williamwaco
08-03-2014, 04:38 PM
I shoot for accuracy and virtually all my shooting is in accuracy experiments.
The past couple of years I have not been satisfied with my .38 Special loads and can't find a combination that
works like I expect.
I "bought the sales pitch" of RCBS and succumbed to the purchase of a set of the Cowboy dies because they are:
"Built to slightly different dimensions than the regular RCBS dies to allow optimum sizing, expanding, seating and crimping needed to load great lead bullet ammo."
They also cost 21 percent more than the regular dies.
The first thing I noticed was that I didn't notice any difference.
I removed the expander plug and miked it and sure enough it was larger.
The Regular expander measured .3552 to .3554.
The cowboy expander measured .3561 to .3562.
Using the max diameters, the cowboy expander is larger by 0.0008.
Now for the sizing die.
Inside diameters are not easily measurable with the tools available to the average reloader so I opted to
bypass the inside measurement and slug the die just like slugging a barrel.
The regular resizer slugged .3716 to .3719
The cowboy die slugged .3718 to .3725
I do not consider that "different".
SO: What is the result. After carefully measurement of 24 once fired cases
Before sizing
After sizing
After expansion
With both die sets.
The cowboy dies produce a case that has a slightly larger inside neck diameter before seating the bullet.
Inside Neck Diameter ( Average )
Of cases processed with the regular dies 0.3554
Of cases processed with the Cowboy dies 0.3557
Not surprisingly, testing indicated no difference in the accuracy of the loaded ammo.
Anybody want to buy a (Nearly) brand new set of Cowboy .38/357 Dies?
The past couple of years I have not been satisfied with my .38 Special loads and can't find a combination that
works like I expect.
I "bought the sales pitch" of RCBS and succumbed to the purchase of a set of the Cowboy dies because they are:
"Built to slightly different dimensions than the regular RCBS dies to allow optimum sizing, expanding, seating and crimping needed to load great lead bullet ammo."
They also cost 21 percent more than the regular dies.
The first thing I noticed was that I didn't notice any difference.
I removed the expander plug and miked it and sure enough it was larger.
The Regular expander measured .3552 to .3554.
The cowboy expander measured .3561 to .3562.
Using the max diameters, the cowboy expander is larger by 0.0008.
Now for the sizing die.
Inside diameters are not easily measurable with the tools available to the average reloader so I opted to
bypass the inside measurement and slug the die just like slugging a barrel.
The regular resizer slugged .3716 to .3719
The cowboy die slugged .3718 to .3725
I do not consider that "different".
SO: What is the result. After carefully measurement of 24 once fired cases
Before sizing
After sizing
After expansion
With both die sets.
The cowboy dies produce a case that has a slightly larger inside neck diameter before seating the bullet.
Inside Neck Diameter ( Average )
Of cases processed with the regular dies 0.3554
Of cases processed with the Cowboy dies 0.3557
Not surprisingly, testing indicated no difference in the accuracy of the loaded ammo.
Anybody want to buy a (Nearly) brand new set of Cowboy .38/357 Dies?