Oppinions on Redding type S dies

[James Jones]

Just wanting some imput for anybody using the redding type S bushing dies. Are they worth the investment , are the reliable to load strait ammo. Any other recomendations.

 

[bailey1474]

I have the type S bushing die for my 6-250 and am not impressed. Runout on loaded rounds is between 1 and 3 thousandths w/about 1/2 being under .002". I'm going to get the competition neck bushing die in an attempt to get the runouts down.

 

[Bart B]

Any die that ends up making the case neck straight with the body is good. Once the neck's straight and the mouth's not more than about .001-inch smaller in diameter than the bullet, most any seating die will put bullets in so they're very straight.

My own investigations show that bullets align themselves with the case neck when seated. Doesn't matter what type seating die's used; if the neck's crooked before seating, it's gonna be crooked after seating. I've used chamber type seating dies from Wilson, Bonanza, Vickerman, RCBS, and a few others whose name now escapes me. They all will help a bullet seated in a crooked neck be a little bit straighter. But when the neck's straight to begin with, standard seating dies will produce ammo with bullets as straight as all those chamber type seating dies do.

My bottom line: if loaded ammo's got crooked bullets, get a better sizing die.

 

[accuratebrass]

I use Forster micrometer seaters and redding neck sizers. The regular no-bushing kind. I use forster fl when I need to fl resize. I've had no problems with runout.

I think those bushing types would just be a headache for me since it aint broke and I aint fixin it!

Not knocking them, just saying I have no need.

 

[James Jones]

Well , I'm hooked on the Bonanza ulta seater dies I 'm basicaly looking for a good neck and FL die for the 280Ackley. the only reason I thought of the bushing dies was for neck turned cases so I could adjust neck tension.

 

[THOMAST]

Well I use the type s neck sizing die for my 7mm08 and am very pleased with the end results.I removed the expander ball. My dial gauge moves between .0005 and .001 after seating them with a Redding seating die (with micrometer adjusting). However this wasn't the case in the beginning, when runout varied .0015 to .0035. Asked a benchrester about this and his comment was that this was normal, the cases needed the "stupid " shot out of them first, before they become consistant.
If your case neck thickness is not uniform (say to within .001") you will be better off with an expander ball system or collet die.

 

[accuratebrass]

Yes, those forster/bonanza ultra seaters are fantastic.

 

[Delta Hunter]

I never got results with the Redding S dies that was satisfactory. I switched to Lee collet neck dies and have been a happy camper ever since. Not only do I get straight ammo, I don't have to lube.

 

[goodgrouper]

Use them all the time and if they are set up properly and machined properly, they will give very good results. The trick is getting the proper bushing and once you have, they are great.

 

[goodgrouper]

Bill,

You might have a bad die or possibly the setup is wrong. Sometime ago, a fellow told me he was having bad runouts with an "s" die. I took the die home and loaded some ammo with it and it ran .001 on concentricity. Then I asked him to check his press. He brought the press in the next day and his ram was visibly bent and very wobbly (probably from a factory defect). He bought a new press and the ammo got much better.


Oh, and if Redding makes a useless die, it is not the "s" die but the comp neck sizer. It has a floating sleeve which is nice but not really needed on a neck sizer and the micrometer on top is just for people who can't loosen a nut and turn a depriming pin.

I'm all in favor of a mic on a seating die though!

 

[littledevil2873]

JD

I have about 20 different carts in RCBS and recently bought 4 sets of Redding. I know it is personal taste to a point but I like the Redding dies. I can change several settings with out using a wrench on my dies. The last set I bought was a deluxe bushing die set for 7 RUM. Really nice not having to lube to reloading cases.