I'm done with Hornady dies

[Elkins45]

No more Hornady dies for me, or at least not until they change the design. There are a couple of issues that I'm tired of dealing with.

1. The new zip spindle for the decapper rod seems to only have two settings: slip as soon as the pin touches the primer or stay in place so tenaciously that the decapper pin snaps and the threaded part of the rod bends inside the expander ball. There doesn't seem to be any sort of middle ground where it behaves the way it is supposed to. I was making some 35 Whelen brass for 30-06 and accidentally mixed in a couple of berdan cases. Crunch! Broken pin and bent rod. Thanks zip spindle for not zipping. The 300 blackout is exactly the opposite-military brass with crimped primers pop the rod frequently unless it's cranked down so hard that you get the crunch.

2. The sliding bullet alignment sleeve on the seater is great...until there's a neck that's just a smidgen too thick or there's a little lube build up. When that happens the finished round yanks the sleeve out of the die bottom past the tiny little wire clip end holding it in place.

3. In the case of the 300 blackout seater it just barely screws into the press with a couple of threads engaged before the case shoulder smashes into the seater at the top on the stroke.

My 257 Wby dies are Hornady from 20+ years ago and they work great, but I've never shot cast in 257 and they don't have the zip spindle decapper. I will continue to use them but I have replaced my 300 blackout and 35 Whelen dies with Lee and I already like them better.

Sorry Hornady, I love your bullets but your dies just don't do it for me.

[Ben]

I'm no fan of Hornady dies either. Looks like that is 2 of us now.

Ben

[Cmm_3940]

I've never bought a Hornady die set, and probably never will after reading this. Too many other excellent die brands out there.

[Ben]

Lay out a set of Hornady dies and RCBS and watch what I grab.

Ben

[Guesser]

I've got old and new Hornady/Pacific die sets. I like the new style floating seat so well that I bought several and added them to my other brands of dies. I have never experienced any of the problems described here.

[GhostHawk]

Way way back in the dark ages, before I was married, RCBS was the stuff for dies.

Fast forward 18 years, need new dies to match new rifles, and its LEE all the way.

Low cost, yet they work great.

Only place I went back to RCBS was for hand priming tool. Theirs had much fewer complaints and gripes.
I've put about 100 primers through it now and it just works.

Everything else though is lee and will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Tools that actually work for reasonable prices.

[bruce drake]

My 6.5 Creedmoor die set is made by Hornady. As soon as I can find a reasonably priced die set from another manufacturer, this set is history.

[Love Life]

I too am unimpressed with Hornady dies. I have seen several sets here have issues. A match made in hell is using Hornady 1Shot with Hornady dies. Hehehe.

I have found that Lee dies hang with most higher end dies, and more "load issues" are induced by the reloader than the equipment.

[Bonz]

I bought Hornady dies for every pistol caliber that I reload. After using just the 45acp dies, I decided to sell all of them.

[onomrbil]

I bought one Hornady die. You couldn't load a straight round with now matter how hard you tried. I called TS and sent new internals for the seater but the results were the same. The dealer wouldn't take it back and I ended up putting it in a yard sale. Lesson learned.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Hate that decapping rod!

[BruceB]

Maybe it's just that some of we "older gents" get set in our ways, but the way I see it is that RCBS has earned my respect (and hence my loyalty) ever since I bought my first set of their dies in 1966.

I have tried other makes; a few examples:

-A set of Hornady dies (no longer with me, replaced with RCBS);

- A set of Lee .45-70 dies, given to me in new condition, but since replaced with a set of RCBS in the same caliber;

-A set of Dillon .30-06 dies, bought because of the gentler entry-angle of the sizer for the progressive press.... the RCBS '06 dies are also still in use here. Similar reasoning brought me Dillon .357 and .44 Magnum dies, as well as those for .45 ACP. Again the original RCBS sets still work fine on my non-progressive presses.

-Redding .338 dies, still working perfectly... more expensive than the RCBS equivalent.

This past week, I had occasion to order some new bits for my re-located loading shop. I called RCBS..... the new items will join about forty-odd other green boxes on my shelves, plus at least eight bullet moulds from the same source.

Contrary to Ghosthawk's posting above, I find that the Lee dies do NOT work....or, at least not as well as I've come to expect from other sources (not Hornady!)

Different folks, different strokes...

[Love Life]

Did you say 1966? My word!!

[r1kk1]

I have several Hornady dies for wildcats and they work very well. I also have all the others but lean towards RCBS and CH4D for obsolete and wildcats. I don't have any Lee die sets. I do have a couple of Lyman's. I really like Redding seaters as well as Wilson.

Take care

r1kk1

[rockrat]

Gave up on Hornady dies when I bought a set for my 405win. After crumpling case mouths on the seater dies and throwing away new cases, I dumped the dies and bought a set of RCBS dies.

[MT Chambers]

Redding
Forster
Ch4d
RCBS
Lyman
There are no others

[BruceB]

Did you say 1966? My word!!

Yeah.... I only LOOK like a fit, fast-track thirty-year-old.

[Artful]

Yeah.... I only LOOK like a fit, fast-track thirty-year-old.

:holysheep

1973 it says on my first RCBS dies

[freebullet]

Call Hornady! They've sent me plenty of replacement parts on their dime. I've messed up lots of dies along the way. Hornady has always taken care of me.

When you set the zip spindle it should be set finger tight, but you must be able to loosen it with your fingers as well.

Sometimes when we are frustrated we get the hammer mentality, been there done that. Slow down you'll figure it out, or buy all new dies lol.

[triggerhappy243]

i only buy products with lifetime no questions warranties. I buy the best i can afford.... and if i have to wait to afford the best.... so be it.

[Bayou52]

It's RCBS and Redding for me.....

[Elkins45]

I think RCBS makes quality stuff, but my default now is to buy Lee dies if they are available. The dies I'm using now are split about 70/30 Lee/RCBS, with one set of Lymans and one Hornady (the aforementioned 257 WBY). The other sets of Hornady I own were bought because Lee/RCBS/Lyman wasn't in stock when I needed them. My new default is to buy Lyman 3 die sets for any new straight walled cases because you get the excellent M die much cheaper that way.

I love the quality of the RCBS dies but there are things about the Lee design I like better: the collet decapper with a tapered expander is easier on brass than the shape of the RCBS button and it won't break the pin if you have a plugged flash hole or berdan case. I also like the sliding seater stem and the finger adjustment of the Lee bullet seater as compared to the 'old school' screwdriver and lock ring seating depth setting of the RCBS.

Granted, it's probably not a real difference in terms of ammunition quality, just a perception thing.


When you set the zip spindle it should be set finger tight, but you must be able to loosen it with your fingers as well.

Yes, I realize that's how it is supposed to work. My point is that it doesn't work that way for 100% of my sample.

[GhostHawk]

Bruce I'm not running a progressive either. Single stage, mostly all done with a lee hand press. Lets me relax and tinker away at it.

Different strokes for different folks.

[Beagle333]

I love my Hornady New Dimension dies, but I only have them in calibers for straight walled cases. The alignment sleeve guarantees a perfectly straight seated boolit every time. :cool:

[yooper]

I'm RCBS all the way except for one set - Hollywood dies for my pre-64 Model 70 .270. Gotta stay correct period for that one. Seeing as how I'm loading on an RCBS A2 it only seemed right. :)
yooper

[youngmman]

I've replaced all my dies with Redding and have had no issues or regrets whatever.

[richhodg66]

A guy can't go wrong with RCBS anything.

I hate reading this as I got a set of Hornady .22-250 dies I haven't used yet, been one of those when I get around to that project kind of things. I may have to find some other dies.

I have truthfully found most sets of dies work well and have a lot of different kinds. I have a few sets of the old Pacific Durachrome ones and probably like those the best. While I like Lee pistol dies, I really don't care for their rifle dies, that depriming stem system they use has always seemed problematic and I've been gradually replacing the Lee rifle dies I have. Seems like every product Lee makes I either love or hate, a lot of their stuff is the best, most innovative around and inexpensive as well, but a lot of it is cheap and low quality and doesn't work very well.

[badbob454]

i got a hornady die set for my 9mm makarov , works exellent , never a jamb or misfeed , i also got a free box of bullets with a purchase ,... im happy. sorry you are having trouble ...

[dudel]

No problem at all with my Hornady dies. They are my preferred brand. The zip spindle, inline seater, TiN sizers, die finish, quality control and warranty are the reasons I'll keep buying them. I've replaced RCBS dies with Hornady.

[DeanWinchester]

Loathe and despise their 9mm dies. I've had nothing but troubles from them. Bought a Lee set and haven't been happier.

[Guardian]

I'm in the "like" camp. I have a few RCBS, Lyman, and LEE sets and one Whidden Gun Works (WGW) set; but most of my dies are Hornady.

I prefer the sleeve on the bullet seat die. I've galled a few bottleneck case necks with them, but it was always my fault for not having the case fully in the shell holder. The WGW sleeve is nicer than the Hornady, but I don't know that it's 4 times the price nicer. I like the sleeve keeping the bullet aligned and allowing me to get my fingers out of the way earlier in the press stroke, as it seems to take forever for left hand to convince brain that right hand is the cause of left hand's discomfort!

Given the RCBS dies use a screw-in decapping rod, how does the OP think the decapping pin on an RCBS die would have fared against the berdan cases? I believe the same result would have occurred.

I acquired the LEE dies through marriage. The only set that wasn't a duplicate was 260 REM, which I've since replaced with the WGW. The LEE dies work, but the decapping stem on them is a PITA to get tight enough to prevent slippage.

Regarding tightening of the zip spindle, there's hex flats machined on the collet for a reason. Per Hornady's instructions:


(NOTE: The new Zip Spindle is lightly threaded to provide a positive no-slip lock. In its free state, the Zip Spindle can be pulled up and down to make quick adjustments, or can be threaded for more precise adjustments.)


3. Make sure the threads on the spindle and collet are engaged and tighten the spindle lock until the spindle no longer rotates.

I've had issues in the past with both Lyman and RCBS dies producing inconsistent case head to ogive lengths because the seating stems contact the polymer tips of bullets equipped with such rather than the ogive. That's what originally got me over to Hornady. Obviously, this isn't an issue when using bullets of other design.

One issue I've had with the Hornady dies that is recurring is the seating stem not dropping with the sleeve. This issue is alleviated in the WGW dies with a spring. I think Forster uses the same on their benchrest seater line of dies, though I've not used them. When the issue occurs on the Hornady dies, it's apparent something isn't right and bumping the sleeve upward a couple times with the index finger resolves the problem. It's usually a sign that the die needs to be cleaned.

[Maximumbob54]

I bought a set of Hornady New Dimention dies in .45 ACP and .223 and not knowing any better also added a can of One Shot to the same order. Well that was my first ever .223 stuck case. And second. And third. And at some point I flung that sizer into the woods behind the house. That was replaced with a Lee die. It worked (with Imperial case sizing wax) until the crimped primer pockets just got too annoying with shoving the decapper into the air. I just could not tighten the collet enough. Then I bought the regular RCBS die (not the X or the SB version) and that is now my dedicated .223 sizing die. The .45 ACP die set. First off I don't know who thought that TiNi coating was a good idea. With perfectly clean bright gold shiny cases that thing drags across the brass like old steel dies. Have to agree 100% on the Zip Spindle issue. That thing would pop up for no good reason over and over and I couldn't set it enough and then suddenly the pin would break. I had to lube the cases as I think my arm was wearing out. Then the bullet seater. I will just stop as I don't think I can talk about that thing without cussing. Those dies are now boxed up on the shelf to remind me NEVER again to try another set. And the rub is I love pretty much everything else Hornady makes. Those were replaced with Lee dies and they are so much easier to set and have never given me issue. I now buy Lee dies for everything unless I require something special and then I go to RCBS. I don't like the round nose seating stem that Lee swears by so a RCBS with flat nosed stem is in use for certain bullets. The only issue I have with Lee dies is on the Hornady LNL AP there is hardly enough die body length to function. They can be made to work though. The only Redding dies I own are for the .338 Win Mag and while I do think they are nice they do nothing more for me that a set of RCBS dies wouldn't do built fairly identical and the Lee .300 Win Mag dies have loaded plenty enough accurate ammo to take an elk at over 400 yards. And the RCBS sizing die is the only die I've ever crushed a case. They have only enough beveled edge to have the case near perfectly lined up or it's crunch time. Never crushed a case yet with a Lee die. It's too bad about the New Dimention dies though as they look well made and have plenty of adjustment.

[DR Owl Creek]

I have 17 sets of Hornady dies and I've NEVER experienced the problems described above. The only Hornady die I've had a problem with was a 45 ACP titanium nitride die that started scratching the sides of the cases. Hornady replaced that one for FREE.

Hornady has a life-time warranty on their dies. If you think there's a real problem, give them a call. They will take care of it.

Dave

[Doc_Stihl]

I like hornady dies. I like RCBS dies. I like Lee dies. I like Redding dies.

I don't like chrome plated dies. Lyman, CH4d, others made chrome plated. I won't use em.

Hornady dies employ different mechanical functions than RCBS and others. RCBS are the simplest to use in my mind. They're foolproof. Others can take some understanding and practice.

[MtGun44]

Hornady are my favorite brand of dies by far.

Bill

[BruceB]

........ also added a can of One Shot to the same order. Well that was my first ever .223 stuck case. And second. And third........t.

Yes, indeed.

For over thirty years, I'd handloaded without ever sticking a case in a sizing die. Then, since I was using a Dillon 550, I thought that the spray lube might offer an easy increase in production speed, and bought a can.

Within a matter of DAYS using the Hornady lube, I'd stuck several cases in sizing dies. The virginal RCBS stuck-case extractor was put to its first use in the many years it had spent on my bench as "insurance".

These days I use Midway's Frankford Arsenal case lube in the spray-pump bottle. A bottle lasts for many thousands of rounds, and the stuff simply works perfectly.

[Maximumbob54]

I had no idea Lyman dies are chrome plated. I may have to try a set. I don't care for the upkeep of trying to not have all my dies rusting in the Florida humidity. Even in the A/C raw steel will rust before your eyes. I've taken to wiping dies down with Eezox and that's helped.

[brody]

I don't like chrome plated dies. Lyman, CH4d, others made chrome plated. I won't use em.



What is it you don't like about chrome plated dies? I was just about to pull the trigger on some Lyman ones.

[Elkins45]

Given the RCBS dies use a screw-in decapping rod, how does the OP think the decapping pin on an RCBS die would have fared against the berdan cases?

The OP knows the same thing would have happened, which is why he replaced them with Lee dies and not RCBS.

[blaser.306]

I myself started off with mainly Hornady dies, Then as I began shooting more and more boolits as oposed to the redskins I found that while the sliding sleve was nice it also became a hinderance with a slightly fatter slugs were getting squezed down to an undersize condition. The upside to all of this is the collar can be polished out and or changed to an appropriate size. For the most part I have changed all of my die sets over to Redding. Now to all those on the anti "H" band wagon. I am in need of a new dimention seater die in 45 ACP! So before you do anything rash, I would like to hear from you!

[Blacktail 8541]

I have both RCBS and a few Redding die sets. Being as I live in Oroville CA were RCBS is located, I tend to buy RCBS. Have a problem, walk in and get it taken care of. But I rarely need to do that. Most any issue is usally user induced.:-P
But I really like the Redding competition seaters.

[Guardian]

The OP knows the same thing would have happened, which is why he replaced them with Lee dies and not RCBS.

Noted.

[Iowa Fox]

I've pretty much tried them all. I won't knock anyones product but some sure work better than others. I like Redding for bottle neck cases and Lyman for straight wall cases. What I really like about the Lyman dies is that if you are a cast bullet shooter and shoot bullets with goofy nose shapes you can get seating stems to match- 429303-358009-287377-ect.

[timtonya]

I like the spring loaded depriming die by Dillon. I use Redding dies for rifles.

[Smoke4320]

most all my wildcats or non traditional calibers are either old pacific or redding.. Std calibers are RCBS
Cabinet contains 1 hornady and 2 lee die sets (lee's get the lock rings changed) and 3 dillons I have never used..
If I can get it in RCBS I will .. they have never let me down .. and the occasional broken decapping pin would have been my fault and easily changed a pack of 10 spares is dirt cheap..

[w0fms]

Most of my dies (except for some RCBS I've added) were inherited from my dad, all RCBS and Redding. Honestly, I don't like the Reddings that much and plan on replacing them with RCBS or even Lee. RCBS are quite a bit more substantial but I've had good luck with Lee FCD's and the Universal decapper so I'd consider it.

But that's probably personal opinion.. for the price difference I'd always buy the RCBS.

I literally HATE the Redding .223 Remington set, tho...

[robg]

started with lyman now all lee

[smokeywolf]

Don't have any Hornady. Hollywood Gun Shop, Pacific and CH, all from the 1940s and '50s. Redding from more recent years.

smokeywolf

[tja6435]

I had to can a Hornady seating die for .45 Auto. With cast bullets, each and everytime, it would slice off just a little, on one side only, some alloy and leave a small divot. I couldn't adjust it out, picked up a RCBS seater and problem gone

[TXGunNut]

My only set of Hornady dies is a New Dementia set in 45-70. I wish I'd waited for an RCBS set. Been using One Shot case lube for years, works great for me. I even use One Shot products for gun and case cleaning. Different strokes, I guess.

[engineer401]

Loathe and despise their 9mm dies. I've had nothing but troubles from them. Bought a Lee set and haven't been happier.

I'm the opposite. I've had great luck with the 9mm dies. I sold all my Lee dies. Go figure.

[gunoil]

Had bad luck with hornaday too.

[DR Owl Creek]

I must be living in some kind of alternate universe. The only brand I've ever had a problem with has been Lee, either defective or out of spec right out of the box, or wore out/broke soon after. I got so fed up with everything I had from Lee, I got rid of everything with the Lee name on it, including the manual. Since I replaced everything with Hornady equipment, I couldn't be happier.

Dave

[dudel]

I must be living in some kind of alternate universe. The only brand I've ever had a problem with has been Lee, either defective or out of spec right out of the box, or wore out/broke soon after. I got so fed up with everything I had from Lee, I got rid of everything with the Lee name on it, including the manual. Since I replaced everything with Hornady equipment, I couldn't be happier.

Dave

You're not alone. Given a choice between Hornady and Lee, I'll take the Hornady's every day, and twice on Sundays. No problems at all with them. The Lee dies that I have are because the stores were out of stock on the Hornady dies (or there were a special type of die like Lee Collet dies for 22 Hornet). Never my first choice.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I used to be a real hardcore Hornady support, but quit using Hornady much after I had some problems with a press and no warranty service was forthcoming. I wrote the owner of the outfit a letter. The letter I got back from him indicated he didn't care about my problems one way or another. I got rid of most of my Hornady stuff, including dies and replaced it with RCBS/Lee/Dillon/Redding/Forster.

My reloading experience has improved since getting rid of the Hornady equipment. My new progressive is more reliable, my die sets work better (especially those Forster seaters) and I'm enjoying reloading more than I ever did.

I have one set of Hornady dies (old style) in 30.06 and I may get rid of them pretty soon, replacing them with a mix of Lee and Forster.

[enfieldphile]

I have an early Hornady 45/70 set, late 80's production. No problems so far. I also have a early 2000's set of 308 dies. They also work fine.

But I doubt I would buy anymore Hornady equipment. Not bad, ok, but nothing particularily special about them.

[sirgknight]

When I started reloading metallic I was living from paycheck to paycheck so price was the dominant factor in which dies I purchased. Lee were not only cheaper, but they have performed admirably over the years. My first set was for .38/.357 and I haven't looked back since. I know you usually get what you pay for and Lee may be the chevrolet in a cadillac market, but they get me where I want to go.

[EDG]

Older Lyman dies from the late 60s and 70s are plated. Those dies came in the chumpy black paper boxes.
The current orange box dies are not plated.
The problem with plating is - it is not always uniform. Chrome plating is porous so you can have corrosion grow right through the plating. That is what you see on old cars with chrome bumpers.

You might learn to watch your humidity. Under 50% RH steel does not rust very fast.
Below 40% RH rust is very slow and if well cared for there is almost no rust.



I had no idea Lyman dies are chrome plated. I may have to try a set. I don't care for the upkeep of trying to not have all my dies rusting in the Florida humidity. Even in the A/C raw steel will rust before your eyes. I've taken to wiping dies down with Eezox and that's helped.

[detox]

My Hornaday 308 Winchester inline bullet seater is the only seater a have that fits my fatter .311 oversize cast bullets EXACT without resizing, sticking or shaving bullet during seating. My Redding inline competition seater works only with .3085 diameter bullets and smaller.

I really like Hornadays elliptical neck expander that comes with their sizing dies. Hornaday offers the .307 as standard and optional .310 for larger cast bullets.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/274923/hornady-custom-grade-new-dimension-rifle-die-decapping-rod-expander-11-310-diameter

I like all manufacturers. Some tools just work better than others

[remy3424]

First and last set of Hornady dies was a used set in 17 Rem, broke or bend the solid decapping rod, can't remember which. The new decapping rod cost the same as I paid for the entire die set. Do love shooting p-dawgs with their V-Max bullets, cheap, accurate and really ruins a p-dawg's day with any kind of a hit.

[MTtimberline]

I have no experience with Hornady other than their locking rings. I have got rid of all of the little Lee I had and many of the RCBS. I run Redding as much as possible and have no problems. I have found issues with the other companies in one way or another, but not all calibers. It all comes down to personal preference and experience really. All I know is Redding has not let me down like other brands. The RCBS Cowboy dies rank high with me for revolver cartridges too. The Redding usually cost more, but pay once and cry once. YMMV

[Safeshot]

Add me to the list of those that do not favor Hornady Dies. The very old ones were "OK" by me. I am not fond of the "New Dimension" and other later dies from them. My experience with their Customer Service has "not been good". I like most of the other brands, including Lee, RCBS, Herters, Pacific, CH, & Lyman. Safeshot

[2400]

I must be living in some kind of alternate universe. The only brand I've ever had a problem with has been Lee, either defective or out of spec right out of the box, or wore out/broke soon after. I got so fed up with everything I had from Lee, I got rid of everything with the Lee name on it, including the manual. Since I replaced everything with Hornady equipment, I couldn't be happier.

Dave

I kept my Lee manuals but sold or gave away all the other Lee stuff I had. Lee's customer service absolutely sucked to be polite.

I have RCBS, Lyman, Pacific, C&H, Dillon, Hornady and Weatherby dies. I have 2 Dillon and 2 RCBS presses.

[osteodoc08]

I fought loading up 45 app several months ago. bullets and boolits wouldn't have enough tension to stay put and crimpining it to ensure that swayed them down. I finally wised up and took my fathers dillon sizing die....issue gone. The sizing die was out of spec. I wasted lots of primers brass powder and bullets and boolits with that aggravation. Hornady replaced it, but still left a bad taste in my mouth.

The floating bullet seat guide has been hit or miss for me. I've had them yank boolits out from lube build up, I've had them not fit the nose profile well.

Having to do it over again, I'd of went with Dillon instead of my Lock n load, too. I should have listened to my father. I still haven't sent in for my free bullets. Live and learn.

Ive had so many out of spec parts that even their replacement large primer slide wouldn't work. I called for another replacement for the replacement and the tech commented that I sure have called in for a lot of small parts the last few months. I told him I wish I didn't have to....then There was that awkward silent pause.....he then said my replacement would be here in a few days and thanked me for my business. It arrived as promised and it worked but still needed a slight touch with a stone to bring it down another thousandth on the top to bottom height in order to work properly.

[flashhole]

I've been absent from the forum for too long. 4 pages on this subject. I fell into the free bullets with a die purchase trap and bought several sets of Hornady dies. Found Hornady customer service to be **** on several fronts and to make a long story short, I purged my bench of all things Hornady. Felt good when the last die set was shipped, feels even better sharing my bad experience with Hornady that may sway someone away from Hornady when they are looking to purchase ANYTHING for their bench and Hornady's name is in the mix.