26 replies to this topic

[Jay61cal]

Ok gonna start loading for 20" .308 with 1:10....i'm confused about which dies i need..regular or small base and am i supposed to full lengh size or just neck size...any help would be appreciated..thanks

[ShooterJohn]

Regular dies. You should have full length resizing dies. I like Redding dies but have many many RCBS dies in all calibers.

[Jay61cal]

I have rcbs dies for my .223's and they work fine but have heard redding works better so i'll give them a try..they r only $8 more so what the heck...thanks shooter

[ShooterJohn]

I think you'll like the Redding dies. I've used RCBS dies since the 60's and they are excellent dies. But I went with the micrometer adjustment on some of the Redding dies and just liked the finish and precision of the Reddings. But you can't beat RCBS for the fact they stand behind their products and their customer service is hard to beat.

[Jay61cal]

I totally agree...they just sent me a free mil crimp remover..i called and wanted to purchase one but they sent it for free because i have bought so much other products from them..now thats how you are supposed to treat valued customers..hard to find now days.

[ratassassin]

Same as what John said. I started out with RCBS dies then went to Redding competition seating dies with micrometer for all my calibers. I still use the RCBS full length sizing and decapping dies, though.

[Heywood]

Full length size if shooting a semi-auto, otherwise either full or neck size. I'll re-open a can of worms and say there was some discussion a while back on here whether neck sizing actually offered any performance gains.

[ratassassin]

I started out neck sizing only but was having trouble chambering some rounds even though they had been fire formed in that particular rifle's chamber. So full length sizing took care of that. Then I bought a second .308 and also started loading for my friend's Rem 700 LTR, so I just full length size everything now so I can use the loads in any rifle.

[Jay61cal]

Cabelas reviews show that rcbs is better then redding...4.9 out of 5 stars with 211 reviews for rcbs and 4.2 out of 5 stars with 29 reviews for redding...if redding is better why arent more people buying them..hmmm not sure if i wanna go with redding now

[ratassassin]

Redding makes good stuff. But RCBS is fine too. Most of my reloading gear is RCBS.

[Bisley]

Cabelas reviews show that rcbs is better then redding...4.9 out of 5 stars with 211 reviews for rcbs and 4.2 out of 5 stars with 29 reviews for redding...if redding is better why arent more people buying them..hmmm not sure if i wanna go with redding now

Read the 1 star replies carefully. The one guy gets mad because they think he's doing something wrong. This is the same guy that refers to it as "Cabalas" not Cabelas. Hmmmm, looks like a real stickler for details, doesn't he. The other idiot complains because they have a set screw, not a split locking ring. Most manufacturers don't. They also complain about stuck cases. If your dies have tighter tolerances, you will need lots of GOOD lube. Duh. And my personal favorite, the moron who says they are great for the reloader but not the handloader. THEN BUY THE EXPENSIVE MATCH GRADE DIES IDIOT!You have to look deeper into the reviews. Just because these people review a product doesn't mean they actually know how to use it before they review it.

[ratassassin]

Good points, Bis. All I know is the 168 grain A-Max bullets I loaded with the Redding Competition Seater Die for my .308 shot three consecutive sub-half inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards from my rifle, with the best being .392". Good enough for me.

[Jay61cal]

So r u sayin you got the best groups out of your rifle after switching over to redding? How long have u been using those dies for that rifle?

[ratassassin]

I haven't been loading for .308 for very long, only about 3 months. But these are the best groups I've gotten from my .308. And no, I haven't done a strict A-B comparison between RCBS and Redding dies via load tests with the same load specifications in all respects except which die seated the bullet. Don't care that much.

[Jay61cal]

Chevy guys wont drive toyota and harley guys wont ride yamaha...im a proud american but i drive and ride what is most reliable simlpy because i would rather spend money on hobbies (hunting&fishing) instead of repairing broke down vehicles..lol...not trying to offend anyone but thats just my opinion..if redding is better then i will buy redding but i need facts to go by...i dont know anyone that uses them

[ShooterJohn]

What I'm saying is that we now have a president because people listened to others that didn't know what they were talking about. You'll need to make your own decision we can't do that for you.

[Jay61cal]

Good point you make shooter..all im trying to do is save a lil time and get as much info as possible..thanks

[tawnoper]

I totally agree...they just sent me a free mil crimp remover..i called and wanted to purchase one but they sent it for free because i have bought so much other products from them..now thats how you are supposed to treat valued customers..hard to find now days.

And this doesn't count for something? Personally, if a company has my back I'm happy to have their back as well by giving them my business. RCBS makes a quality product and is one of the reasons they have been in business as long as they have.

Cabelas reviews show that rcbs is better then redding...4.9 out of 5 stars with 211 reviews for rcbs and 4.2 out of 5 stars with 29 reviews for redding...if redding is better why arent more people buying them..hmmm not sure if i wanna go with redding now

hard to believe someone actually putting any type of merit behind this...

[CA Desert Dog]

Both of those manufacturers make fine products. Do as Shooter John says and buy the full-length resizing dies. The question is, can you and your rifle out shoot the quality of whatever dies you plan to buy? A lot of my dies are inexpensive Lee dies and I get excellent results. Don't get too nuts with all of this brand name nonsense. If you're not shooting F-Class 1000-yard competition, just buy some dies, reload and go hunting. To obsess about this stuff is a waste of your time and mental energy.

[Jay61cal]

Lol I don't shoot competition but I am obsessed with accuracy..I get under .5 moa with my .223 using rcbs so I guess I have no reason to switch brands right? I'm gonna start loading .308 and just wanted some advice on redding since I need to buy the dies..that's all

[Jay61cal]

And the same thing with Hawke optics..they sound like great scopes but I have yet to see one for myself before purchasing one..not one gun shop in town has one or even heard of them..how can I invest in something I have never seen..I guess I should be more of a gambler but don't have the money to be throwing away

[CA Desert Dog]

And the same thing with Hawke optics..they sound like great scopes but I have yet to see one for myself before purchasing one..not one gun shop in town has one or even heard of them..how can I invest in something I have never seen..I guess I should be more of a gambler but don't have the money to be throwing away

Purchasing a Hawke scope from us is not a "gamble". If you don't like it and agree that it is everything we say it is, we will refund your money. I am not surprised that your local shop owners have never heard of a Hawke or seen one. I don't imagine they go to the Shot Show or are members of the NSSF. Hawke is a quality product all the way. That is why it is the only brand we sell. How long do you think we would last here as sponsors if we were selling crap, cheapo optics? It is the best selling scope in Europe for a good reason. We have lots of customers here and so far all of the customers are quite pleased with their scopes.

[Jay61cal]

I'm not saying they aren't quality scopes..I'm sure they are but I would like to see one for myself before purchasing one..and I correct myself about the gun shops not ever hearing about them..one shop did say they seen the booth at shot show in Vegas here recently but couldn't give much info about them

[goosebrown]

I have the Redding competition dies and they are amazing. First load I shot with them was all under 1/2 inch. VERY nice. I think that their seating die is what is doing it frankly. Very very very accurate. I also do RCBS and Hornady and I have to say all three companies are very very hard to beat in terms of customer service. I like them all. I have to say though that Redding has been the best in terms of info, they can chat for quite a while and have good info. BTW, if you do get the Redding dies, they are all spring loaded not just gravity so where a part hangs down, like on a seater where the collar hangs and then rises on the downstroke, that gives resistance on the Redding so you DO have to set them up differently than you do the RCBS. Read the instructions or watch a youtube the first time you use them. AND.. almost forgot you need to order a collet with the Redding dies for the exact diameter you want to size to. I recommend a call to them and they explain how to measure that really really well.I think the reviews on Redding at Cabelas are not that accurate. Like I say you have to set these up differently than a standard RCBS. No more time or anything, just different and if you don't they don't do what they're supposed to. If you are a cautious reloader and follow the directions and ask them when you are confused, you are going to get very good accuracy out of the box on the Reddings. Remember to order bushings....

[Jay61cal]

Good to know..thanks

[Desert Fox]

I have the Redding competition dies and they are amazing.

No need to spend that kind of money on competition die if you're only reloading for a factory gun, unless money is no object to you. Any regular two die set from any major brand will work just fine. For regular two die set, I prefer Hornady more than any other brand. I like Foster or Redding for my Competition die. For neck sizing die, I like the Redding type S.

[tawnoper]

No need to spend that kind of money on competition die if you're only reloading for a factory gun, unless money is no object to you.

And there you go....+1