so I bought this kit and am confused on dies..

[spar1790]

https://factorysales.com/html/xcart/catalog/anivers.html

This is the kit I bought and when I look at die choices there are so many.

-RGB dies
-pacesetter 3 dies
-pacesetter ltd dies
-limited production dies
-3 die set w/ powder through expanding die
-collet neck size dies
-factory crimp dies
-taper crimp dies

Whats what?
I heard some are for bolt actions and some are for semis, and also some are for brass alreay shot through your gun and others are for bought or picked up brass. Is there a die kit that will allow me to do anything I want with a particular caliber or course?

I am interested in reloading for now
.38 special
9mm luger
.308 win
6.8 SPC

I know 9mm may not benefit me much but I want to try my luck at it. As for the .308 and 6.8 I am mainly interested in accuracy. Thanks for any and all help.

 

[dawgm]

Pistol dies are fairly standard. Get the lee deluxe pistol die set and you'll have all that you need.
a tapper crimp is often used for heavy recoil rounds to avoid bullets slipping in the case or bullet set-back.

Rifle is another animal.
You can 1. resize neck only 2. full length resize.
1. Neck only resizing offers better accuracy and longer brass life. The down side is that your brass is fire-formed to one gun and only that gun will feed it reliably. You also have to start with fresh factory brass-no range pickups. If you are running semi auto or will use the brass in multiple guns, then this is not the option to get.
2. full length resizing is the only option for semi auto reliability and non-gun-specific ammo. Lee pace setter dies will be your best option. they come with 3 dies- one of them being a factory crimp die, which will seal up your new ammo and resist bullet set-back in semi autos. the 6.8 only come in the 2 die set, but you can add a factory crimp die separately.
2a. carbide- you want these- they are far more durable. =pacesetter
2b. non carbide- not the pacesetter

Finally, an expander die is used if you want to load softer lead bullets. It opens the mouth of the case so that lead doesn't get shaved off the side. Not needed if you reload jacketed bullets.

 

[spar1790]

Wow.. Thanks for all the info. Very helpful. So with the neck only dies I size it for my rifle only whereas full length I can shoot out of any .308? What makes neck only specific to my rifle? And by factory brass you mean unfired brass? So I could not use brass once fired from my rifle? Thanks.

 

[dawgm]

You can always neck size brass that has been fired through your bolt action rifle, so yes, you can definitely use your once fired brass. When you fire a cartridge, the brass "fire-forms" to that gun's chamber. Chamber sizes vary slightly gun to gun so this brass is not interchangeable to another rifle unless you full length resize it. The full length resizing makes the brass usable by any gun in that caliber. Fire formed brass is molded specifically to the chamber it is fired in. Neck resizing only reforms the top portion of the brass- the lower section remains molded specifically to your rifle.

By factory brass, I mean that you can fire new production ammo or full length sized brass to obtain your fire-formed brass for neck resizing reloads. You could not neck size brass fired from a different gun and have it work reliably and accurately from your rifle.

I would suggest picking up a reloading manual first! All of these details are in the first chapters and are explained better than I can.

Or, stop by your local reloading supply store. They will likely be glad to teach you the details. You will find that primers and powder are cheaper to buy local due to hazmat shipping fees. You might as well get to know your supplier now.

 

[spar1790]

Thanks again for the clarification. I really appreciate your help. I have a Speer Reloading Manual (#14), but all I keep hearing when I read it is RCBS this and that. Is there a good non biased one somewhere? Also, I do not believe I have a local reloading store or I would love to stop by and get my learn on.. Ill keep looking though.

 

[joestef214]

buy "The ABC's of Reloading" at any bookstore I got started with only the lyman reloading manual and did not have a full understanding of what I was looking for or looking at when I got started and fortunately for me I went about 3 months reloading rifle ammo that did not explode after reading this book I had alot better grasp on what I was doing

 

[spar1790]

thanks for the advice joestef214. Ill look into that one. I just purchased from factory sales;

pacesetter dies .308
6.8 rem spc 2 die set
6.8 rem spc factory crimp die
(2) lee breech lock bushing
(3) 7/8-14 self lock ring

 

[dawgm]

thanks for the advice joestef214. Ill look into that one. I just purchased from factory sales;

pacesetter dies .308
6.8 rem spc 2 die set
6.8 rem spc factory crimp die
(2) lee breech lock bushing
(3) 7/8-14 self lock ring

wise choice going with the full length dies.
those lock rings will work fine, especially with the breech lock bushings. for the future, look into lyman lock rings- they supposedly stay put without marring your threads. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=402579 . again, nothing wrong with the lee ones; just don't spin the die when removing it from the press.

Did you get the correct case length gauges for trimming cases? And some way to clean your brass, such as a tumbler?

 

[spar1790]

Thanks for th advice. Havent bought a tumbler yet, still looking and doing reviews "wet vs dry and what not". And no I did not get case length guages. I completely forgot about it... Dang it. Any suggestions without paying another $20 in shipping?

 

[dawgm]

Thanks for th advice. Havent bought a tumbler yet, still looking and doing reviews "wet vs dry and what not". And no I did not get case length guages. I completely forgot about it... Dang it. Any suggestions without paying another $20 in shipping?

call and/or email them first thing in the morning. i doubt your order is packaged yet. just add it on to the existing order. that or order it from where you get the tumbler. I get paranoid that I'm forgetting an item when order; shipping will clean out your wallet!