Author Topic: 223 Handi dies, any suggestions? (Read 600 times)

bluebayou · « **on:** August 08, 2005, 08:08:34 PM »

I was thinking about reloading all of this Win 45 brass that I have stockpiled. Would you get full length or neck sizing dies? I recall that Fred M talked about overly long chambers in the Handi, so I am thinking full length sizing. I just don't know much about chamber dimensions and pressures and all of that. I have decided that handloading is like a lot of other things-too much info and you just get paralyzed trying to sort it out.

handirifle · « **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2005, 08:43:16 PM »

blue
I'd suggest getting FL dies and a good manual or two and reading everything in the pre-loads section of each before you buy a press or even dies. Then you can look into powders, primers tec. The manuals are very complete and well written even for beginners.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:34:37 AM »

I agree with Handirifle...the manuals and full lenght type dies are a good way to start...but...I'll take it a step further...I suggest starting out with a good set of Redding die sets...their phone techs are some of the best for helping you get set up correctly...before you even start reloading...You can contact one of their better technicians...Bruce Merkur...at 1-607-753-3331...he even showed this old dog a few new tricks...

Mac

McLernon · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2005, 10:41:28 AM »

Redding dies are an excellent choice whether you neck size or FL resize. I found that neck sized rounds posed no ejection problems in my .233 Handi. The Type S bushing dies with separate body die allows you to try both neck and FL.

Good shooting

McL

bluebayou · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2005, 03:14:35 PM »

Hey, good tip on that Type S die. I hadn't noticed that, I will seriously look at the Redding ones. The I have dies and presses in hand from a garage sale buy. I read the Lee manual but it is pretty basic. I dug through the Search function on the forum and found some people were necksizing too.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2005, 06:49:13 PM »

I like the Lee Deluxe dies that come with a collet neck sizing die and a full length die. That way I can neck size my brass, but I can also resize brass from another gun.

I just got through loading some .223 for someone with a CZ 527 with the Lee collet and shrunk the group from over 1" with Winchester factory loads to .625" with handloads.

Lee Deluxe dies are less than $25 from Midway and I use them on Handi fodder almost exclusively.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2005, 06:55:10 PM »

I think you'll find the dies are less at Cabelas...and their shipping is less, too.

Lee Dies

Tim

Fred M · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:03:43 PM »

Paul, I too have 2 sets of Lee dies. I like the Lee dies because they are easy to hone to suit an oversize chamber. I hone them 0.002 under fired size on a lathe for a perfet fit with minimal sizing and use them like a bushing die without the expander after the necks are outside reamed.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:43:43 PM »

Well..for what it's worth...these folks have Reddings on sale right now...

http://www.lockstock.com/default.asp?404;http://www.lockstock.com/cart/departments.asp

Their prices aren't too bad ...on a lot of things...

Mac

Paul5388 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 10, 2005, 05:30:41 PM »

Actually Tim, Cabela's was $.10 higher! I also have to consider 8.25% sales tax on a Cabela's order, since they now have a store in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

I just found a Midway order I had on 4/12/04 that was $92.05 with $9.98 in shipping. The order included 500 .223 bullets, 200 .357" bullets and a few other things. The tax would have been $7.60, but I got it delivered to my door for only $2.38 more than the tax would have been.

Cabela's may be a good idea, if they don't have a store in the state you live in.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #10 on:** August 10, 2005, 05:45:26 PM »

Yup!! I compared an order for 500 Rem 405gr bullets at Cabelas and Midway. Cabelas was $71 shipped and Midway was $84 shipped, even though Cabela's price was $1 more per hundred, their shipping was only $8 compared to $22 at Midway!!!

Tim

Paul5388 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2005, 06:17:06 PM »

Tim,

It depends on where you live. The shipping at Cabela's is $8.75, because they just use the dollar amount to charge on and distance doesn't have any bearing on the price. Add the $5.20 in tax and the dollar extra in cost and Caleba's is about $1 cheaper than Midway on the 405 gr bullets to my location.

However, let's use the example of a $173.49 purchase I made from Midway on 7/27/05. The shipping was $11.07 with no tax. At Cabela's the shipping would have been $12.75 plus $14.31 in tax for me. So, Cabela's would have cost $15 more for the same cost in merchandise.

Like I said, it depends on where you live and it also depends on the price per weight of what you buy.

BTW, that was 4 BSA 3-12X 50mm scopes and some .223" gas checks I bought for $173.49

quickdtoo · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2005, 06:46:20 PM »

Yup, light but expensive things from Cabelas will cost a bit more for shipping, but still not as much as Midway charges as a minimum. Don't get me wrong, I order just about as much stuff from Midway as I do Cabelas, but I check both of em, usually Midway costs more and they're both just about the same distance from me so their higher shipping costs usually get the boot if the product cost is the same or close. Midway's online ordering allows you to compute exact shipping without placing the order, which has saved me many a time.

Tim

Paul5388 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2005, 06:57:09 PM »

I guess the moral of the story is, buy from Cabela's if it's cheap and heavy, even if you have to pay the taxes!

I looked at those scopes again and they are now $69.99 each, without the 3" sunshades I got with mine!