Which set of dies to keep?

[TOU]

Please excuse my ignorance as I'm about to ask what may seem to be pretty dumb questions...especially here.

So that said, I have ended up with redundant reloading dies in 2 calibers and want to reduce it to 1 of each. If you would be so kind, please help pick one of each and tell me why you would pick it? (FYI: I have all Hornady reloading equipment.) NOT meant to cause any conflicts...just trying to reduce items. Thanks in advance.

17 Hornet:

• Hornady (2 dies: FULL length)
• Redding Deluxe (3 dies: full, seating, & neck)

17 Remington

• Forester (2 die: bench rest set)
• RCBS (FL)
• Lee

[Bill K]

Hornet, either one. On the 17 Rem, RCBS. All are good and decent dies, but if you needed a part, Redding, Hornady and RCBS are fast, have parts and often will not charge you for them.

[georgeld]

I keep ALL dies I acquire.

Never know when something else might

follow me home.

[Danny]

Get rid of the RCBS Die.

[Dean2]

I posted this somewhere else but to me it is very applicable here.

Necking 460 Bee to 338-378
Something I thought about as I was examining the brass being formed, guys have asked is Redding really a lot better die than RCBS because they are almost 3 times the price. Take a look at the Full Length sized 378 case, 3rd from the right, that was done in an Redding die. Now look at the case FL sized in the RCBS 338-378 die, last one on the left, Notice the Redding done case has a perfectly formed double radius shoulder and a smooth neck to shoulder transition. Now look at the RCBS done case, shoulder is not a perfectly formed double radius, more of a traditional sloped shoulder style with a sharp break over where it meets the body, and the neck to shoulder transition is not perfectly smooth like the Redding one, it actually has a bit of a step in it. The RCBS set works for the forming process but for ongoing reloading I will be getting a Redding 3 die set, with the NK, FL and Seating dies for the 338-378 and a Redding neck die for the 257 Bee to go with my existing 2 die Redding set for it.

[Bayou City Boy]

Like George said, I'd keep all of them. You never know....... And its not like you have a future house down payment tied up in these dies.

In total, asking a bunch of diverse, mostly strangers to you, for advice like this is asking for more confusion that you might already have about what to do with a couple sets of dies.

btw - Is the RCBS just a singe FL die or a FL die set?

JMO - BCB

[Bill K]

Looks more like, to me, that some of the dies your are using are not adjusted into the press as well as others.
I believe if they are all set up correctly, they all will size just as well as each other.
But each to their own opinion, for sure. What ever you feel is best use.
But all the name brand dies have been in business for years, for good reason and some do a much better job of offering replacement parts and customer service.
In time you learn that by needing it.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Bill K

Looks more like, to me, that some of the dies your are using are not adjusted into the press as well as others.
I believe if they are all set up correctly, they all will size just as well as each other.
But each to their own opinion, for sure. What ever you feel is best use.
But all the name brand dies have been in business for years, for good reason and some do a much better job of offering replacement parts and customer service.
In time you learn that by needing it.

This is the process I used. The accuracy of the internal grind of the die is different on the RCBS vs the Redding and it shows up in what the formed brass looks like. No amount of adjustment is going to change that. (None of these cases have been fire formed, this is just the sizing process.)

From right to left, 378 brass that was necked up to 460 originally, then for the current purposes necked back down in the 378 seating die with the plug removed, then the FL 378 dies with the decapping gear removed, then partially sized the 338-378 seating die with the seating stem removed just for illustration purposes, you don't really need to 2 step this part, then fully sized in the seating die, and finally the FL 338-378 FL die with the decapping rod and expander button in place. Imperial sizing lube applied liberally goes a long ways to making this easier.

A Guy could probably get away just using the two sizing dies but this is smoother and easier. Brass thickness went from .013 to .015-6. Final outside neck diameter before seating a bullet is .365, so .001 under max. without having to trim the necks. This may seem like a lot of work but when once fired 338-378 brass is $4 each it is worth the effort. New brass is nearly $6 a pop.

[Bill K]

All I know is that I have dies in every one of those brands. RCBS, Hornady, Redding & Wilson, will size the case/brass just fine when adjusted properly, by the makers instructions.
I do adjust them also, at time, so they just basically size the neck to the shoulder, instead to full to the base, for any given chamber of the rifle they are shot in, until then need the shoulder set back.
Again to each his own on brand, desire and opinion.

In fact I also have some Lee, C&H and old Herter brand dies and they all work fine, to this day. Began with Herter's and C&H in the mid 50's and a C&H C press.
Of course now, over the years I have used and have Dillion, RCBS and still the old C&H press. Reloading is a old and valued hobby.

[TOU]

Originally Posted by georgeld

I keep ALL dies I acquire.

Never know when something else might

follow me home.

Fair enough, good advice. I have at least one rifle in each caliber...just trying to reduce some clutter before a move. Thank you!