Need Opinion On Hand Dies

B

Brent13

New member
I am seriously considering the purchase of a hand die kit from Sinclair. The kit includes the arbor press plus 1 set of Wilson dies. I would really like the option of loading at the range and have been told that these hand dies will produce more concentric loads. I will be the first to admit that I am 100% into all the reloading bells and whistles! I know, it is a serious illness. Can I expect to gain much in terms of accuracy with hand dies over my current RCBS threaded dies? I know that "coyote accuracy" is not super critical but I am always searching for more accuracy. Just the way I am, If a gun won't shoot like I want it to I will always keep trying differnt things. So, are Wilson hand dies that much better and can I expect much improvement in a factory rifle? The caliber I would start with would be .17 Remington which now probably groups at 1 inch to 1.25 inch im my 700BDL.

Thanks,
Brent
 
Thats all that I use anymore is the wilson dies and sinclair press.
I load for 14 different calibers.
They will inprove bullet runout thus increasing accuracy.
They dont take any longer to use either.
I use to use threaded dies with good results but I have better results with the hand dies.
You will like them thats for sure!!!!!
And if not they are easy to sale.
 
I have a couple sets of Wilson neck sizing knock out dies and like them a lot. They are not a
panacea though. I use one of them for my .17Rem. It is also a model 700BDL. I'll get a group of .4". Unfortunately I'll precede or follow it with a 1.2". I can't figure this rifle out. My other set is for a .222Rem. Mag. There, the improvement has been more consistent. I can get a group in the threes and it averages around .4" The ammo is more consistent than with regular dies although honestly it's not too much better than my Redding neck sizing "S" dies.
I'm sticking with these though. I've grown weary of experimenting to avoid the expander ball.
The nice thing about the Wilson is I can get by with a little rawhide mallet if I desire. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
 
Loading at the range is the ONLY way to fly for load development. Once you've tried it, you won't ever want to be without the capability again. I've gone to a small Harrell's press that clamps to the side of my range box, and using regular 7/8-14 dies at the range. But the Wilson hand dies are easily the best bang for the buck in handloading. They consistantly produce very concentric ammo with a maximum portability factor.

Will the hand dies produce more concentric ammo than your regular RCBS dies? That depends on how your current dies and setup are performing. With good dies and proper setup, the answer is "no". The hand dies won't do any better. The goal is zero run-out, or as close as we can get to it, and you can get just as close with either type of die. But, it can be a bit of a challenge to get regular threaded dies and press in proper harmony to produce really straight ammo. With the hand dies, it's just drop dead easy - they have far less that can go wrong and introduce run out.

Any gains in accuracy, "of your ammo", will be directly related to the run-out just mentioned. So, as already stated, the only way you'll see any accuracy improvement is if you current setup isn't working so well. That certainly could be.

Note, I just talked about potential accuracy improvement of your ammo. The other part of the equation of course is your rifle. If it's only shooting 1 - 1.25" groups now, I'm kind of skeptical that hand dies are going to make much improvement. UNLESS, the current poor performance is due to really crooked ammo from your current dies and press. But if your current ammo is even reasonably straight, say run-out of not more than .005, I suspect your rifle isn't really accurate enough to show you much improvement by reducing the run-out to .001 or less. Some, probably, but not a lot - possibly not enough to really even detect, given the large variation in group size you are getting now. If your current setup is producing run-out of under .003, I'd say your rifle simply won't show you any fruit from improving on that.

Regardless, I'd encourage you to get the hand dies. They absolutely can't hurt, and will add to the enjoyment of your hand loading hobby - something I can tell you will appreciate.

- DAA
 
Like all of the above, I would suggest getting the Wilson with the Sinclair press. I use the Wilson dies for anything that I am really critical about – which is about everything. You might not want to sell your RCBS after you start with the Wilson dies because every once in a while you might want to bump the shoulder back on the brass. You might also want to consider turning the necks slightly to even them up. This will keep you from needing multiple neck die bushings.

If you start getting into bells and whistles, you might want to pick up a concentricity gauge. I have both the NECO and the Sinclair (yep, I like toys too) and they are both very accurate.
 
I honestly have to say that I'm leery about loading at the range. You're going to attract attention be be asked quite a few questions. It can really get distracting, and you just don't need that when handling powder. It's only a suggestion but worth thinking about. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
 
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