What dies are you using for 223? (Read 2239 times)

ren

What dies are you using for 223?
« on: October 20, 2024, 09:51:52 AM »
I've used Lee for decades now due to cost but I see some of its shortcomings. The 223 seater stem is contacting the bullet tips on 77s. I was thinking about drilling it deeper so it contacts the ogive instead and doing the Lee seater mod with a case and a spring. With all that work I was thinking of an alternate COA of buying a new seater. Forster and Redding came up on searches. I read that the Redding seater can split with compressed loads and had a shooting buddy split his with tipped TMKs. The Forster looks better and the sizer I have works real well in reducing runout.
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randay

Re: What dies are you using for 223?
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2024, 06:09:44 AM »
I dont reload 223, but I use hornady match dies for my hunting loads. They usually will come with an optional seating stem insert designed for pointy/VLD heads. You can also buy them seperately.

I went with hornady because it seemed like a good compromise as far as price. I mostly wanted the micrometer adjustment thingy. Ive never measured runout, or loaded a lot of compressed loads so I dont know how they compare in those aspects.

oldfart

Re: What dies are you using for 223?
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2024, 08:10:46 AM »
 :rofl: a good reminder for me.
My 43 yr old Dillon press is still set up with a set of BONANZA 223 benchrest dies and an RCBS Uniflow.
The last time I used it was pre-covid to load some inexpensive 55 gr practice loads, but I have a bunch of 69 gr  Nosler Custom competition bullets if anybody wants to buy them.
I bought the Nosler for my son's rifle (they're too heavy for me} but the boy moved away to vegas. :(

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