Dies and Accuracy

[Northernpiker]

I'm having Mike at Hells Canyon build me a 6.5 Creedmoor, I have some RCBS dies. My question is how much difference in accuracy can some $230 dies make for reloading? If I'm spending that kind of money on the rifle is it worth spending more for dies?

 

[wind gypsy]

Likely no detectable difference in accuracy but it is possible you'd see difference if a given load likes more/less neck tension or if your seating die is messing up the tips of bullets.

The primary reason I spend money on good sizing dies is to minimize over working the brass and help with case life / reduce annealing frequency. Having flexibility in neck tension is nice at times.

The primary reason I spend more money on seating dies is to accommodate long pointy bullets and the convenience of the dial when making seating depth adjustments.

 

[rayporter]

from a guy with many custom dies. don't bother. I believe wind gypsy put it correctly. most likely 98 % of reloaders and shooters will see no improvement in accuracy.

there is a place for custom dies and you will know when the time comes. when I got my fist real serious custom action rifle my smith said 'wear out that barrel and then call
me"
it was good advice.

edit to add

Wilson seating dies are pretty handy. they may not load ammo any better but they sure make it faster and easier to seat bullets. and you don't need to remove your sizer from the press.
but you have to buy an arbor press or use a drill press unless you have a hood press.

 

[doverpack12]

I believe I am able to achieve greater accuracy consistently with two rifles I switched from standard RCBS dies. I went with a Redding Full length type s bushing sizer and a Forster bench rest seating die for the alignment sleeve. Now there was nothing wrong with the RCBS Dies I was easily sub Moa every time. But I wanted better accuracy and more consistent groups. Prior to switching I would have a great group then a so so Group or a flier. Now my groups a pretty consistent in size and shape. Only change has been the dies. I’ll add that the Redding competition shell holder set for each rifle was purchased with the die upgrade and I fully believe in using those shell holders. If I could have afforded Redding micrometer seaters as well I would have gone with them but I don’t think the Forster gives up anything to the Redding other than ease of adjustment.

 

[gbflyer]

I might be alone but I like Lee dies. I put the Forster locking collar on them and put them in my coax press.

 

[16Bore]

Runout is the killer.

 

[VernAK]

Runout is the killer.

The Forster press and seating die really improved my runout.

 

[16Bore]

I was chasing a lot of rifle unicorns until I got a Sinclair gauge...straight ammo kinda shoots better.

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I'll add that if you take 1 shot from the left target and 2 from the right (or vice versa) you'll get the dreaded "2 in, 1 out group". I can't recall the actual numbers, but I took a random lot of 20 rounds and measured the range of runout. Then figured the probability of the 3 best being shot together....or the 3 worst for that matter. Odds were rather low. Essentially what we might chase as a pulled shot or sand in my eye or barrel heat or dirty bore, might just be a funky bullet.

That was the day I turned in my looney card and went back to shooting.....

 

[Ingo]

Forster FL sizing dies and Forster seating dies make straight ammo. Straight enough I'll never bother with bushing or custom honed dies.

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[wind gypsy]

Forster FL sizing dies and Forster seating dies make straight ammo. Straight enough I'll never bother with bushing or custom honed dies.

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But it’s so cheap to have the FL sizers honed it’s nice to do it to avoid over working brass.

Just don’t be an idiot like me and have the necks opened up to where you don’t have enough neck tension with some brass.

 

[Ingo]

But it’s so cheap to have the FL sizers honed it’s nice to do it to avoid over working brass.

Just don’t be an idiot like me and have the necks opened up to where you don’t have enough neck tension with some brass.

I haven't measured how much the stock Forster dies undersize but I'm willing to bet it's less than other run-of-the-mill dies. I haven't had any problems with brass hardening overly fast. I used to use a body die with Lee Collet neck dies. Too much work for ammo that's not as straight as the ammo made with the standard Forster BR dies.

I talked to my old neighbor (who's an old benchrest hero) about dies. A lot of them used to use the old Bonanza BR dies. Now he uses an arbor press with Wilson dies but he said it's just because that's what everyone else does and in that sport it's follow the leader.



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