Who makes the best reloading dies?

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

I started reloading about a year ago and thought I'd start out with Lee dies. So far I'm not impressed with the Lee dies. They have a pretty bad friction nut type of locking mechanism. I also have constant issues with the de-capping pin popping out of battery (it's a safety mechanism) when trying to de-prime cases with crimped primer pockets which is a real problem if you are de-priming a lot of .233 Rem or .308 Win. I ended up buying a set of RCBS dies and not only do they and feel of higher quality, but the set screw type of locking mechanism keeps them in adjustment and the de-capping pin mechanism is much stronger and pops out those crimped primers like nothing in my RCBS turret press.

 

[Mauser lover]

skill of handloader...

I use Lee and RCBS. I have never purchased RCBS, but my grandfather gave me some. For my rifle shooting, I use the Lee, because that is what I have. I have loaded ammunition that for some reason shoots about an inch group (a hair less than an inch) at 250 yards. Skill of the reloader? Probably not, I would argue accident or extremely good fortune on that one.

See post number eighteen...
"It is Not the die That make Good Loaded ammo. It is The skill of The Handloader."

Not claiming to be skilled, but Lee products (often bashed because they are inexpensive) can make a good load.

My press is from the last millennium, an old Herter's cast iron "O" frame. Never had a problem decapping, that I can remember, but not dealing with large amounts of crimped primers either.

 

[trentcwwilson]

I use Lee and RCBS. I have never purchased RCBS, but my grandfather gave me some. For my rifle shooting, I use the Lee, because that is what I have. I have loaded ammunition that for some reason shoots about an inch group (a hair less than an inch) at 250 yards. Skill of the reloader? Probably not, I would argue accident or extremely good fortune on that one.

See post number eighteen...
"It is Not the die That make Good Loaded ammo. It is The skill of The Handloader."

Not claiming to be skilled, but Lee products (often bashed because they are inexpensive) can make a good load.

My press is from the last millennium, an old Herter's cast iron "O" frame. Never had a problem decapping, that I can remember, but not dealing with large amounts of crimped primers either.

I deal with them all day long doing 223 for friends. Not once has my decapping die had to be reset.

 

[Shaq]

Best: Redding

Good: RCBS

So So: Everything else

 

[oldreloader]

I have dies made by Hornady, Lee, RCBS, Redding, and Lyman. Tey all work well for me. Most of what I buy now are Lee.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO most all the die manufacturers produce a good produce that will generate quality ammo. Some have features the others don't have, some offer dies the others don't. It all depends on want is important to you. Price, pretty dies, nice packaging, customer service or just the color of the box. You decide what's important to you and buy that...

I use mostly Lee handgun dies. They come with a shell holder and a powder through charging die that works well with my equipment. For loading rifle ammo it's mostly RCBS for me. I have and use several other company's dies including Hornady and like I said, all are good to me. I do like the newest Hornady handgun sizing die that has a nitride sizing ring too. I hope I didn't make the matter more confusing for you!

 

[stubbicatt]

I have Lee, RCBS, Redding, Forster, Hornady, CH4D, and Whidden dies. They all work. Some are easier to work with than others in specific applications.

 

[highlander 5]

Been reloading for 45 years and the dies I've had the most and best experience with RCBS,Dillon and Redding. Had tried a set of Hornandy pistol dies with the titanium nitride coating,went back to standard carbide dies. Lee dies are not my cup of tea and in all honesty the limited warranty turns me off.

 

[Slamfire]

Tool steel is tool steel, it's all in design, and in reloading dies the more complex simple designs are the best. Micro adjust sizer and seater are wonderful if you are looking to squeeze every bit of accuracy out of a gun, and if you have experience to use them properly.

This is an excellent statement and one which I basically agree. You can reload safe and accurate ammunition with any brand of die. I have Bonanza, Dillion, Lee, Lyman, RCBS, Redding dies, and they are all good. There are differences between the brands, for whatever reasons, Lee rifle dies seem to be cut larger and leave the case larger after sizing. This is of importance to me as my match ammunition has to function through several different rifles and in the end, I went looking for small base rifle dies. My Lyman small base dies sized the cases the most, and I use a Lyman small base die in the 30-06 and .223. Unfortunately Lyman stopped making small base dies and I don't have one of their small base dies in 308 Win. I am using an RCBS small base die in 308 Win. I would use small base dies in every caliber I could buy them.

I like a robust firing pin spindle/decapper. I stopped using Bonanza dies because of the propensity of busting the decapper. The Bonanza decapper is fragile. I gave away my 30-06 Bonanza sizing die to a friend for just this reason. I like the RCBS decapper, those are a robust design. The strongest decapper is the Lee. Older Lee decappers have a full length expansion section which makes pulling the case mouth through the decapper very difficult for long cases. I think Lee redesigned their decappers and made the expansion section shorter. With the exception of the Lee decapper, I have had the decapping pin come loose at one time or another with all brands.

I think Dillion dies are well thought out, the spring loaded decapper is an excellent idea and I do believe it works better on progressive presses than any other design. Overall Dillion dies work very well on progressive presses. Redding dies are hideously expensive, shiny and smooth, beautifully made, can't say the ammunition that comes out is any better.

I prefer the Micro adjuster rifle bullet seating dies for the convenience of adjustment. I measured a number of cases, measuring bullet run out, bullet run out for my .223 Lee dies is the same as the bullet run out with a Bonanza match seating die.

I do have one Lee sizing die in 30-06 that after sizing, the case run out is huge. I have experimented with the decapper, lock ring, lube thickness, I don't know why, but this die is a dud.

When it comes to pistol dies, I use Lee. They are cheap, work well on my Dillion 550B, the decapping pin stays put. I am using a Dillion 45 ACP sizing die for 45 ACP, I decided to splurge. I can't say my 45 ACP functions better or is more accurate due to the die change.

 

[Ks5shooter]

RCBS for 28 years,also if you need extra decapping pins etc they will send them for free. 5 years ago I contacted them with my die caliber list to order new die box labels as mine were faded and worn. They sent them for free within 5 days.

 

[dragon813gt]

There is no best. I start w/ Lee and if they don't work I move on to another brand. I've only had to do this once and it was because I was using a F/L sizing die to convert cases. Not what the die is designed for.

I have plenty of die types that Lee doesn't make. Small base and M dies are in this category. But then again NOE makes expander plugs for the Lee Universal Expanding die and I've pretty much stopped using the M dies. At the end of the day check the runout of your rounds. I've had no problems achieving next to no runout w/ Lee dies.

 

[Candyman87]

I'm all RCBS with one set of Hornady. Excellent dies, amazing customer service. All around a really good value.

 

[Paddy]

I'm thinking about swapping my Redding pro pistol progressive set for a Dillon set because of the quick disassembly ability but also mainly the spring punch primer pin. I get stuck primers on the pin once in a while that jams up my press.

I don't think there's a single best brand, some have good features that you might want for certain instances, at least for me. I like the sliding sleeve seaters like Forster and Hornady use. Saves my fingers from being hole punched by a sharp case.

 

[ColoradoMinuteMan]

I deal with them all day long doing 223 for friends. Not once has my decapping die had to be reset.

You may have mentioned earlier in the thread if you use Lee dies for the .223 but curious if you do. I'm definitely not trying to drag Lee dies through the mud. I've just had better luck with my rcbs dies and subjectively find them to feel higher quality. At the end of the day the Lee die produces properly shaped cartridges all day long, I just feel setup and use is a bit more efficient using rcbs due to the superior locking mechanism and de-capping setup.

 

[Poper]

I go for lower cost most often. I doubt that the average reloader could tell the difference between which brand of dies makes the best ammo

I'm sure this is true.
But there is something to be said of the pleasure derived from using a well designed and professionally, aesthetically finished tool.

I can go to Autozone or Walmart and buy a wrench that will do the job. I can buy the same wrench from Snap-On or Matco. Their wrench will also do the job but the tool is much more refined and often makes the task slightly easier.
Lay a Lee FL die next to a Redding FL die and compare the difference in finishing. There's just something about that extra effort that speaks to me.

 

[OilyPablo]

I don't have a problem with any dies I have purchased. But every one of them has been very dirty, some are rough and some have small burrs. It is very much worth it to take dies apart and clean them up.

 

[lightman]

I'm like Poper on this. In my former life there was no room in my toolbox for a cheap tool. This carried over to everything else that I do.

They all will work ok. Are you a Harbor Freight Guy or a Snap On Guy? Whatever you choose, it pays to take them apart and clean them. It also pays to read the directions. Doing this can head off lots of problems.

 

[mgmorden]

Best? I'd say a toss-up between Redding and RCBS. Honestly though - unless you're really heavy into the benchrest game there's not enough difference between any of them to worry much.

Hornady has a free bullet rebate program right now so the last couple sets I've bought have been Hornady, but I've got sets from all of them and all of them work.

 

[david bachelder]

90% of the dies I own are RCBS. I have one set of LEE and one set of Hornady.

I prefer the Hornady but it has nothing to do with quality, it has to do with length. I have a LNL and the Hornady dies are a shade longer than RCBS and LEE.

I'd advise that new reloaders buy RCBS or Hornady. They are both outstanding, competitively priced and the warranty covers all.

 

[sugarmaker]

Lee dies work but have short threads. I own a bunch. Best fit and finish is Redding. For 223 match I use lee collet neck size, redding body, and redding competion seat.

 

[gojones]

I have had RCBS dies for 45 yrs. Last year I had a problem with one made in 1978. RCBS sent me replacement parts the next day with no questions asked. I have some of a lot of brands accumulated over the years. Several years ago, I changed to Redding Pro for my progressive and Forster for single stage. I now use Redding for pistol and Forster for rifle. However, that said, if I was only going to have one brand, you cannot go wrong with RCBS. I have not tried Dillon but understand they are top quality also. Start primarily with one brand, get familiar with the adjustments and then try others maybe later when you are comfortable. keep the variables to a minimum when starting out.

 

[WelshShooter]

First of all, I've never had to replace any parts from a die so I cannot comment on customer service.

I've used Lee dies for .303, 8x57IS, .223 (collet die) and .308 and have been happy with these. With the .223 and .308 I've achieved sub 0.5 MOA groups so the dies are capable of producing accurate ammunition. I really dislike the locking rings as it's hard to keep them set with zero changes because they don't lock via a grub screw, so if you've set up your full length die to bump the shoulders back every so slightly then you should expect this to change over time. Same can be said for the full length die, there is no lock on the seating depth stem so if you find you've knocked this etc. then you'll have to reset this. Price wise and quality of the dies are good and with the aforementioned in mind I would recommend them.

I've used steel RCBS dies for .223 (full length and seating die) and carbide dies for .357mag/.38 special. Nice easy dies to set up and stay at their settings, sometimes. All dies have a locking ring with a brass grub screw that locks perpendicular to the threads. I've found that sometimes the locking ring can come loose on the seating die and tightening the grub screw has lead the hex fitting to become rounded so no joy there. The full length die is fine. The seating die stem is adjusted by screw thread and locked in place by a small hex nut so it's better than the Lee die in that respect. No issues with the carbide die set, no scratches on the cases and they do a good job out of the .357magnum. Again, the .223 is sub 0.5 MOA and the .357 shoots a 1" group at 25m (underlever rifle with scope).

I have a forster full length & seating die (benchrest kit) for 6.5x47 Lapua and a Redding neck bushing die for the aforementioned calibre. The forster dies feel very well made and refined, they just ooze quality compared to other brands (maybe because these are the newest and most expensive dies I have?). The locking rings are great as they are a "clamp" type with a tightening screw and don't thread onto the die threads. These have never come loose and are very repeatable when mounted and removed from the press. The seating die is quite clever. The seating depth is locked in place with a hex nut (I believe?) and the die is set up such that you are "overcamming" in effect which takes out of the criticality of repeating the die seating position. The Redding neck bushing die is very well made too. When set up correctly (with a TiN bushing) I have zero problems with the sizing operation although you should use a little lube to avoid minor scratches on the brass. I only bought these dies as they were the cheapest for this calibre (although still almost double the price of the most expensive die set I had previously bought). This calibre will shoot 0.25-0.3MOA all day so long as I do my part.

Short version, out of Lee, RCBS, Forster and Redding I could recommend them all. Select according to your budget (i.e. if you're doing F-class shooting then you might as well get the best set of dies such as Forster), if you're just plinking at the range then you're not going to notice the drawbacks of using Lee dies for example.

 

[John3921]

I don't know about best. I've gone to the basic redding dies for my rifle loading. I have a couple old sets of Lyman dies that I use, They really are nicely machined. The threads are nicely cut and burnished, very smooth.

I have mostly dillon dies for pistol, one set of hornady, and one old set of RCBS .357 mag dies. I like the Dillon dies, but the threads are a bit less well finished than the older Lyman and RCBS dies.

I've never used lee dies.

 

[Hardtarget]

Loading for 12 now. The 7.5x55 is Redding and the .45acp is Hornady. The rest is RCBS. I like what I get and shoot from all the brands of dies I use.

Mark

 

[Reloadron]

Who makes the best reloading dies?

The very best dies are likely the dies that work best for the individual reloader or hand loader based on their likes, dislikes and quirks. I use a variety of name brands for my wants and they all get the job done for me. Find whatever trips your trigger and run with them.

Ron