Redding Die Sets

[Zhurh]

Bought a Redding Ultra Mag press, 3BR measure, scale, case trimmer, and bunch of other related accessory items; first attempt at getting into reloading. Most my friends have those lee loaders & couple hundred dollar kits; think I'm nuts spending 1500 on everything; I'm sure you all know of what I speak.

So I want to order my rifle dies and then order pistol dies later this year. (270,7mm,338, 30-378) Redding has standard 3 die sets for 50-90 bucks/set. Then I heard about Redding's Type S Bushing Die sets & Competition Bushing Neck Die Sets. The better sets are twice or 3X the price but another reloader claimed to go that route. I guess it has something to to do with resizing and that excessive resizing leads to shorter case life and concentricity problems. Since my intention is to improve accuracy would it be a good idea to go with the better competition dies from the start? I kinda don't want to buy the standard 3 die set for 60 bucks and then buy the better set a few months later. I have around 20 boxes of brass of each caliber except the 30-378 and will be shooting out of same gun.

So has anybody experienced or used the Redding competiton bushing dies? Were you satisfied and what did ya think? Appreciate any insight.

[JLA]

It seems you spare no expense... Id go ahead and get the competition dies. Youd then have the best of the best...

[Zhurh]

Thanks JLA, reason I was asking was that I have searched some other sites about these dies and some say they are more trouble than they are worth; cause other problems; then others claim they are the best; that's what got me a wonderin???? Ya know, I've never once regretted paying a little more for a Leupold scope. Kinda want to get dies that I will think they must been made by Leupold.

[JLA]

Redding competition are IMO second to none. They arent IMO any fussier than any other die set on the market. theyre just built with a greater degree of accuracy.

[gdmoody]

Originally Posted by Zhurh

I have searched some other sites about these dies and some say they are more trouble than they are worth; cause other problems; then others claim they are the best; that's what got me a wonderin????

You know, if you ask 100 people their opinion of something , you will most likely get about 100 different answers. Some folks hate Lee and others love them and it is the same for all of the manufacturers,


I have dies made by Lee, Lyman, Redding, and RCBS and I use some of them in a Lee single stage press and some in a Dillon progressive press. I have never had any problems with any of the dies, one set does exactly what another set does. Some were just more expensive than others.

[Lee C.]

Befor you go out and get the redding dies Take the time to go to Forster web page and look at there dies. I started with Lee dies 54 years ago. Then went to RCBS, then to Redding top of the line dies. Now i buy nothing other than Forster dies. Look at how there dies are made and why they make them the way they do. Redding competition die was copyed from forster seating die. They cost less than redding dies and have closer tolerance than redding dies. And it dosen't cost any thing to look at them.

[Zhurh]

Hey thanks, I quickly looked over Forster site and ordered catalog; going to look back over it later tonight.

You see, I've never reloaded, but a buddy from Georgia that comes up Ak hunting every fall has been after me to get into reloading. This guy spends 2 months up here and only shoots those Accumark Weatherbys. I finally broke down, bought a 30-378 like his; and it does reach right out there. I told him I'd build one of those hornady benches and have everything here when he flys up; he could show me how it's done. Winter is closing out, already thinking about those long range double shovel shots in August.

WE get up on our summit, and glass bou & moose down in these canyons; some are way off, 1500 yards and such. My buddy has an expensive high dollar spotting scope. I have as much fun watching them bou scratching themselves as shooting them. So anyway, I want to start reloading to help improve accuracy.

I've killed moose & caribou at 700 yards & across the river which is even farther with the 7 mag; but I got to shoot like 3 foot or more over their back. What's funny is, when I first got in country up here in early 90's; I'd never consider shooting at anything over 300 yards away; too conditioned to back east hunting. I even passed on a 60 inch bull at around 500 yards once; boy I wish I could go back to that day with what I know now.

Anyway, this is why I want to get the best competition dies I can find. Then too, maybe they are all just the same and I'm missing the point; but thank you all for any pointers & info on the way to go with dies for most accurate reloading.

[Hanover67]

The comment about 100 different opinions is right! Eventually most people who reload wind up using what works for them. I'm a Highpower match shooter and .308 RCBS dies have worked fine for me. But, I've also used other brands for different calibers and they have been fine too. I don't go to some of the extremes in terms of case preparation, like neck turning. I just neck size them and reload them. Same bullet, powder charge and primers for 25 years and they're all capable of going in the ten-ring if I do my part.

[garydude]

Originally Posted by JLA

Redding competition are IMO second to none.

Couldn't agree more. I just got mine (Redding cometition seating die in 45 ACP) and I've reached reloading Nirvana

It's very nice to have no worries about bullet/case alignment.

[JLA]

Believe me if they werent so dadgum expensive Id use them exclusively, but for me, Lee does well enough not to justify the expense...