Definitely NOT happy with new Redding Dies!

[RoadKill]

Those 'bout got to be the thinnest of neck walls allowed in any factory SAAMI spec 6.5 Creedmoor brass to have a standard non-neck bushing die not size down the neck OD so far that expanding the neck ID is not necessary. It's either that or you're butchering the jacket by using the bullet as the expander during seating.

What's your loaded round neck diameter?
What's a fired case neck OD measure fresh out the chamber?
Without a bullet, what's the neck OD after sizing without expanding?

 

[bigedp51]

At the Whidden custom die website they tell you they get the least neck runout with their standard non-bushing dies.

At Whidden they also sell expander sets with five expanders from bullet diameter to five thousandths under bullet diameter.

Any time you reduce neck diameter .005 or more with a bushing die you can induce neck runout. This is why it is recommended to reduce the neck diameter in two steps when using bushing dies when reducing the neck diameter .005 or more.

Bushing dies work best with tight neck chambers with neck turned brass.

It is my experience that Forster dies will produce cases with the least amount of neck runout after sizing.

 

[RoadKill]

What he ^^^ said.

&&

Howdy biged, and also, how's that infernal jacka$$ buddy CatShooter doing? I ('Freak), if nobody else, miss having both you'll "over there"…

 

[engineer40]

My .243 Redding die is equipped with a Redding carbide spindle assembly. The expander floats on the spindle assembly and it is adjusted high like the Forster expander.

Thanks for all of the feedback and suggestions. This is the die set I purchased. From the description, I think mine also comes with the carbide assembly with the floating expander.

Redding Premium Series Deluxe 3-Die Set 6.5mm-284 Norma (6.5mm-284

 

[Pdvdh]

Thanks for all of the feedback and suggestions. From the description, I think mine also comes with the carbide assembly with the floating expander.

Indeed. A lot of good information came out of the woodwork for reloaders of all experience levels.

 

[waltercrouse]

What about removing everything from the decap stem, and roll it along a flat surface (tabletop,etc). You should be able to tell if it is bent or not.

I had a problem with my Redding dies in 250 Sav. improved the expander ball was the wrong size, I would seat the bullet and I could move the bullet up and down with finger pressure. I order a new expander ball for 22 to 25 cal. and had no more problems with bullet movement. I really like Redding dies and this only problem I have had with them.

 

[Wachsmann]

Did the same as AZshooter and some of the other mentioned. Also just held the stem in place and aligned it up and on the first resize of my ultra mag it was centered. Well my 6.5x284 dies have over 2000 reloads through them and the expander is centered. Almost all my dies are reading but I do own some lees. Forester dies are great also but just seem to always buy redding since there so readily available at sportmans.

 

[philipbrousseau]

maybe its been said but. try this. put the die in the press, run a case into the die and with the deprime pin through flash hole tighten the decap rod on top of the die.

 

[Clark]

I have 303 individual dies I track with a spreadsheet.

The best die is a Lee collet neck die.
The worst die is a Redding FL "S" die.

The other 301 are somewhere in between.

 

[Pdvdh]

Could you provide your definition of best and worst?

 

[Clark]

Could you provide your definition of best and worst?

I randomly selected 25 pieces of brass for each batch.
Each batch was dedicated to one sizing die.
I fired, reloaded, fired, and reloaded, ect, while measuring case growth and loaded concentricity.

After a lot of shooting, the Lee Collet neck die was the best, the Forster, RCBS, ect dies in the middle, and the Redding FL "S" die was at the bottom. This was the exact opposite of what I expected based on cost and appearance.

For years, until that test, I assumed that Redding was the best.

 

[RoadKill]

What specifically were you never able to adjust about the Redding FL "S" die to have it do what for your case's measured dimensions, that made it not only the #1 worst size die, but the #1 worst die of the whole bunch?

 

[Clark]

This is a Sinclair concentricity gauge that I have modified so I can measure runout at the bullet relative to the shoulder. The modification so I can get large cartridges turning on the center of the shoulder taper.

In the case of the test on dies, I was using 223, so an unmodified gauge would work.

The firing pin pushes the cartridge forward until something stops it. I would like that to be the chamber shoulder. To keep the bullet concentric with the bore, I like the bullet touching the lands to center the front.
To center the rear of the bullet, I want the inside of the case neck to be concentric and parallel with the chamber shoulder. To measure that I want to turn the cartridge in the gauge on that shoulder and put the dial indicator stylus on the bullet as close to the neck as I can.

Redding FL "S" dies do poorly on that test.

 

[tbrice23]

I randomly selected 25 pieces of brass for each batch.
Each batch was dedicated to one sizing die.
I fired, reloaded, fired, and reloaded, ect, while measuring case growth and loaded concentricity.

After a lot of shooting, the Lee Collet neck die was the best, the Forster, RCBS, ect dies in the middle, and the Redding FL "S" die was at the bottom. This was the exact opposite of what I expected based on cost and appearance.
For years, until that test, I assumed that Redding was the best?[ quote]



Did you check case wall thickness variance before firing? If the case wall thickness variance was there to begin with , the sizing die "bananas " the case. Accentuating the run out ( the thin side will move easier than the thick side).