Buying Hornet Dies and need to be guided thur the maze

[chucky52]

RCBS X dies, Lee Collett dies....... Not sure where to start. I know I only want to neck size without a crimp for a contender. If someone can guide me, I want to buy the right Hornet die sets.

Thanks,

[Graybeard]

I keep it simple these days as much as I can and just buy Hornady. When I can't get them I go for RCBS, Redding or Lyman in that order.

[chucky52]

I'm all for improvement; but, I require correctness and reliabilty; hence, my need for guidance.

[wncchester]

"If someone can guide me, I want to buy the right Hornet die sets."

They all make good ammo, not really any difference in use.   Since you ask I assume you are a new reloader?  If so, it really makes no difference at all, selection of tools depends mostly on personal preference, it's not a "quality" thing at all.   Some like Hornady's short bullet seating guide, some don't; Graybeaed does, I don't, just a personal choice.

[chucky52]

Now wait a minute, I'm new to the hornet not reloading. I'll be shooting thru a contender so all I need to do is resize the neck and Lee has a new (to me) die that prevents brass growth. Reading the RCBS site, the X die seems to be their state of the art die. I know about the other kind of dies, I'm wondering about what I have been using for years compared to what I have never used before.

[Larry Gibson]

Now wait a minute, I'm new to the hornet not reloading. I'll be shooting thru a contender so all I need to do is resize the neck and Lee has a new (to me) die that prevents brass growth. Reading the RCBS site, the X die seems to be their state of the art die. I know about the other kind of dies, I'm wondering about what I have been using for years compared to what I have never used before.

Chucky

I've been loading the 22 Hornet since '75 and for Contenders since '85. I currently have 10" and a 21" barrels.  I also have learned that NSing is the best way to go for the .22 Hornet, especially in the Contenders.  I also have a #3 Ruger and a Savage M40 in 22 Hornet.  I'm not familiar with the new Lee offering but the RCBS X-die is a FL die.  The X die works as advertised and I do use them with several other cartridges.  I do not use it with the .22 Hornet though.

For neck sizing (NS) I'll sujest the two best mdies I have found.  The Lee collet dies Work but they size the full legth of the neck which is not necessary.  What I use and have found to produce the most concentric and accurate NS'd loads for the 22 Hornet is the Redding Bushing die.  A little more spendy but worth every penny in my experience.  I use a .236 bushing and adjust the die so the neck is sized only to the seating depth of the bullet.  I also use a Lyman short .22 M-die.  I chucked the expander in a drill held in a vise and with fine grinding wheel in a dremel put a more pointy nose on it to better enter the .22 Hornet case mouth.  This of course was polished smooth.  I adjust the M-die so the case mouth is opened just enough so a .224 bullet just strats in it.  I start the bullets into the cases before putting them into the seating die.  Since using the M-die and this method I have not scrunched another case mouth.  Other wise it is very easy to scrunch case mouths when seating bullets.

Let me know if you need any loading data.

Larry Gibson   

[chucky52]

Larry,

Thanks, I knew there must be better ways by now. Re: load data, I'm shooting NRA silhouettes and the common load with Hornet shooters I compete with is 5.0 grains of WSF. Probably hard to improve on that; but, I'll accept suggestions. I only load what i can confirm in a manual also.

Regards,

[tree rat]

if it means anthing to you when I bought lee collet hornet dies, I could not get rid of them fast enough! and I usually perfer lee for many things. I replaced them with rcbs x dies and was very happy with them. but have upgraded to rcbs match neck size dies and LOVE them, especialy the seater with the slot in the side, really easy to drop a small .224 bullit through the side, instead of the normal procedure of setting the bullet on the case mouth.

[Larry Gibson]

chucky52

Sorry guy, the silhouhettes I shoot with my Hornets are covered with fur and move around a lot, thus I use different loads!

Larry Gibson

[gypsyman]

Check out the Redding Type S die. Have to mike your brass and buy the apropreiate bushing, but works real nice in my T/C. gypsyman