25 TCU dies

[Crashnrondo]

Any ideas where I can get a set of dies for this caliber?  I picked up a barrel and need some dies.  I checked RCBS's website and it's not listed in there special order area.
Thanks-Ron

[Slufoot]

Hey Crash, call Hornady they will make you a set of dies alot cheaper than RCBS charges for some of their specialty dies. I had Hornady do this for me several years ago, they wanted three fired cases. You can easily run the 223 brass over a 25 caliber expander ball from 25-06 or similar die set and then seat the bullets.
You will want to have a fairly stout load to make sure the brass is formed to the chamber.
Give Hornady a call, you won't regret it, they are cheaper than Lee when making custom dies.

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

[Buck O Bob]

C H 4D dies.  Nice caliber ! Always wanted one in 257 Kimber for carbine. BOB

[canyon-ghost]

    If you don't find the dies you need there, I have found some at midway usa.com in Redding dies. My 7mmTCU and 9mm custom sets came from Redding. Even though they are high-priced, they have a good selection.

[sweetwyominghome]

All you really need is the Hornady 25 caliber short neck die along with either a 6.5 or 7mm TCU FL sizer (with the decapper/expander removed, of course) for the body when needed. Going this route is much less expensive than a custom set...

[Crashnrondo]

Thanks for the ideas, I did size some brass with my 25-06 dies but I need to pick up a seater die.
Thanks-Ron

[sweetwyominghome]

Crashnrondo wrote: "Thanks for the ideas, I did size some brass with my 25-06 dies but I need to pick up a seater die."

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a 25-06 die won't even touch the body of a .25 TCU case, and even if you run a 25 TCU all the way into a 25-06 die, it won't size the neck, either -- unless you've chopped off a chunk of the 25-06 die.

[Crashnrondo]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a 25-06 die won't even touch the body of a .25 TCU case, and even if you run a 25 TCU all the way into a 25-06 die, it won't size the neck, either -- unless you've chopped off a chunk of the 25-06 die.

Well, actually I did size the necks of 10 pieces of brass by running them over just the expander ball in a 25-06 FL die, then it got really ugly.  I cut a 25-06 shell off just below the shoulder and added some steel bed epoxy to get a level surface inside the case.  Then I added steel washers inside to bring up a 223 shell neck even with were the 25-06 neck was, added a .25 bullet to the sized 223 brass, ran it up into the 25-06 seater die and bingo I had loaded 257 TCU ammo.  I know this won't work for the long term, or to reload the brass I just made but I was able to get some rounds made so I'll have fire-formed brass If I want to have Hornady make some dies.

Thanks-Ron

[sweetwyominghome]

Now THAT is persistence!!!

[clintmcghee]

25 wssm dies and an opened up 357 sizer die when the body needs resizing.

[fyrepowrx]

great caliber, low recoil, and great accuracy potential.



my .25TCU dies are by RCBS, but CH4D is cheaper & makes fine stuff.

a cheap & easy alternative is to size the body with a 6.5TCU die & replace the 6.5 expander ball with a .25 cal ball , and use a hornady neck sizer die for neck sizing. once fired i usually only used the neck sizer mostly anyway.

great caliber,i  got a pair of them , a 15" Virgin Valley  set up for deer hunting, and a 14" MGM  barrel throated for 75 grainers as a varmint tube. actually had 3 of them in the safe in fact, the other a 16" that was to see dual use as a pistol for me or a carbine for my boys, but that one never got used, and i pulled the scope off recently to sell the thing.

you'll enjoy it! let me know if you need loading data, gots lots of it.

Regards;

Gerald

[fyrepowrx]

forgot to add, my 15" tube is 1-10 twist & also REALLY likes Nosler 100 BT's, thats 3 at 100 yards, and was my best group with that barrel so far.

my 14" varminter is a 1-12 for shooting 75's.

Gerald