Which Dies to buy? confused!

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kevlars

New member
Here is what I will be using, and need recomendations.

I have a Dillon RL-550B that I haven't used for years. I use to use it for 9mm. But, with the cost of ammo, I am getting a stockpile of brass, and starting to get primers and powder when the opportunity presents itself. I will be loading primarily for my AR in 223 Rem. I also have a bolt action 223 which I will want to load for, and would like to use the same ammo/dies. I hear about full-length sizing and small base dies for the semiautos. Also, do I need carbide dies? I wish I could get someone to tell me the brand, part number, etc. and end this quandry once and for all. I want to get started, but I need to get this sorted out. I know I will get a ton of responses from people who are loyal to a certain brand, and that is OK, I just want to get what I need one time and not wish I had gotten something different.

I need to get a caliber conversion kit from Dillon, should I buy dies from them? I don't want to spend more cash than I have to, but I will spend it to get quality.

Thanks for any input.

kevlars
 
Everything I load comes off of a 550

The Dillon dies are good, I have a set. I also have a set of RCBS, which I would trade for a set of Reddings in a heart beat.

First you want to seperate your brass, if you have multiple headstamps sort them out so you have one type for each firearm. You dont need small base dies for your auto loader. You also wouldnt want to use them to reload your bolt gun ammo. Most likely it will result in short case life because you are over working your brass. That said, a 2 die set of Reddings would serve you well, better yet a 3 die set with the neck sizer would be better. That way you can use the neck sizer for your bolt gun, and use the FL sizer for your AR. Those would be the only dies to swap in your toolhead, everything else stays put in the toolhead. Its a bit more cash but thats how I would do it, if I had to do it again.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=307180
 
I would agree with everything Furhunter has said above and I have the same RL550B. If you plan on loading the 223 progressively, for either rifle, you would be better off with a full conversion kit for the 223 from Dillon. If your going to load them single stage, you just need the shellplate and buttons. Dillon makes great dies, and the carbides are best for straight wall pistol cases. Be sure you have enough tool heads to change rather than changing the individual dies each time.

I'm not a big fan of progressive loading on the RL550B for the 223 Rem and other bottleneck cases for several reasons. I load all my bottleneck cases single stage on the Dillon.

1. Some stick powders do not meter well enough from the Dillon measures and are prone to bridging going into the small necks.
2. Some seating dies are hard to get the bullet started streight.
3. Compressed charges are nearly impossible to handle without spilling.
4. You don't get a chance to clean primer pockets, trim, or do any other case inspection.
5. Your always handling lubed cases, fiddling with primers, bullets, etc and it gets distracting for some.

As far as what dies to get: There are several that will work well, but I would start with a 2 die FL set of Hornady New Dimension 223 FL dies. The FL sizing die is fairly typical for a die of this type, and you will need a FL die for brass not fired in the same rifle. The standard Hornady is one of the better seating dies for the 223 without going to a match or competition seater.

I like to dedicate a sizing die to a particular rifle to avoid any headspace problems, but you could likely get by with setting it up to fit the shortest headspace of the two 223 rifles. I would suggest a Hornady Match Grade bushing type neck die and a few bushings to neck-size-only after the first fire-forming loading. The Hornady neck die can be set to bump the shoulder to control the headspace without using the FL sizer. This die should be dedicated to one rifle or you will have to reset it each time you load for a different 223. The bushing type dies will allow the best control over neck tension without over-working the necks. Forster and Redding make some very nice dies that will do the same thing for a bit more money, if you like their dies better.

This is pretty much what Furhunter has suggested but with a little twist. You still end up with three dies plus 2 or 3 bushings, no need for crimping, and no need for small base dies.

Hornady Links:
Full Length Die Set $44.75
https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session...db292ef34652d80

Match Neck die $51.53
https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session...89f23b970d57c8f

.223 Rem Neck Bushings $22.15 Each
https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_session...95785a614bc3b76
I would start with the 242 and 244 bushing sizes.
 
Quote:
Everything I load comes off of a 550

The Dillon dies are good, I have a set. I also have a set of RCBS, which I would trade for a set of Reddings in a heart beat.

First you want to seperate your brass, if you have multiple headstamps sort them out so you have one type for each firearm. You dont need small base dies for your auto loader. You also wouldnt want to use them to reload your bolt gun ammo. Most likely it will result in short case life because you are over working your brass. That said, a 2 die set of Reddings would serve you well, better yet a 3 die set with the neck sizer would be better. That way you can use the neck sizer for your bolt gun, and use the FL sizer for your AR. Those would be the only dies to swap in your toolhead, everything else stays put in the toolhead. Its a bit more cash but thats how I would do it, if I had to do it again.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=307180



Furhunter is right on and has given you some great advice. The Dillon Dies are great, especially on a progressive press. With that said, Dillon dies are cut very close to small base. Dillon main market is full auto customers who want easy cyling of the action. If you read the literature about his dies they will say they are made to minimum specs so as to provide proper function in full auto rifles. There is no reason you couldn't back them off a little more for ammo loaded just for your bolt gun.

I just resize everything to maximum sammi using standard FL dies. I use the RCBS precision mic to adjust my dies. All of my ammo works in everything I own, and I'm only working my brass the minimum amount as necessary.
 
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