Reloading for Handi Rifles? Die Question.

[BKS]

   I am going to buy reloading dies for the following calibers soon..
 
   223
   243
   45-70
 
  All of these are for Handi Rifles. Does anyone have a particular brand they recommend more than another??
 
  Not trying to start a pissin match, but want to buy once, cry once..
 
 Thanks.
ETA  RCBS Single Stage
 

[cybin]

I have used Lyman, Rcbs, and Lee dies for about 40 years plus now--I like the Lee dies better than then rest--basically becouse sooner or latter you are going to get a case stuck--it is a lot easier to remove a stuck case from Lee Dies than from the rest--Now all of them make good dies--never used Hornady but hear that they are good as well--but for ease of use-- cost--and for just doing the job--Lee is the best in my book.
 
For your single shot rifle though--I wouldn't bother buying the Lee Factory Crimp die--you really don't need to crimp the bullet or at least only a very light crimp.
 
cybin

[Larry L]

Over the years I've had just about every die makers brand in the cabinet. Some have been great, some okay, and some will never be in my cabinet again. Redding is one that you'll find a lot of folks rave about. I won't own another set, even for free. Even their match dies are crap in my book as the set I had for my 30/338 benchgun left the necks with a 5 degree cant on them. Try chambering that up in a tight neck rifle. Of the 3 sets of Redding I've owned, all have taken the ride to the dump. I'm not a fan of Lee rifle dies although I much prefer their pistol dies. Their pistol dies are SO much easier to adjust when loading for different pistols of the same cartridge. Lee warranty is only 2 years and proof of purchase is required but sometimes they don't ask. Hornady dies can be decent so long as you never intend to load lead or plated bullets. The issue is with the bullet seater. It has a sliding sleeve in the die that holds the bullet perfectly in line with the brass. The sleeves are an exact fit for jacketed ammo. Take a 444, for example. The sleeve is exactly .429. If a plated bullet is .430 or a lead bullet at .431, neither will fit in the sleeve and you can't seat a bullet. RCBS warrants their dies and while they are not perfection, they hardly ask any questions, just send it back. I've had their carbide sizer go bad. I called, they didn't ask why, just send it back. Before I could send the sizer die back, I already got a complete set of carbide dies from them. But like most of the makers now, it's Chinese crapola. I've had RCBS shellholders with no slots for the rim of the brass, slots far too small, slots so sloppy the round falls out. The only good is that they will replace it with few to no questions asked. I've had Lyman dies and nothing but issues. Lyman is pretty much low end Chinese junk now. Old Lyman- good stuff.
I'd suggest buying RCBS dies at a gunshow used. If there's anything wrong with them, including missing parts, RCBS will take care of it. They have the best warranty in the business and that counts for a lot. BUT, they usually come with a brass set screw on the locking ring. Order a locking ring from any of the online suppliers that does not use a soft brass screw. First time you strip one out, you'll understand why.

[Land_Owner]

Check the warranty offered by the Mfg.  Often, what seems like a higher price is the assurance that should your "investment" be broken, damaged, or torqued with until it is just plain wrong (I did it myself), they will repair or replace, No Questions Asked - for FREE.

I like ones that RCBS makes.  Color  can make a difference.  RCBS = green.  Dillon = Blue.  Lee/Hornady = Red.  Lyman = Orange.  Smart = Black/Yellow (ChiCom POS) are a few of the choices.

They all, with Smart as the grossly inept exception, do about the same job.

[1armoured]

I use Redding, RCBS, and Lee dies.


I prefer the Redding in a 3 die set.


Buy from a reputable daler, and if it has a problem, take it back.


cheers,
SS

[tnpaul12]

Reloading for handies I would get the cheapist I could find.

[wncchester]

I've been reloading since '65 and have some 50+ die sets in 33 calibers, including all the current brands except Dillon and quite a few that are no longer made (Herters, Pacfic, Eagle, Savage, Lacmiller, White, etc.).  I've only had ONE sorta bad die, a FL sizer that did poorly but that didn't surprise me, any company will let a bad one slip by occasionally.  All makers will replace defective tools if we let them so I'm not going to slime that one brand for one failure to be perfect and I haven't hesitated to buy more from the same maker.
 
Meaning, buy any standard two die set for the cartridge of your choice and know that, on average, you can load ammo as well with them as you could with another brand.  Given the apparent lack of mechanical skills many prople have I suspect maybe one claim in a hundred of "defective" dies may be valid.    User skill matters a LOT more than the brand of your tools
 
Bottom line, you may eventually come to prefer one brand over all others but your rifle won't care what brand of dies you use.   

[omegahunter]

Bottom line, you may eventually come to prefer one brand over all others but your rifle won't care what brand of dies you use.

This I believe!
 
I have used RCBS, Lee, and now I prefer Hornady, but how my rifle shoots the ammo has not changed.  Only thing that changed how my rifle shoots is when I got Lee Collet Neck Sizer dies to use instead of the Full Length Sizing die, that shrank groups!  But again, another neck sizer would probably have gave the same results as the Lee.

[Ireload2]

I am very partial to RCBS dies because I can find them used and inexpensive in a wide array of calibers.
They work well and have an excellent warranty.

I also like Forster dies but they are less available and are usually more expensive.

Reddings have been ok,

Dimensionally Lees size well but I do not like their crummy little expander dies for cast bullets in straight cases rifle rounds.
Avoid them if you can with your 45-70. If not be prepared to get a Lyman M die for the expander.

Lyman dies are good for straight case rounds because of the M die.
Herters old dies are clunkers unless you get them for a dollar or two.

I could talk a while on this subject but some things you will develop your own preferences for.

[gypsyman]

I look at the track record, of what wins. In benchrest match's, Redding by far holds more title's of winners than any other production die company out there. They have a lifetime warrenty, and all metal and machinery are USA products. Being an old Harley rider for over 30 years, that makes a difference. gypsyman

[necchi]

RCBS,
Redding if you can swing the extra jing
Alot of guys use Lee, I had one bad set, the first set I got in Lee. There fore won't use there sizing or seating dies again.
The Lee crimp dies, and the Universal Decapper are great but I don't like that flopping around loose seater style they use.
 
With the Handi the biggest issue is concentricity, They're prone to long necks and any runout at all really opens the groups.
I load for 2-223 a 308 and 7-08 in Handi with an eye for a few more.
The 308 and 7-08 both need a little body sizing each time to fit the chamber, so neck sizing with ashoulder bump alone won't work.

[GH1]

I've not loaded .223 or .243 but I've loaded a fair amount with both RCBS and Hornady dies. The RCBS dies work well, the only reason I bought the Hornady dies is because I got a hold of some of the shorter LeverEvolution brass and the RCBS dies won't work for that.
I do like the Hornady dies better, but I would've been perfectly content to use the RCBS pieces had I not gotten Shanghai'd on the short brass.
An as others have stated, RCBS has an awesome warranty.
GH1

[bucco921]

Ive bought all my dies used, I own at least one set of rcbs, hornady, lee, redding,lyman, herters and hollywood. Truth of the matter is ive never had a major problem with any of them. It really makes no difference in brand wether you are loading for handi rifle or bolt or lever gun. just my 0.02 cents

[wncchester]

"In benchrest match's, Redding by far holds more title's of winners than any other production die company "
 
Two things about that:
 
* It may be true that BR competitors use more Redding FL sizers to form their cases but that's by no means the whole story.  No serious BR shooter is going to be using threaded "production" neck sizers or seaters at all; BR shooters use Wilson type hand dies for that.   And the simple arbor presses they use aren't threaded either. 
 
* What winning BR shooters use for anything does not automatically mean that's the best, or only 'best', tool for the rest of  us.  Our rifles are much different and our goals are much more varied.  Our components aren't nearly as precise as their's nor would it make any significant difference if they were because our rifles aren't nearly as precise as theirs.
 
Loaders get far too caught up in brand and price worry.  The internals of commercial dies vary within the normal SAAMI specs and that's a range, not a specific point.  Thus, the internal dimensions of different dies vary as much within the same brand as they do between brands.  What we get in any individual die is hit or miss; what we get once is not necessarily what we may get with another supposed identical example from the same company.  So, obtaining the 'best' commercial dies for any use becomes one of buying mulitple sets and then selecting which individual dies best match our chamber.
 
 

[cwlongshot]

   I am going to buy reloading dies for the following calibers soon..
 
   223
   243
   45-70
 
  All of these are for Handi Rifles. Does anyone have a particular brand they recommend more than another??
 
  Not trying to start a pissin match, but want to buy once, cry once..
 
 Thanks.
ETA  RCBS Single Stage

Hello BKS,
 
To answer your question, ANY will do what you need. There is nothing specail about loading for a Handi that makes it different then any other action. Having said that... I recomend you buy a FL die set as neck sizing is not handi friendly.

As for a brand... The single brand I will not own is LEE... of the rest I prefer REDDING but have more RCBS than any other and I also have a few...




CW

[johnjohn]

I have RCBS for .223 and Lee for 45/7o. I am well satisfied with both.

[BKS]

Im gonna hold out and try to find some used RCBS dies, I got a set for my 7STW(Not a handi  ) froma guy for 20 shipped, NIB.
 
Thanks for the replies and the information