Dies for 300 blackout

[asmith80]

So I've been enjoying loading cast for my rifles, and I've been getting some really good results with my m1 garand and k31. I'm putting together an ar15 in 300 blackout and want to get my press ready for it.

I've been reading about loading for the 300 and I think I have figured out what I need in order to do it the way I want, I just wanted to run things by anybody with some more experience to make sure I wasn't forgetting something.

I have a Lee classic turret press and I want to be able to do all the reloading operations from that press, rather than split some up between the turret and a single stage.

I'm planning on getting the RCBS AR series 2-die set for sizing and seating/crimping, and a .357 magnum PTX die with a 30 carbine expander plug so I can expand and charge on the turret. This will leave me one station on the turret free.

With this combination do I really need a separate crimp die? I know a lot of people like the Lee FCD, but my experience using it with 9mm was not super positive, so I'm a little leery of that. Does the RCBS seater/crimper do a good enough job that I don't need to worry about it?

[guywitha3006]

I would say you should be fine with crimping and seating at the same time of you use a light crimp. Just crimp enough to take any bell out. It has been a few months since I last loaded 300 BO the loads I run in my 10" SBR has the mouth even or nearly even with the rest of the neck. I have found adequate neck tension works well it's fairly low recouping so bullet set back shouldn't be an issue.

On a side note if you are going to shoot cast the factory ptx may leave your necks to tight. You may have add a different expanded to your routine.

[Handloader109]

I'm cheap, I went with Lee set and initially used my Lee ss press to develop load and get the setting down. Had a dickens of a time with initial cast. But main issue was brass a few thousandths long and about 3 thousands large in diameter at neck loaded. Using my own converted cases. Ended up using crimp die. And sized bullets down to. 309. I've moved to progressive and still use crimp in last station. Do need to bell for cast. The Dillon powder feeder does this.. Once right, with great. BTW, get cfe blackout for powder cycles gun much more reliably than H110

[asmith80]

I would say you should be fine with crimping and seating at the same time of you use a light crimp. Just crimp enough to take any bell out. It has been a few months since I last loaded 300 BO the loads I run in my 10" SBR has the mouth even or nearly even with the rest of the neck. I have found adequate neck tension works well it's fairly low recouping so bullet set back shouldn't be an issue.

On a side note if you are going to shoot cast the factory ptx may leave your necks to tight. You may have add a different expanded to your routine.

Good to know. If the RCBS die is good for crimping, then I'll have enough space I could add, say, an M die to expand and then charge with a Lee rifle charging die. That may be a little more consistent.

Good to know about CFE blackout. There's a gun show after Christmas around here, I'll have to keep an eye out for some

[skeet1]

I use Lee 300 Blackout dies and couldn't be happier. I also use a Lee 32-20 powder through the die expander die. and it works out fine because I use .311 cast bullets. All I had to do is drill out the base of the die with the right size drill so the case would fit. I have heard that the Lee .30 carbine powder through the die works well also for smaller diameter bullets, I don't know.

Ken

[Texas by God]

+ one on the Lee dies

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[Omega]

Started with Lee dies, had to work them a bit when initially forming them, but reloading was no issues. I have since got some used hornady dies which form them better, but the Lee dies work just fine. The Sheridan cutout gauge is great for the initial forming, makes die adjustments a breeze.

[popper]

Lee die and FCD work fine for me, maybe just my set. Biggest problem is expanded neck dia. Even for factory stuff. All three uppers have the same problem so I neck turn.

[jimb16]

I use the Lee set too without any problems. I definitely need to crimp the case mouth with my barrel or I have feeding problems. The Lee FCD does the job very well.

[Boolit_Head]

There was a surprising thread over on 300 blackout forum showing that full length sizing left the neck slightly off. The Lee colet die seemed to correct this after full length sizing. I think the factory crimp die showed a improvement as well.

http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/view...f=128&t=101096

Makes for some interesting reading.

[Motor]

First thing that needs addressed is the FCD. The 300 BO FCD will be a collet type. You can not compare this FCD to the one you used for 9mm. It's a completely different animal.

Second. Why AR series dies? You don't need small base dies which the AR series is. Using small base dies when they are not needed will lead to shortened case life.

Like already seen in this thread some people had good luck with Lee 300 BO dies some not so much. I bought Hornady 300 BO dies and they are working well with both factory and my converted brass. I started seating and crimping in one step with the Hornady die (I've been seating and crimping all my pistol ammo for over 30 years, seems like taboo to many these days) but since added the Lee collet FCD to my set.

My vision of the perfect set up would be full length standard size die, Lyman "M" die, standard seat die, Lee collet FCD.

I'm currently using the Lee 160gr 2R TL with powder coating. I'm shooting them sub-sonic with a load that does not cycle the action but was never intended to. I use this bullet in many different 30 and 30ish caliber rifles and have no doubt with gas check and powder coating it could handle anything the 300 BO could do.

Motor

[asmith80]

From what I've read, it seems there can be chambering problems in ARs when using the Lee dies. I'm not too concerned with case longevity, but I do want things to be as reliable as I can get them.

It sounds like you're charging the cases off press. I do that with my bolt guns that I load for, but with the AR I'd like to be able to do everything on the press so I can crank them out a little faster. Not really concerned with match-level ammo, just some fun stuff for the range.

Are you shooting that Lee 160gr without the gas check? Any problems with accuracy?

[Motor]

I do shoot the Lee 160gr 2R TL without the gas check for sub-sonic use. We shoot a 8" diameter steel swinger at 50 yards. Accuracy is good enough to insure that a proper hold will result in a hit.

In the 300 BO I'm using 4 or 4.5gr of Bullseye (I'm not at my loading bench right now). I honestly never tried them super sonic without the gas checks. From my experience with .223 and pistol calibers I don't have any doubt that you could shoot them with normal super sonic loads in the BO powder coated without a gas check and they would work fine but I don't know how accurate they would be.

I have a M39 Finn Mosin Nagant that shoots the 160gr 2R TL with gas check at around 1700fps (again I'm not where I can see my notes) and accuracy is 1" at 50 yards. I never really perused super sonic loads much because I was more interested in the sub sonic plinking ammo.

There may very well be better boolits than the Lee 160gr but I use it in several calibers including 30-30 Win for which I made a special trim die to flat point the nose and haven't found anything yet that it won't shoot well from.

With its pointed nose I think it makes a good BO boolit. They make one similar that is a little lighter that gets good reviews too. Of course if you want reliable sub sonic loads that will function the action you'll need to go with a heavier bullet just like with jacketed.

Motor

[popper]

I have the AR die for 308, just sizes down at the case head. I've heard the X die works better. BO brass isn't hard like 308 so I don't think anything special is needed. I also have and USE the case gauge for BO. You can set your size die for 'effective' correct head space. I shoot a PB cast pretty fast from mine, no problem but a hard alloy is needed (near MOA @ 100 and 2100 fps). I've not had bent necks with the Lee sizer and FCD. I size to 3089 and have to turn necks but I had an upper that would take 310, so a larger expander (M) worked. Actually I removed the decapping pin from the Lee die.

[Moonie]

From what I've read, it seems there can be chambering problems in ARs when using the Lee dies. I'm not too concerned with case longevity, but I do want things to be as reliable as I can get them.

It sounds like you're charging the cases off press. I do that with my bolt guns that I load for, but with the AR I'd like to be able to do everything on the press so I can crank them out a little faster. Not really concerned with match-level ammo, just some fun stuff for the range.

Are you shooting that Lee 160gr without the gas check? Any problems with accuracy?

I load heavy subsonic powder coated cast in 300 BO on a progressive press using Lee dies and the only time I have chambering issues is with converted brass with thick necks and cast/powder coated boolits sized to .311. I now neck turn all converted brass. This only happens with 1 of our 4 300 BO firearms, my AR. Once the necks are the proper thickness I have no issues with chambering using ammo created with my Lee dies.

[Boolit_Head]

There is a list of good versus bad brass floating around. If you use brass off the good list you would not have to neck turn.

[Rick R]

100% happy using RCBS AR dies in a 16” carbine and 8.5” pistol both unsuppressed. I use both factory and converted 5.56 brass. The only boolits I’ve shot were from an NOE 247gr mold and they were a hoot, not much louder than .22lr out of the 16” gun. I used a Lee universal die to bell them. I’ve used a bunch of j-word bullets in both guns. Took last years buck with a 125gr SST @ 75 yards.
All the bullets and boolits had proper cannelures or crimp grooves so the RCBS die worked splendidly.
The 300blk is a fun little cartridge.

[Boolit_Head]

The NOE seating stem in the Lee universal die is a great addition.

I've switch ed to full length sizing and decapping in a Hornady die, then neck sizing in a Lee Colet die to sort out neck issues, expanding with the NOE seating plug, seating the bullet in a Hornady or Lee seater, and crimping lightly with the Lee Factory Crimp die. Trying to get to the range to test them out in my SBR.