpteen years.

The Lee seater doesn't work for me but it will reload for average hunting for average shooters, I have a bunch of them in my junk drawer I need to find a use for someday. and I get rid of that rubber O-ring lock nut and make my own out of steel hex stock or buy Forester lockrings.

I also like the Lee collet dies...the Lee and Redding Bushing dies produce the most accurate reloads in my 17 Rem interchangeably, but I still use the Forester Ultra seater...The collet dies work very well with neck turned cases, MOST of the time, but if the neck gets too thin then you run out of squeeze and have to resort to a bushing die.

I use more Redding Bushing dies nowdays...and Forester Ultra seaters...for new builds. I have so many sets I can usually mix and match and come up with a bushing die to fit whatever I happen to be experimenting with at the time and...I just buy the P-30 sliding chamber and seating stem for whatever cal I want...I have all the different tops and bottoms for all cartridges.

I've never really found anything wrong with ANY brand of die except some of the real old ones other than visual esthetics, although I don't like the Lyman chrome plated "stuff" and only use those for calibers I can't find in the other brands.

Lots of choices out there...and always subjective...some people hate Lee products for some odd reason, but I've always found they work as advertised and they stand behind their products also...but many of the Lee products are not designed for a ton of reloading over an extended time frame...but at the price comparison I can't complain for what use they get.

Luck
 


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