Do I really need Competition Dies sets to start?

[RobStar]

I'm finally ready to start reloading and have a basket full of gear at Midway USA.

One of my precision rifle shooter pals insists I must have Redding Competition Die sets to start. I can afford them but they really jack up the price of getting started.

I mostly understand the why part of or at least what they do. But, he is 90% precision rifle shooter and 10% into hunting and I'm close to 100% hunter who is just starting to learn and get going with long range hunting.

Are $250+ dies a must, a convenience or just "nice to have". If it's what I need to have I'll buy them.

Presently I'll only be loading 300 win mag and soon 7mm rem mag.

Thanks! Robert

 

[rharfo]

I'm using standard dies with neck sizing fired brass. My loads in quality rifles are consistently shooting 1/2-1/4 moa. im loading 300 Winnie, 7 rem, 280 ack and the list goes on. Others will disagree but I say spend the money on bullets, powder and primers. Good luck to ya

 

[shooter7]

IMO, the fancy competion dies are nice to have. If you plan on shooting benchrest, then they might be a solid choice. I have cranked out quite a few sub moa loads with standard rcbs and lee die sets. Overall best value goes to rcbs though. For 12 dollars more you just get a more refined die.

 

[EricL]

I completely agree with rharfo. I think the people and guns capable of actually taking advantage of the competition dies are few and far between.

 

[dok7mm]

Do you need them? The short answer is no, but as you progress in your reloading and shooting, there will come a time when "close is not enough" and you will start upgrading your basic tools for more accurate ammo. I have shelves of dies and tools that are no longer used because I upgraded to better equipment in the quest for tiny consistent groups. I reload for hunting only, but want benchrest type accuracy at long range. I wish I had back all the money I spent on basic dies and tools - - - I could build another rifle.

 

[RobStar]

Do you need them? The short answer is no, but as you progress in your reloading and shooting, there will come a time when "close is not enough"..... .....I reload for hunting only, but want benchrest type accuracy at long range. I wish I had back all the money I spent on basic dies and tools - - - I could build another rifle.

Thank you dok7mm! I was originally only going to start with an RCBS Rock Chucker supreme deluxe kit and then my pal stepped in and pointed me toward a la carte components that were essentially "what I'd end up with in the long run" and better all around. Even all-in with a nice RCBS electronic powder measure I'm still under $1200 with one set of the competition dies. The second set of dies for my newly ordered 7mm is what sort of set me off spending that much money. The 300WM rifle is going to go away soon so maybe I can just get a basic set of dies for it, learn on it and then go with the nice die set for the 7mm.

Thanks for the feedback! Robert

 

[bigngreen]

I'm willing to go against the grain here and say go for the better dies, I like the Redding Type S 2 die sets for cost effectiveness while getting everything you need. Bushing dies are so nice so your not over working the necks and getting the neck tension dialed in regardless of neck thickness. Having the micrometer top seater is also very nice, I set them up so the numbers face me and zero is just touching the lands so I can just dial in the number I want and get it, for seating depth tests it's huge to just dial in each number needed and hit it not dancing around till you get it like a regular seater with just a stem.
Every load and every shooter can take advantage of better dies, more consistent neck tension over more firings and hitting seating depths easily and repeatably are never a bad thing, precision shooting should be a part of hunting, I don't see any reason to separate them.
Saying benchrest shooters are the only one's that will see the need for quality dies just does not wash, in fact it's just the opposite, I set up my BR gun for one lot of bullets and brass, everything is turned to specs my resizing die for my BR gun is just a cheap custom honed die cause I change the necks, my seating die is just a cheap wilson with a reamer punched into it, I have far less in loading my BR rifle than I do any long range hunting rifle I have, where I will try different brass or have to change neck tension on one bullet from another, I will be dialing in seating depth for more than one bullet more than likely and I'll be looking for lower ES cause I'll be shooting farther than my BR rifle.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I'm using standard dies with neck sizing fired brass. My loads in quality rifles are consistently shooting 1/2-1/4 moa. im loading 300 Winnie, 7 rem, 280 ack and the list goes on. Others will disagree but I say spend the money on bullets, powder and primers. Good luck to ya

I do this as well. I have 1 Comp die, and it's a Redding Comp Neck-Sizing Die that I bought for cheap off somebody who didn't need it anymore. Other than that, all my dies are regular FL, neck-sizing, and seating dies. The regular dies are more than consistent enough for me to shoot 1/4MOA or better in some of my rifles. Most of my rifles are 1/2 MOA or better.

 

[rcoody]

I'm finally ready to start reloading and have a basket full of gear at Midway USA.

One of my precision rifle shooter pals insists I must have Redding Competition Die sets to start. I can afford them but they really jack up the price of getting started.

I mostly understand the why part of or at least what they do. But, he is 90% precision rifle shooter and 10% into hunting and I'm close to 100% hunter who is just starting to learn and get going with long range hunting.

Are $250+ dies a must, a convenience or just "nice to have". If it's what I need to have I'll buy them.

Presently I'll only be loading 300 win mag and soon 7mm rem mag.

Thanks! Robert

I have had great luck with the Forster dies. Less expensive than redding. you might want to upgrade for the micrometer adjustable seating die.

Forster Bench Rest 2-Die Set 300 Winchester Mag

Forster Bench Rest 2-Die Set 7mm Remington Mag

 

[blacknzr1]

I have hornady which a lot of people say arnt very good.
I have them for two rifles. I have polished the expander ball and that's it.
I also have the micrometer seating tops which were cheap enough yet the numbers are a bit hard to read.
Both rifles shoot quarter moa at 100.
The run out on a loaded round is about .5 to 1.5 thou.
The other day I thought I would get clever and buy more dies. A lee neck collet die and body die to try and improve my runout.
End result no change. And I have come to the conclusion it's brass neck thickness where I'm getting runout not my hornady dies.
And I'm not sure I want to get into neck turning.
So I have gone back to the hornady dies.

So what I'm trying to say is, how far do you think you will go with reloading maybe as far as neck turning? Then maybe buy the expensive dies?
Happy with 1/4 moa grouping? Try a cheaper die?

 

[MagnumManiac]

I have had great luck with the Forster dies. Less expensive than redding. you might want to upgrade for the micrometer adjustable seating die.

Forster Bench Rest 2-Die Set 300 Winchester Mag

Forster Bench Rest 2-Die Set 7mm Remington Mag

For my comp rifles, this is what I use.
I have 3 rifles in my 300WM, a Rem 700 custom for F-Class Open, a Rem 700 Sendero switch barrel, and a Kimber 8400. The first 2 use Forster sets, each have their own set, the Kimber uses a standard RCBS set in conjunction with a Redding body die.
Very good ammunition can be made with standard die sets, case prep is more important than the devices used to put it together. There are tricks you can use to get very straight cases out of standard dies.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[Trickymissfit]

I'm finally ready to start reloading and have a basket full of gear at Midway USA.

One of my precision rifle shooter pals insists I must have Redding Competition Die sets to start. I can afford them but they really jack up the price of getting started.

I mostly understand the why part of or at least what they do. But, he is 90% precision rifle shooter and 10% into hunting and I'm close to 100% hunter who is just starting to learn and get going with long range hunting.

Are $250+ dies a must, a convenience or just "nice to have". If it's what I need to have I'll buy them.

Presently I'll only be loading 300 win mag and soon 7mm rem mag.

Thanks! Robert

Buy a set of Forster dies, and have plenty of beer money left over. Plus they're a better die set anyway!
gary

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I have lee dies and they shoot very well they may require some polishing with 400grit sandpaper here or there but for the money are hard to beat. I also have Redding competition seating dies for calibers I shoot a lot and change bullets often. They are just easier to adjust back and forth. For hunting only for a single rifle bullet combo about any dies are going to work fine. When you turn shooting into a hobby for the calibers you shoot most I would consider the compitision seating dies just for ease of use. I also have some RCBS and Lyman dies that for hunting calibers that I have one gun of and doesn't ever change anything are fine. I would start out with the Lee four die set and move up from there when and or if feel the need latter.

 

[RobStar]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!

I called Redding this morning and the very helpful guy there suggested I get their Redding Master Hunter Two Die Set instead for less than half the price and I also don't have to deal with neck bushing sets.

That left me some money to get a couple of basic die sets for other calibers and still have $100 left over!

Thanks! Robert