Redding 6.5-06 dies won't spec

[sundance1972]

Next suggestion would be to load and fire at least 5 rounds of the 25-06 brass and see if it will FL size properly. I would also try to find a few pcs of virgin 30-06 to try.

 

[sundance1972]

Have you tried the neck die as well? Could be they were mislabeled

 

[IdahoNP]

Edd-
L1 1.945, exactly the same as my unsized once fired
L2 2.184, with a sloppy transition from neck to shoulder
H1 0.296, but once again, a very sloppy transition
H2 0.292

I trimmed to 2.494. Sacrificed a brass and trimmed to 2.3 to rule out neck issues, still wouldn't chamber.

Sundance- Great thought. I did check it. Didn't solve it.

Been busy, but I'll anneal some brass this weekend and run it through the sizer again. I bought the dies from Midway. Talked to them instead of Redding, and they said they'd just take them back and refund. Have a set of RCBS coming now from them. If the annealing fixes my issue, I'll keep the Redding dies and Craigslist the RCBS. If not, I'll return them. One more reason to love Midway.

 

[IdahoNP]

HAH! RCBS dies came today. Tried non-annealed brass to check- fits like a glove. I'll anneal the rest, but now I don't feel crazy any more. I'll send the Reddings back to Midway.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice everyone!

 

[sundance1972]

HAH! RCBS dies came today. Tried non-annealed brass to check- fits like a glove. I'll anneal the rest, but now I don't feel crazy any more. I'll send the Reddings back to Midway.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice everyone!

Glad you got it figured out!! Mind posting up your load data when you're done? Gave all mine away when I (stupidly) sold my rifle and am seriously considering putting together another one this winter. RL25 got me to 3000fps with 140 Accubonds and 142 Matrix VLD's in the 26" barrel, but that's about all I remember.

 

[IdahoNP]

Sundance1972

Just took my 1st 33 shots today. Best load was:

McGowen 26" 1:8 twist
Distance to lands: 3.422

Remmington brass
Federal 210 primer
Hornady 140 gr SST
H1000 53.5 gr
COAL: 3.402 (0.020 off lands)
MOA 0.8
Should be around 2850-2900, but I will need time and long shots to figure that out.

51.5 gr was at 0.8 as well, but slower, of course.

52.0 gr might be tighter. 1st two were at 0.5 moa, but the wind blew the target up on the third, and it hit 1 moa off. (20 mph wind with gusts up to at least 30 while I was shooting)

Will be interesting to see how this shoots one it is broken in. None of the groups were over 1.3 moa, even with bad wind conditions and operator error. I have a friend with a McGowen, and he said it really improved after 100 shots. I'm thinking this will be a tack-driver when I get it tuned in.

Should finally be getting my Berger VLDs in this week. That's what I really want to feed it with.

 

[IdahoNP]

Hey Sundance. Sorry it took so long. Life happened, and I also wanted to get a bit more data before I posted.

6.5-06 McGowen 26" 1:8 twist

Load 1:
Remmington brass
Federal 210 primer
Hornady 140 gr SST
H1000 54.7 gr (above Hodgdon max, but no pressure signs)
3.422 to lands
COAL: 3.397 (0.025 off lands)
MOA 0.5
2825 fps (backward calculated from ballistics using Shooter app calculations, rather than chrono measured)

Load 2:
Remmington brass
Federal 210 primer
Hornady 140 gr A-Max
RL-22 51.2 gr
3.435 to lands
COAL: 3.415 (0.020 off lands)
MOA 0.4
2915 fps (backward calculated from ballistics using Shooter app calculations, rather than chrono measured)

Load 3:
Remmington brass
Federal 210 primer
Berger 140 gr VLD Hunting
Hybrid 100V 47.0 gr
3.455 to lands
COAL: 3.435 (0.020 off lands)
MOA 0.25
2800ish fps (guesstimate)

I just worked up this load Sunday. I had a better node at 49.0 gr/2900, but had pressure signs. I reloaded at 47.0 with different seating depths, so hopefully I will get this load a bit tighter (and it would be nice if it likes a COAL that will fit in my freaking mag).

Side note. I also tried to do a work-up on 140 SSTs with Hybrid 100V, and had serious pressure problems at the starting load. They might not like to live together well. I'm going to try the SSTs and A-Max's with H4831 if it ever appears again. Sierra's H4831 load data maxes 5.8% higher than Hodgdon's max for the 140 and 142 gr 6.5-06s (53.2 gr versus 50.3 gr). If you really can get that load without pressure problems, that puts them back in the 2900 fps range.

 

[scottishkat]

Thanks for the post. I am working on a new to me anyway 6.5-06. Started with H4831SC, H4350 and N560 and H4831SC has been good it has been available in VA.

Sorry to hear about your trouble with a nonconforming Redding Die. I purchased a body die from them for my 6.5x284 that was found to be a 6mmx284 labeled 6.5x284. Other than that they have been real good to deal with.

I'm surprised to hear of the trouble with H100V I have some loaded with 130vldh at 48gr and 120 NBT and 49gr maybe I am going to look at that further. What kind of pressure signs were you getting? It would seem like a good powder choice being a combination of H4831 and H4350.

I have had my best luck to date with N560 I have a load with H4350 I need to take a better look at. There was some wind when I shot them and the horizontal spread was high about 1.5moa but the vertical spread is very small approx. .2.

I have some loaded with RL22 as well but had a bad experience with it in the Florida heat a few years back.

All these have been 2.750 CBTO back .020 in my rifle as well.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

HAH! RCBS dies came today. Tried non-annealed brass to check- fits like a glove. I'll anneal the rest, but now I don't feel crazy any more. I'll send the Reddings back to Midway.

Thanks again for all the helpful advice everyone!

same thing with my 7stw dies.... gave up the Redding fl dies to my Pops (he has a factory chamber) and went with a couple of sets of Rcbs dies I bought cheap used here on the forum. No more accuracy issues with fired casings now...

 

[IdahoNP]

Final load on the Bergers

Remmington brass
Federal 210 primer
Berger 140 gr VLD Hunting
Hybrid 100V 47.0 gr
3.455 to lands
COAL: 3.415 (0.040 off lands)
MOA 0.1875
2800ish fps (guesstimate)

I was going to go back and works loads at 1/10 weights from 46.8 to 47.2 once I determined my seating depth, but I am not going to bother. I think I have already reached the limits of operator ability. Now I just need to work out my speed and start stretching it out.

I found a friend that says he can sell me several pounds of house stored 4831, so I will probably work that up, but this is my hunting load, regardless.

As far as the pressure with the SSTs goes, neither Hornady or Hodgdon had an explanation. Hornady recommended a slower powder like H4831 or H1000 for this load, and told me to talk to Hodgdon. Hodgdon's only guess was a possible SEE, and said I could try 1/2 grain higher or lower.

 

[barefooter56]

Wondering if anyone has experience with different brands of dies for 6.5-06.

I put a McGowen 6.5-06 A-Sq barrel on a Savage action. Used Clymer Go Gauge to set headspace. New 25-06 brass works fine.

Bought Redding Deluxe 3-die set in 6.5-06 A-sq. Redding managed to supply the set with two bent extractor rods (the spindles, not the pins). They are sending me two new ones, but that didn't impress me with this set. I can't get a single piece of sized-down 30-06 brass to chamber. I'm not talking finished rounds, with neck thickness issues, etc. This is just the sized brass alone.

Die is set properly, with an extra 1/4 turn, and an extra 1/2 turn tried. The die is fully touching and compressing the shell holder at the bottom of the stroke. I shimmed between the shell and the floor of the shell holder, taking every 1/1000 of free space out (0.012 shim). With the FL sizer out of the press, I put the go gauge in the shell holder and checked sizing. Shell holder fully meets base of sizing die. It isn't loose- the go gauge exactly fits the distance from the shoulders of the die to the bottom of the shell holder. However, it leaves no extra room for the compression you would normally expect, to deal with the elasticity and rebounding of the brass after pressing.

I have tried Winchester, Remmington, Federal, and Hornady brass, all with the same result. The shoulders will not size down to spec. I paid 2-3 times the price of Hornady or RCBS dies, but Redding wants me to send them back the dies on my dime, with my fired 25-06 brass, so they can try to figure things out. I am getting annoyed, and not too happy about the prospect of wasting a substantial amount of time, and more of my money on a die set I already overpaid for.

Anyone else have similar issues with 6.5-06 dies? Anyone else have better luck with RCBS or Hornady?

Thanks,
Jon

IdahoNP,
magnum maniac nailed it. Send the die back to Redding and they will make you one that works. Postage is cheap compared to a "custom" die.

 

[IdahoNP]

I'm surprised to hear of the trouble with H100V I have some loaded with 130vldh at 48gr and 120 NBT and 49gr maybe I am going to look at that further. What kind of pressure signs were you getting? It would seem like a good powder choice being a combination of H4831 and H4350.

Bob

The H100V was great with my Berger 140 VLDs, and only showed mild pressure signs at 49.0gr. It showed significant pressure problems with the 140 SSTs at the starting load of 45.0gr. Makes no sense.

I had substantially flattened primers, cratering, and the third had extractor mark, chipped rim, and FTE. Had to knock it out with a cleaning rod. My own stupidity. Since it was a low starting load at a known bullet weight, I didn't look after each shot. Was just going to shoot 3 and check them together. Hornady had no clue and punted to Hodgdon. Hodgdon had no clue and questioned possible SEE.

 

[.257rwr]

You can get a set of she'll holders that change your headspace by .002-.01 ,or face off the bottom of your die if all else fails. But I would check the body diameter of a fired case to new and sized brass also.

 

[IdahoNP]

Thanks everyone. This issue is long since fixed. It was just bad dies. I only brought the thread back to life to share the loads that Sundance had asked me to throw up when I completed them.