22-250 dies

[mike4]

I was looking to buy a set of 22-250 lee dies and was wondering which set would work the best.

[Arier Blut]

I no longer reload for the 22-250, but here is what I used.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=614316
The neck size die will give you the best accuracy. The crimp die is not needed in conjunction with the neck size.

[Grumulkin]

I have a variety of dies including RCBS, Lee, Redding, Pacific and Hornady.  They all have their strong points.  That said, I've been buying more Redding dies than dies of the other brands.  For bottle necked cases I buy the Redding sets that includes both a full length and a neck sizer die.  You will need the full length die if you use brass that has been fired in another gun and the neck die will probably give you the best accuracy.

I have used quite a few of the Lee collet dies.  The advantage is that you don't have to use lube but, you can get the Redding dry lube (powdered graphite I believe) to use with the neck sizer dies which is almost as handy.  I don't think the Lee collet dies give consistent neck tension.  I've recently been playing with a 7mm/08 handgun.  Accuracy with cases sized with the Lee collet die runs about 2 inches at 100 yards while cases sized with the Redding neck sizer die run in the 1 to 1.5 inch range.

Also, most of the die manufactures have a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.  Lee products only have a 2 year warranty.  I don't think anything beats Lee's factory crimp dies but for the others, I don't buy Lee.

[wncchester]

I buy my loading tools because of specific features and how I plan to use them, not brand.   And I measure all new ones to see if they are okay or need replacing, brand not withstanding. 

On average, with occasional slight exceptions from any of them, I find all our makers have as good dies as any others of simular type.  Exceptions are the very excellant Forster/Redding full-body sleeve, straight-line "competition" rifle seaters, Forster's FL sizers and Lee's collet neck and crimp dies.  These are the "best" dies for their job, period, but few rifles or shooters, including myself at times, are good enough to tell any difference on targets. 

Any die maker can and will let an occasional die go out that is slightly less than "perfect" but they all stand behind their products.  As for Lee's 2 yr. limited warrantee, that's plenty of time to descover any valid manufactoring defect.  It isn't likely that it would take 10 years, etc, for a competent loader to notice a defect in a die.

I have dies from each major maker and have tested them for "accuracy", not just on targets but by measurements of the dies and run-out of the loaded rounds.  Individual dies from any maker can and will run the full spectrum of dimensions of SAAMI specs, max to min, and so do rifle chambers.  Getting a perfect match from any single die to a specific rifle is a crap shoot, pure luck.  No matter the brand, if the fit is good, accuracy will be better.  If the die fit is not good, accuracy will be (slightly) degraded.  The only thing you can really depend on is that none of them will be "bad" without you being able to get it corrected by the maker. 

Now, with all that said, I will add that I now only buy Forster rifle dies, Lee neck and crimp dies and Lyman/Redding pistol dies, all for the unique features they offer.  Well, except dies for my less accurate fire arms or reloading for friends and want to hold costs down, then I buy Lee, every time!  There are sound reasons Lee has about 30% of the total die market and it ain't because they make poor dies at low cost or their owners are fools.  Actually, Lee makes very good dies at low cost, but they ain't my #1 favorite!

[KAYR1]

I have a full set of RCBS dies, and a neck-sizer for the 22-250. In fact, I just left the loading bench having loaded 100 rounds of it.   I have been neck-sizing only, since I only own 1 22-250. Im sure that other dies are good, too, I just have had suck great luck with RCBS.  Case life has been excellent.

[mike4]

So do I only need the neck sizer or the full length sizer.

[stimpylu32]

Mike4

At some point you are going to have to bump the shoulder back on any bottle neck case , so I would get the FL Sizer to start with and then add a neck die later .

Also you will need to trim the cases back to proper length at some point depending on how often you load them and how hot you load , so plan to get a trimmer of some kind too .

stimpy

[OR-E-Gun Bill]

Well since you said you wanted LEE, I would suggest the Deluxe set. That way you get FL as well as the neck sizing collet dies in one set. But that's just my opinion.

As Stimpy said, a trimmer would be needed as well. So many choices...

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000690606

And if you feel the need of a crimp add another $10 or so for the Lee Factory Crimp Die:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0000690818


Bill

[mike4]

Thanks for all the suggestions you all have been a big help.