Thread: So a good set of 308 dies for accuracy (spot the flame war/troll)

So I want a set of dies to prepare the best 308 rounds I can at sane money

Here is my list so far,

Lee universal decapping die - $25
New Lee case length trimmer - $49
Neck only sizer?
Full length sizer?
Redding competition seating die - $169.
Lee factory crimp die (maybe/maybe not use) - $25

It will be lapua brass I think....$111 per hundred...

I cant seem to find any match grade primers? I favour Federal 210M but cant get any....so I have the 210s....

:/

I'd leave off the crimp die, unless Petone usually does this, most folks I've checked with dont crimp rifle rounds

Lee deluxe die set includes fl and collet neck sizers (you'll need both eventually) and a seater.

With the money you save on the seater, I'd buy gauges: headspace, comparator set, OAL and decent digital calipers.

Two other important bits: digital scales and a powder trickler.

Originally Posted by ebf

I'd leave off the crimp die, unless Petone usually does this, most folks I've checked with dont crimp rifle rounds

Lee deluxe die set includes fl and collet neck sizers (you'll need both eventually) and a seater.

With the money you save on the seater, I'd buy gauges: headspace, comparator set, OAL and decent digital calipers.

Two other important bits: digital scales and a powder trickler.

Petone's club rounds are not crimped, and yes most ppl dont, but those most ppl cant say to me they have tested and found no difference, they simply dont. There seems to be some case for it if you have jump according to Lee, so something Im going to read more on and probably test, its all of $25 anyway.

FL will be Lee I think (so yes the delux set), I see no real point in spending more money on a FL's round that wont be that accurate anyway. But the neck seems to be the critical point so Im wondering on an "expensive" neck die (and hence why I wonder on Lee crimping).

I have forster headspace gauges for 308, okie for 54R and 303Brit.

I have digital caliper's and vernier caliper's.

Digital scales I suspect the hornady one at $69 especially with my eyes, or maybe the federal at $59?. Powder tricker, yes definately, brand?.

Comparitor set yes well maybe I like the look of the Hornady set,

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/348...ith-14-inserts

however there is a suggestion that touching the land isnt good, so some jump (10 or 20 thou) or jam is best. btw If you are jamming then thats acting like a crimp. If you are jumping and since we need to be able to remove a round this seems best (someone had jam and flooded the gun and trigger mech when the RO ordered a case fire) then a crimp seems sensible even if it makes no odds on accuracy (unless its worse). On top of that as its a club gun they use a std length so it maybe moot.

regards

for the headspace gauges I am talking about cartridge/case gauges like the wilson or hornady, not the chamber GO / NO GO gauges

Forster make a good seating die, you may save some $$ there.
Also there are a few articles on the net comparing Fed 210 vs Fed 210gm favouring the 210's, but things may have changed.

The Rifleman's Journal: Cartridges: Long Range Reloading Safety - .308 and Others
click Index

I thought crimps for semi autos to stop the bullet moving when loaded into the chamber at speed. Never heard of using it for any kind of rifle target shooting. If you're using a bolt action and target shooting then I would forget about using a crimp die.

Originally Posted by Savage1

I thought crimps for semi autos to stop the bullet moving when loaded into the chamber at speed. Never heard of using it for any kind of rifle target shooting. If you're using a bolt action and target shooting then I would forget about using a crimp die.

Any bullet in a mag seems recommended to crimp, even bolt but then I dont hunt. Lee comments that ideally you want the pressure of the fired charge to build a little before the bullet starts to move. One way to do that is jam the projectile in the land, if you cant do that ie have 20thou or more jump then crimping achieves that. The suggestion is I think its a consistancy thing...happy to be corrected by ppl who have run these tests. I can see Im going to have to test this for myself....

Originally Posted by madjon_

The Rifleman's Journal: Cartridges: Long Range Reloading Safety - .308 and Others
click Index

Yep [re-]read that guy, very good IMHO.

regards

Find someone who does BR, that's about as anal as you can get about reloading, and removing the human component from shooting. If the BR community don't do it, the chances of you seeing real benefits once you've factored in the human variables in the type of shooting we do, the chance of a performance gain is pretty much zip IMHO.

You'd have to test on a sled, crimped and uncrimped with at least 3 options to get realistic results : off the lands, on the lands, and what you're calling "jammed"

Go Forster for the seater die. Their Ultra Micrometer Seater has a larger micrometer head on it so will make half thou adjustments easier. It is also very firm to move so no real chance of bumping it and changing the setting. Should be cheaper the Redding die too.

Originally Posted by ebf

Find someone who does BR, that's about as anal as you can get about reloading, and removing the human component from shooting. If the BR community don't do it, the chances of you seeing real benefits once you've factored in the human variables in the type of shooting we do, the chance of a performance gain is pretty much zip IMHO.

You'd have to test on a sled, crimped and uncrimped with at least 3 options to get realistic results : off the lands, on the lands, and what you're calling "jammed"

I dont think there is much hope of BR here in NZ, but yes what I am doing is researching BR and palma via USA sites. Lots of sifting out of clueless bias and older now surpassed knowledge and maybe close to chest hands. The thing Im forming an opinion on (or maybe its a question) is the neck work is the most important feature/part of the equation so where I should spend my time. It may indeed prove pointless / fruitless but without something cast iron to say dont do it I guess I need to. Anyway I think it will be fun which is the main thing.



regards

Originally Posted by Normie

Go Forster for the seater die. Their Ultra Micrometer Seater has a larger micrometer head on it so will make half thou adjustments easier. It is also very firm to move so no real chance of bumping it and changing the setting. Should be cheaper the Redding die too.

Yeah its so much cheaper I'd get the neck die in the same set for the same money, good option, thanks

Gunsmithing &Reloading Tools - Forster Neck Sizing & BR Seater 2 die Set, Dies

Wilson hand seater. Are you going to neck turn? If so, then consider a Wilson neck die or if not, then the Lee collet neck die. With, maybe, a Redding body die.

Most premium bullets don't have a Canalure to crimp into anyway.

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