reloading gear ? Do you mix different brands? - Page 2

DiscoRacing · December 10, 2009, 07:22 AM

Quote:

It might be better to ask if there is anyone who DOESN'T mix brands.

is what i first thought also.... mine is very colorful.

jjohnson · December 10, 2009, 08:49 AM

Yeah, I have a lot of die sets of different brands. For pistol, often enough I have one brand of dies doing one thing and a factory crimp die of another brand. Since modern cartridges have SAAMI standards, they're mostly interchangeable.

Every now and then you'll find a particular die that does one thing or another better than the others for what you're specific application has to do. I reload rifle ammo with lead, so regardless what dies I have in one or another caliber, I wind up using a Lyman M die to expand the neck to avoid shaving the bullet when I seat, something you don't hardly lever need to do with jacketed bullets.

One down side to the deal is decapping assemblies. If you reload a lot and sometimes encounter Berdan primers in your "range cleanup" brass, you'll wind up breaking a decapping pin:barf:sooner or later. The next thing you'll do is look for a decapping rod assembly from another die to finish the job. THOSE tend to NOT be interchangeable among brands.

swmike · December 10, 2009, 02:37 PM

My press doesn't seem to care which die I have installed on it.

I use LEE dies whenever I need a carbide sizing die (38/357, 9mm, 45, 44 mag, etc)

For Rifle dies I look for good deals on RCBS, Redding, or even LEE.

I DO like the Dillon Die set for 9mm. The Sizing/Decapping die has a "snap action" that makes sure the old primer is tossed out into the primer catch chute. Works something like when you try to "flick" something nasty off your finger. The seating die has a nice open throat so it is not as fussy when setting a bullet on top the case. Since I am using these dies on an XL650 with case feeder, things go along quite fast and having a bullet caught up in the entrance to a seating die realy brings things to a halt.

A final note, I do find that LEE dies tend to be shorter than Dillon Dies and I have had to install the lock nuts on the bottom of the toolhead, rather on the top, due to lack of threads when the die is properly adjusted.

Other than that, let your wallet be your guide.

December 10, 2009, 08:49 AM	#27
jjohnson Member Join Date: December 10, 2007 Posts: 72	You Betcha! Yeah, I have a lot of die sets of different brands. For pistol, often enough I have one brand of dies doing one thing and a factory crimp die of another brand. Since modern cartridges have SAAMI standards, they're mostly interchangeable. Every now and then you'll find a particular die that does one thing or another better than the others for what you're specific application has to do. I reload rifle ammo with lead, so regardless what dies I have in one or another caliber, I wind up using a Lyman M die to expand the neck to avoid shaving the bullet when I seat, something you don't hardly lever need to do with jacketed bullets. One down side to the deal is decapping assemblies. If you reload a lot and sometimes encounter Berdan primers in your "range cleanup" brass, you'll wind up breaking a decapping pin:barf:sooner or later. The next thing you'll do is look for a decapping rod assembly from another die to finish the job. THOSE tend to NOT be interchangeable among brands.

December 10, 2009, 02:37 PM	#28
swmike Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Marysville, WA Posts: 670	My press doesn't seem to care which die I have installed on it. I use LEE dies whenever I need a carbide sizing die (38/357, 9mm, 45, 44 mag, etc) For Rifle dies I look for good deals on RCBS, Redding, or even LEE. I DO like the Dillon Die set for 9mm. The Sizing/Decapping die has a "snap action" that makes sure the old primer is tossed out into the primer catch chute. Works something like when you try to "flick" something nasty off your finger. The seating die has a nice open throat so it is not as fussy when setting a bullet on top the case. Since I am using these dies on an XL650 with case feeder, things go along quite fast and having a bullet caught up in the entrance to a seating die realy brings things to a halt. A final note, I do find that LEE dies tend to be shorter than Dillon Dies and I have had to install the lock nuts on the bottom of the toolhead, rather on the top, due to lack of threads when the die is properly adjusted. Other than that, let your wallet be your guide. __________________ My definition of Gun Control--- A steady grip and hitting your target. "In God we trust, all others are suspects." "If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, either I won't need any more, or more won't be of any help". ____________________________________________