"that" 2nd die set... do you or not ???

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I'm starting to get to where I'm buying 2nd die sets ( sometimes even a 3rd ) for the same caliber

I'm finding that if I have several guns that shoot the same cartridge, often there are differences in bullets ( spitzer / semi spitzer vrs flat point ) or different OAL of cartridges between some guns for best performance... maybe the difference in expanders between cast or jacketed bullets

I'm just getting going again on 45-70 & I have an RCBS die set that taper crimps, that works fine for my Contender & single shot Martini... but not so good for my last 2 aquistions a Remington double rifle, & my Guide gun... I could just buy a Lee factory crimp die, but I'll be shooting ( or at least trying to develope ) 2 seperate loads one that works well in both my Contender & my Remington double rifle ( at more sane velocities ), & one that works well in both my Martini Safari single & my Guide gun ( at hotter dangerous game type loadings ) with different bullets... so I'm thinking about that 2nd 45-70 die set so I don't have to continually re-adjust my dies...

am I wa out there, or do some of you guys make that 2nd or 3rd die investment, just to make things easier ???

[wncchester]

I hav, or did have, several extra sets for some cartridges but they were acquired so I could check the dimensions out of the sizers and concentricity from the seaters, not for duplicate weapons. Out of any two-three die set, one will be a better match to my chamber so I "assemble" new sets by keeping those that work better and reselling those that do not. (No one is getting shafted, those dies are still within SAAMI specs and may well fit the new owners needs better than they do mine.)

One valuable lesson I've learned with these swaps is that no die brand is, on average, better" over all than any other brand.

I've never thought that setting, or resetting, a die to accomidate slight changes to be much of a problem or to take a lot of time. In fact, I usually disassemble them, at least partially, for cleaning before each use.

[grymster2007]

Adjusting the dies for a particular load is half the fun for me. I almost can't wait to finish pulling the handle on the last 38 Special Gold Dot so I can switch over to SWCs, or pull all the dies from my single turret and swap over to 45 Colt. I dunno... it's just what I do.

I'm editing this to add that I'm a low volume loader and do it for pleasure. I'm sure I'd feel different if I were going through thousands of rounds a month.

[WIL TERRY]

I have at least five sets of dies to effectively load 32S&W LONG and 32H&R MAGNUM for a dozen different guns.
There hasta be at least five sets of 45COLT dies in the shop; same reason. Truth be told though it is NOT so much the different guns as it is the different specs on cases, bullets, primers etc. Then of course there is the different specs on the loading dies themselves in which some turn a good crimp on some brass and not on a different lot or make of brass. I own the first REDDING PROFILE CRIMP DIE ever made in 32LONG/32MAG. It only works perfectly on some makes of brass, not nearly as well on others.
And so it goes...

[Christchild]

I second what Grymster said... Adjusting the Dies a little at a time to get it right is definitely part of the fun. Investing in extra sets of Dies will save You a considerable amount of time (as long as You label each Die with appropriate Die Setting/Cartridge), if You've got the extra cash to invest.

I see both sides/opinions/preferences, but my opinion, maybe buy ONE extra set of Dies, make sure Your Case Length is uniform, then Hone and Polish the adjustment details/operation until it's second nature.

I would keep the extra cash. Maybe get Yourself a few more components, or small tools needed for other things, like case prep, etc...

[medalguy]

I have multiple dies of many calibers. To me it's a small investment in order to be able to keep the adjustment on certain caliber/bullet combinations that I load almost constantly.

Matter of fact I have several Dillon 450 presses that I leave set up for 308 and 9 and 45 since those are the ones I load very frequently. I simply dismount the presses from my table and hang them on a 2x6 I have mounted to the wall with threaded posts sticking up, slide the press base over the post and loosely attach a nut to keep it up out of the way until I need it again. That way I don't have to change any settings, just a quick check before jumping in. I buy the presses for a few bucks when I find them at small gun shows and I'm lucky sometimes to get one for $50 or so because the 450 is "obsolete"!

Sometimes it's worth a few bucks not to have to start over and readjust everything to load a few hundred rounds, not to mention the spoiled cases that need to be disassembled and reloaded if anything is out of spec.

[ZeSpectre]

I'm going to do this for .40 S&W vs 10mm.

[B78-22250]

Have you given thought to making up dummy rounds for the different bullets and seating depths? This can make setting up your dies a quick and painless process. And you can save some $ for other things. I have two loads for the 45-70. 300gr. sierra hp 50 gr rx7 this is a deadly load for deer. I also load 400 gr. speer fp using 50 gr rx7. I am shooting a NEF single shot and both loads are sub moa off the bench. These loads should give you a good starting point for your two guns and loads.Remember to reduce load and work up. Hope this helps.

[margiesex]

I have 2 sets for 2 calibers at present - I have a .38 spl - seater/crimp; and also one for .357 - so I don't have to mess one up for the other.

And, .32 for S&W Long and HR Mag.

However, I'm always open to getting more

God bless and good shooting.

Margiesex

And remember: Hug your God and you guns - 'cause he's coming to get them both and soon!

[poline]

What do u use to clean your dies with? Wondered about doing that mysef after working with lead bullets.

[rn22723]

Spend dough and get Redding Competition Seater Die for the 45 70!

Sizing is sizing nothing changes!

[Peter M. Eick]

I have dies for each caliber only because I don't let to do the setup. Thus I have 3 sets of 38 dies. 357 Maximum, 357 Magnum, and 38 Special. I just ordered another one for 38/44 HS rounds. Same for 40 and 10mm. It is just easier to have extra dies.

It is not like they are that expensive. On sale they cost as much as a box of primers right now.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

well I did order a set of Lee dies in 45-70 with their taper to roll crimp, as well as a Lee "factory crimp" die... now I also want to get a file trim die & extended shell holder for 45-70 as well... BTW... I always try to keep a shell holder in each die box... easy with the Lee dies, but usually means I need to buy an extra with the other brands... I find that makes start up easier & faster, than going through my shell holder set, & looking up which is the correct one...

I have all the Remington brass I need for the 45-70, but am still waiting on Star Line cases ... since in this caliber, I'll be doing up 2 lighter loads for deer hunting, & 2 heavy loads for bear / dangerous game, I like to use one brand of case for one load, & another brand of case for the other... it helps to make sure ( along with properly marking my reloaded ammo ) that I don't stick hotter loads in a gun that either is not safe, or would not be comfortable shooting it through... also I find keeping only one brand of case per load, helps me watch for stretching & primer pocket loosening on an Apples to Apples basis over the life of the cases ( I also record how many times they have been reloaded on the box each reload )

I hope to have the trim die & shell holder by later fall, before I get into seriously doing test loads... but will likely play around with some "pre test loads" just to burn up some odd components... & that new Remington double rifle has no intention of waiting till spring to get fired

[NWPilgrim]

I have multiple dies for several calibers but it is mostly from finding what I like and don't like and refining my set up.

I am moving away from RCBS and Hornady toward more and more Lee products. Except, I am adding the RCBS X-die to my rifle sets. RCBS decappers suck. They bend easily and break on the occasional hard crimped primer or Berdan case. Lee and Hornady have a very strong decapper pin that also slides in a collet before bending or breaking.

Hornady is overall well made, but the expander die for .38/.357 is not adjustable and is not long enough to expand .38 Special cases (on my set anyway).

I have added Lee FCD to most sets for a separate crimp station, and a Lee expander/powder through die for most all sets for mounting the powder measure.

So I have a few all Lee die sets, but most of mine are mixes of Lee, RCBS and Hornady, with a lot of left over sizing and expander dies.

I haven't gotten to the point of having different settings for different guns, yet.

[BigJakeJ1s]

I don't have multiple sets of dies in the same cartridges, but I do have multiple different brands of individual dies, because no one brand seems to make my favorite for each type. I start out with a set, usually Hornady, then replace the ones I don't like.

Most carbide pistol sizing dies will do fine.

I like Redding or Lyman M-type expander dies best.

I like Hornady seating dies best for pistols, mostly because Forster does not make pistol seating dies. I have not tried Redding Competition seaters; they are a bit pricey, and do not work the same way that Forster or Redding Competition rifle seating dies do anyway.

I roll crimp straight wall pistol cartridges while seating (the Hornady seaters do a good job of it). I usually taper crimp separately now, with a Redding or Hornady taper crimp die (not much difference that I can tell between them). For bottleneck pistol cartridges, the Lee collet-type FCD is absolutely great. But I don't care for the carbide FCDs for straight wall pistol cartridges at all.

Oh, and all my dies wear Hornady, Forster, or the original RCBS cross-bolt lock rings. Lyman also makes a cross-bolt aftermarket lock ring (the lock rings on their dies use set screws), but I have not tried it yet.

Andy

[wncchester]

"Have you given thought to making up dummy rounds for the different bullets and seating depths? This can make setting up your dies a quick and painless process."

That's the answer to quick re-set ups!


"What do u use to clean your dies with? Wondered about doing that mysef after working with lead bullets."

Disassemble, wrap a bit of toilet tissue into a sorta snug fit, pour a quarter ounce of mineral spirits (aka, "oderless paint thinner") on it, twist the makeshift swab in the body cavity(s). Clean the seater cups the same way. Clean the body threads with a toothbrush. Reasssemble and go. Start to finish takes maybe five minutes.

I usually give them a spritz of some cheap spay lube, WD-40, etc., when putting them away to reduce the chance of rusting.

[NWPilgrim]

Even though I keep my die sets in turrets I also keep one "perfect" dummy round in the die case for each cartridge for reference. This is a re-sized case and bullet seated to my standard COL, with no primer. If it is a rifle case it is also trimmed.

I clean my dies with brake cleaner spray. Dies are cleaned and thoroughly wiped down with Tetra gun grease using a patch and cotton swab. Minor cleaning between full cleanings would be with BreakFree CLP or Birchwood-Casey Bore Cleaner depending on what needs cleaning out. Powder through expander is kept wiped dry of course.