Best (Friendly-est) die set for the AR Platform in 5.56?

[Doc Highwall]

I will agree with Larry about the RCBS X die, or a Redding bushing die which is what I use.

[BD]

I really like the idea of the X die. However, unless I acquire anther AR in .223 I won't be buying one anytime soon. My Bushy DCM came with a chamber so close to minimum spec that my new Redding bushing size die wouldn't touch the shoulder. I called Redding and they asked me to send back the dies with five once fired new brass from my chamber. A couple of weeks later I received the custom fitted dies in the mail and I've been a happy camper ever since. i flat topped that rifle for optics about the time I went to tri-focals at age 55 and after 4,000 rounds down the tube it will still stay under 1/2 moa all day long out to 300 yards with the 77 grain SMKs from a good rest. I'm using a max charge of Varget in that load, and 10 -11 loadings, (annealing every 4-5 loadings), is about my comfort level these days. I had about 1,000 BHM cases that AnthonyB had sent me years ago that I used a little harder for high-power. Those cases eventually died from split necks. Never experienced a case head separation, and it doesn't sound like fun. Luckily brass for that chambering is plenty common, so there's no reason to push it to extremes.
BD

[troyboy]

I use Lee dies, lube with Lee lube mixed with rubbing alcohol. Put the lube in a spray bottle, the brass in a gallon zip lock, spray a little in the bag and mix. Pour brass out and let dry a few minutes resize and de cap. Works exactly as designed.

[grampa243]

i like the dillon 223 dies. i use a 550b so that may have something to do with it.. but i know they make them to work in the AR better then some others.. and the crimp die works very well.. for cast boolits i add a lee universal expander in stage 1 and size all my brass beforehand. for jwords i set up as per dillons norm.

[MT Chambers]

I use Redding "Deluxe die sets" which include both full length and neck sizers whenever I can, they are the best dies. If you want to tailor your loads more then the Redding bushing dies are grand and will allow you to play with case neck tension with precision....I depends on whether you just want to reload, or you want to craft your ammo with precision.

[sparkz]

Well as I had said, we have yet to load a case for this AR or any AR for that matter, But It's a new gun for us and I do want to load for it and posted the "Talk" I had read about so that's where i got all that case prob issues stuff, (I don't need more headaches haha) so that's why I ask, (Questions are cheaper then mistakes) so As I read the reply's to this post it looks like I was on right track with RCBS I like there dies and I also have a brand new and needs a home Hornady Carbide de-primeing / size pin here (Provided it will work) so Now I am thinking Il look at the RCBS X-Die loaded with that hornady pin set for a custom die set that will head off most issues, I just dont want to have to buy a new die "IF" we had issues like the ones I had read about,

Thanks guys for heads up and keep ideas coming,
Il Start a new thread for what mold to buy and why for the 5.56 AR Platform,,


THanks again

Sean & Patrick
Lost Creek, Kentucky

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

sparkz,

Something for you to think about:

I reload.223/5.56 on my progressive. I own an RCBS Pro 2000. I do it in two passes.

In the first pass, I lubricate and deprime using an RCBS lube die for .223 with RCBS. (I squirt the lube directly on the felt lube ring in the die and it works fantastic without putting out too much lube or putting it in the wrong place. Doesn't use much lube either out of the bottle. I've done over 5000 .223 cases this way.). After lubing the case, I use a Dillon trim die to resize and a Dillon 1200 trimmer to trim the die to length. I use a small shop vacuum to keep the brass chips cleaned up. Again, works fantastic and is very fast. I then take the brass and tumble it to clean the lube and any leftover brass chips out of the brass.

In the second pass, I prime on press and depending on the powder used for the load/bullet used, select one of the following powder measures: a Dillon powder measure, a Hornady LnL powder measure, an RCBS Uniflow powder measure or a Lee Pro Auto Disk. In all cases, I use a case activated powder drop on the press to automate the powder drop. After powder, I seat the bullet using a Redding micrometer seating die. If I had it to do over, I would use a Forster micrometer seating die.

This combination has proved to be fast, efficient and load very accurate ammo.