7mm Rem Mag Dies, which Ones???

[shawnb]

Im using a redding body die after every 2-3 reloads, a redding neck sizer, and a redding comp seater with vld stem. They work very well for my hunting/long range target gun. I wouldnt change a thing other than switching back to my hand dies for seating the bullet. Because that die is very very consistent.

 

[Bart B]

When the 7 Rem Mag was popular in long range prone competition, the match winners typically used full length sizing dies (with neck lapped out to .002" smaller than loaded round neck diameter) set to bump the fired case shoulder back a thousandth or two then a body die (made from the middle of a FL die) to size the case body all the way back to the belt. That got rid of the tiny edge caused by the chamber ridge the belt headspaced against when fired then pushed back a bit. The Larry Willis collet dies does that today much better than a separate body only die.

Or they used new cases. Which is what the military teams learned trying to use conventional dies and procedures reloading their 30 caliber magnum cases. They quit reloading and only used new cases to win matches and set records.

Neck only sizing of belted cases has never produced best overall accuracy. While the smallest groups shot with either full length or neck only sizing have been pretty much the same size, the largest ones (which have to count, don't they?) were smaller when full length dies were used. Sierra Bullets uses Redding full bushing dies for their belted cases testing bullets for accuracy. They get groups in the half-inch range in their 200-yard test range with 7 Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag cases testing heavy HPMK bullets. No case prep whatsoever; just using the same load recipie for each lot of powder, primer, bullet and cases.

 

[boomtube]

"Why have you not listed RCBS?"

Because their very costly seaters aren't in the same league as Redding's Comp and Forster's BR seaters. No loosely fitted, short sliding sleeve that only halfway controls the case necks and does nothing for the rest of the case can be. Micrometer seater heads and cute little side loading windows do nothing for controlling bullet run out.

 

[Bart B]

No loosely fitted, short sliding sleeve that only halfway controls the case necks and does nothing for the rest of the case can be. Micrometer seater heads and cute little side loading windows do nothing for controlling bullet run out.

I've tried all sorts of precision seating dies, including all those mentioned here and elsewhere. My RCBS micrometer seater seats bullets just as straight as any other. And it's easy to use, too.

As long as the sized case neck's straight with the case body axis when primed, full of powder and not too small in mouth diameter for the bullet used, any seater will produce straight ammo. Probably even a ball peen hammer gently smacking the bullet into the case.