Relaoding dies for ar 15

[lyle2231]

So I have the standard rcbs 223 dies will be loading 50 to 77grn as long as my oal is good your saying you don't crimp your fine . I was always under the impression that in th AR platform that you needed atleast a small crimp in case the bullet was pushed back into case as it was chambered or shook out as the rifle was in firing action . so many different advisors for there operations . just want to be safe and reliable.

My shooting buddy and I did a test with the cannalured versus plain bullets. Crimping a plain bullet opened up the group slightly.
Insofar as bullet setback on reload we shot then let the gun cycle then eject the next loaded round, measured, no difference.
Then purposefully loaded an 80 grain Sierra
match king to 2.550, released the bolt wouldn't close completely. Had one heck of a time getting the round to extract/eject, measured, only pushed back slightly but had lands engraved visibly. What I have also discovered is depending on whose "Wylde" chambered barrel you get there's a big difference. The White Oak Armament barrel
loads 80's @ 2.480. The Aero barrel loads
goes out to 2.600 and still won't engage the rifling.

 

[Grizzman47]

Crimping for the AR isn't necessary. None of the bullets I'm currently using have cannelures.

I apply a light taper crimp primarily to increase neck tension consistency. I also keep a close eye on brass length.

 

[TR1Hemi]

I am curious to ask the carbide die users what benefit they believe justifies the cost. I know others have said there is none but in reading all the posts it was not clear to me and I am interested to learn. Not trying to debate just understand.

Thanks,
JB

It's a ONE time purchase! And .223/5.56 are a plinking caliber. I have brass I have loaded 20 times. The same rules do not apply to 300WM reloading. When you are talking varmint or plinking with an AR you count in K's not 100's. Carbide offers new like operation after 10K rounds. Carbide is tolerant of less lube. Carbide is not just a different metal, it is hard enough to mirror polish, thus cases come out shinier, and are less prone to get stuck.
1. With regular dies, if you run range brass, or get once fired brass, they better be spotless or over time you dies will get vertical scratches, and then so will your brass.
2. With Carbide, they are less likely to get stuck on the occasional piece that does not have enough lube.
3. If you put mirror polished new brass in a carbide they will come out the same, in a regular die they come out looking like new factory brass.

In pistol calibers, carbide offer long life and you dont have to lube. In rifle you still have to lube, but not as liberally. Some people are happy with a $200 barrel, some wont spend less than $400, some NEED a $600. Same with optics, a $200 will get the job done, some people will scoff at any glass less than $500, and Swarovski and Nightforce make money selling $2000 scopes. What do you need? Hi volume AR? Get a carbide.

 

[jeb405]

It's a ONE time purchase! And .223/5.56 are a plinking caliber. I have brass I have loaded 20 times. The same rules do not apply to 300WM reloading. When you are talking varmint or plinking with an AR you count in K's not 100's. Carbide offers new like operation after 10K rounds. Carbide is tolerant of less lube. Carbide is not just a different metal, it is hard enough to mirror polish, thus cases come out shinier, and are less prone to get stuck.
1. With regular dies, if you run range brass, or get once fired brass, they better be spotless or over time you dies will get vertical scratches, and then so will your brass.
2. With Carbide, they are less likely to get stuck on the occasional piece that does not have enough lube.
3. If you put mirror polished new brass in a carbide they will come out the same, in a regular die they come out looking like new factory brass.

In pistol calibers, carbide offer long life and you dont have to lube. In rifle you still have to lube, but not as liberally. Some people are happy with a $200 barrel, some wont spend less than $400, some NEED a $600. Same with optics, a $200 will get the job done, some people will scoff at any glass less than $500, and Swarovski and Nightforce make money selling $2000 scopes. What do you need? Hi volume AR? Get a carbide.

Clear, thanks for explaining.

JB

 

[bulldurham]

Which carbide die do you run is it small base

 

[TR1Hemi]

Which carbide die do you run is it small base

Dillon. But WOW they have gotten spendy, I have had mine for 15 years, they were no where near that pricey back then. They have easily doubled in price. like a lot of things.

Pasted straight from their page.

The sizing/depriming die is full-length and sized to minimum tolerances to size cases down to function in both semi and fully automatic firearms. We strongly suggest that a headspace case gauge be used to correctly adjust the size die.

For high volume users, such as commercial reloaders, law enforcement agencies, and high power or service rifle competitors, we also offer .223 and .308 die sets with a full-length carbide sizing die. Lubrication is still required, but the increased scratch resistance and die longevity of carbide are of great benefit to these groups of users.

The depriming assembly includes a carbide expander ball for "squeak-free", effortless, neck expansion. This expander ball is located in the middle of the depriming stem to take advantage of superior initial leverage for easier extraction.
In the event of a stuck case, the design of the depriming assembly allows it to function as a stuck case remover.

 

[bulldurham]

? Can I just buy the full length sizing die and use my rcbs seating die

 

[Grizzman47]

? Can I just buy the full length sizing die and use my rcbs seating die

Yea, you can.

 

[bulldurham]

What I meant to say was buy a small base die and use the standard seating die

 

[quigley257]

I've processed and fired thousands of rounds of once fired 5.56 military brass over the years. I have never needed a small base die to get any of it to fit or function in a wide variety of firearms. I have FL sized and loaded it "as is" for use in AR-15s(as long as it is under max length). I have also given it the full match prep including FL sizing, trim to length, chamfer and debur, inside flash hole debur, primer pocket uniforming, neck turning and weight sorting. You'll find lots of variation in quality of military brass. Some is great, others are garbage. I load 223 for single shot pistol, single shot rifle, precision bolt action rifle and AR-15s I have found milsurp brass to be the most economical way to feed a 223. Definitely not the most time efficient, but some of us enjoy "the process", lol. You may very well come across some 5.56 brass that was fired in a really loose MG chamber, but I haven't come across any that my regular RCBS and Hornady dies won't resize to be able to fit into a Wilson case gauge. The Lee factory crimp is a great tool if you want to load milspec ammo that will handle rough treatment. I rarely crimp any of my AR ammo anymore as I don't feel the need. Lots of people poo poo Hornady dies(as well as any others that they don't use) but they have a distinct advantage in that you can get specific seating stems for the long, high BC bullets of various profiles other than the standard FMJ military bullets. I know Lee used to offer custom seating stems but unsure if they still do that. Good luck in your venture. There are thousands of options when it comes to loading for 223Rem/5.56mm. Definitely one of the most cost effective plinking rounds out there beyond rimfire.

 

[bulldurham]

Thank sir. I have read and been told what to use and what to buy from friends and sites and most are the same and others are different ways . really confusing and really beneficial , thank you guys for all the advice , will try what I have and go from there keep the advice coming thanks

 

[Gasman]

If you plan on loading once-fired range brass, then you might want to get a small base die. Otherwise, a standard sizing die should suffice. And definitely get a good case gauge.

Also, be selective in your choice of primers. Not all SR primers are optimal for use in an AR. Here's a list of what you want to be using (cut and pasted from another source):

CCI #41, 450, BR4
Federal 205, 205M
Remington 7 1/2 BR
Winchester WSR
Wolf/Tula SRM
Wolf/Tula SR223 (but not the KVB-223)

The new Winchester #41's should also be on the list.

 

[Koda_]

I have read and been told what to use and what to buy from friends and sites and most are the same and others are different ways . really confusing and really beneficial

Lots of different ways and becomes a personal preference, but it does seem a bit more with AR15s because there is more going on in a gas gun.

My opinion, I would use your rcbs 223 dies, only use 223 brass, get a Lee Factory Crimp die. If you must use mixed brass I would start with the one brand that has the least case volume and do load development around those exclusively until you get your handload, then see how the other brands of brass compare later.

 

[Hudge76]

I load for .223/5.56, 6 ARC, and 6.5 Grendel in AR's. I have one small base die set and it's the 6 ARC. I only bought them as it's all that was available at the time I needed 6 ARC dies. I'm not a huge fan of Hornady rifle dies and just recently found regular RCBS 6 ARC does. I plan on buying them soon, as I've never used small base dies on the .223/5.6 or 6.5 Grendel and never needed to.