300 aac

[Motor]

Looking at building a 300 AAC for cast boolit shooting.

What I'm looking for here are reloading die suggestions. What brand do you guys like and why?

Thanks, Motor

[warf73]

When I get to that part of my 300aac build, I'll be buying either Dillon or Hornady die sets. As for the why because I like them both, not saying RCBS or Lee or anyone else makes a worse die set just my preferance.

[joesig]

I bleed RCBS green. Great products and even better customer service.

For use in a Dillon press I would prefer the use of Dillon's dies but would have a hard time with the carbide die cost (The only option I saw on their website.) so I'd make RCBS work. Admittedly RCBS is less than ideal.

Were you going to use in a bolt or gas gun? I like RCBS Gold Medal dies with the carbide neck sizer for bolt/single shot firearms. You may have to mix and match from a .221 Fireball to do that. The 300 AAC dies are a heck of a lot cheaper than the 30-221 that I purchased!

[dudel]

Hornady
1). Inline seater
2) zip spindle
3) headed decapping pin
4) company customer service
5) free box of bullets
6) quality and finish
7) price/value

[BK7saum]

I went with Forster due to the least amount of brass overworking.

[jmorris]

If your making you own cases the GSI trim dies are nice and quick. I have been using Lee dies to load with though.

[steelworker]

If you are going to be shooting out of an AR or other semi auto, then I'd reccomend the RCBS small base dies. I have them and the work great. Even if you are shooting a single shot or bolt gun, I'd still consider the small base dies because maybe a semi is in your future.

[Smoke4320]

My order of preference for blackout
RCBS, Hornady, Lee
RCBS small base for autoloaders for sure feeding and assured full lockup if a semi auto hunting rifle

[popper]

I just use the LEE, no problem in my AR, custom barrel. Set comes with the FCD but get Hornady lock rings.

[Elkins45]

If you are shooting cast I strongly recommend against Hornady because of the floating seater. It's just held in by a tiny wire nub, and eventually you will get one with a slightly bumped nose or a lube build up and the sleeve will get ripped out of the bottom of the die when you lower the handle.

Plus, my experience with the zip spindle is that it has two settings: 1) slide up with a slightly tight primer or 2) so tight you crack the decapping pin. I could never fin an in-between.

I own three sets of Hornady dies but only use the older (pre-zip) set, and only with jacketed bullets.

[Motor]

Sorry I should have stated AR platform. Thanks for all of the replies they are all helpful and informative. You guys are great. :)

Motor

[dilly]

Lyman dies have "M" expanders though. Those are pretty nice.

[Brotherbadger]

I'm also building a 300 blackout upper. My choice will either be hornady or Lee. The reason being that those are not only affordable, but I've had lots of good experiences with those brands.

[Jupiter7]

Formed close to 8k with hornady 300dies, shot close to 12k. Never stuck a bullet or ruined seating die. The floating sleeve helps tremendously when loading plain based 250grn long 30cal bullets. I use noe's stepped expander for the Lee universal flare die, as both iterations of the Lyman M die are too long without modification to flare 300aac.

[dudel]

If you are shooting cast I strongly recommend against Hornady because of the floating seater. It's just held in by a tiny wire nub, and eventually you will get one with a slightly bumped nose or a lube build up and the sleeve will get ripped out of the bottom of the die when you lower the handle.

Plus, my experience with the zip spindle is that it has two settings: 1) slide up with a slightly tight primer or 2) so tight you crack the decapping pin. I could never fin an in-between.

I own three sets of Hornady dies but only use the older (pre-zip) set, and only with jacketed bullets.

The wire "nub" is designed to let you pull and clean the stem without changing the aadjustment. I've loaded with the wire nub for 30 years and the stem pull loose. There nothing there to grip the projectile. Sounds like you're describing the Lee decamping collet. It's smooth , and will slip if loose, and has to be cranked down
: The Hornady spindle is lightly threaded. Mine work just fine finger tight. Loosen them a bit, and thread the decipher rod up and down to get it exactly where you want it, then finger tight. It will still slip on a Berdan case.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I suggest you think outside the box. I used to select a single brand's dies. Now, I buy dies, used if I can find them, to fit my application and what I'm doing with the cartridge. For practice and fun fodder, I use Lee dies because they work well, are easy to adjust and very affordable. For more custom, finer tuned cartridges where I'm loading progressively and wanting excellent accuracy, I tend to mix my dies and methods. Here's an example:

For rifle cartridges loaded on a progressive where accuracy is paramount, I start by tuning/modifying the press to insure the shellplate is "locked down" or pressed flat on all sides, regardless of how many dies I have in the press. To do this, I drill holes around in the die plate, tap the holes, and put a set screw long enough to pin the shell plate during brass forming operations.

After that's done, I install the dies for sizing/lubing:
1. RCBS lube die in the station for decapping. It lubes the brass for case sizing and deprimes the case.
2. Dillon/CH4D size/trim die in a station far enough away from the lube die to clear the Dillon trimmer motor, which is attached to this die. (Note: I use the smallest shop vac from Lowe's to vacuum off the chips during sizing/trimming.)

I process my brass through this setup and check it with a Dillon case gauge after it's tumbled clean of the lube and any left over brass shavings. I spot check using modern quality assurance methodology where if I find a bad one, I increase checking to all cases to determine if it's a fluke or if I have a problem. Once the brass is checked, I place it in a plastic shoe box w/lid (from Big Lots, a buck each) until I'm ready to load it.

Note: If I have brass that has been crimped, I remove the crimp at this time and retumble to prevent finger prints on brass during storage.

When I'm ready to reload, I do the following:

1. Prime the case
2. Add powder with either a Lee, RCBS, Dillon or Hornady case activated powder drop system.
3. If I was willing to pay the price, I would add a bullet feeder & collator to my current set up. I do have Hornady bullet feed dies for pistol, but nothing for rifle. I'm working on changing that now and will be building a bullet collator soon.
4. I seat with a Forster seating die. I previously owned a Redding seater die, but found the Forster has larger numbers on the scale, is easier to see and does not have the Redding problem with breakage when seating .223 with a compressed load.
5. If the cartridge is for a semi-automatic for the field, I lightly crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp die at the end. I would not use the crimp die in competition cartridges.

Note: If I were seating cast boolits, I would prep the brass the same way. I would not use the Forster die. Instead, I would use a Lee, Hornady or other seating die more appropriate for cast boolits.

Just some things to think about. I'm guessing if it's an AR and it's 300 AAC, you're wanting to hunt with it at fairly short ranges. My approach would likely be cast boolits with a fairly soft lead, powder coated or similar process to run through a bullet feeder easily, then seat with a good seater, possibly crimp with a Lee Factory Crimp Die (the rifle ones are a collet die and are excellent, I've found I only need a minimal crimp to affect good feeding in a semi-automatic. Can't say for an automatic, I don't own one.

[jmorris]

To do this, I drill holes around in the die plate, tap the holes, and put a set screw long enough to pin the shell plate during brass forming operations.


Do you have photos of this and what press are you using?


I made this contraption to rough cut to length.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNXz97yWp2w

Then run them through a 650 with a Lee die in #1 and using the GSI tool head a GSI size/trim die in #4 (left).

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMG_20141231_101016_603-1_zps04d5d37a.jpg

[Maximumbob54]

I'm using Lee's .300BLK dies with a .30 Luger die to expand the case mouth and drop powder. Won't say it's the best but will say it's worked for me.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

jmorris,


Do you have photos of this and what press are you using?
I don't and right now I'm in a big project to set up a Lee Loadmaster to trim rifle brass w/case feed, so I'll have opportunity to take pics when I modify the turrents, but in the meanwhile here's a couple links where I got the idea:

http://mikesreloadingbench.com/mikes%20reloading%20bench_011.htm
http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1333 http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1230
With the information learned in the above lengths, you can take any press that utilizes a turret/die plate/tool head and modify it to fix it in place and have set screws mounted in the turret/die plate/tool head to "pin/press" the shell plate down evenly each time the press ram is raised to full height. For presses using LnL bushings, you could simply install the set screws through the press to do so.

Once the turret/die plate/tool head is fixed in place and the shell plate is pressed down evenly, you've eliminated the vast majority of problems related to tilted brass. Eliminating the tilt eliminates most problems with canted trimmed brass, inconsistent cartridge over all length and adjustment of dies affects the adjustment of other dies much less. Your progressive then acts much more like a single stage.


I made this contraption to rough cut to length.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNXz97yWp2w

That would be real handy for making .300 blackout.

Then run them through a 650 with a Lee die in #1 and using the GSI tool head a GSI size/trim die in #4 (left).
I'm not familiar with the GSI products, but then, they only offer product for Dillon machines. I really like the die plate with the vacuum set up. Eliminates the need for the cheap nasty plastic Dillon vacuum collar. Wish they made product for other brands.
http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMG_20141231_101016_603-1_zps04d5d37a.jpg

[jmorris]

I was curious because it would be quite difficult to drill and tap a Dillon shell plate, FWIW the 550 she'll plate could wobble all it wants and not have any effect on tilt as it is only there to pull cases from the dies, he case heads sit on the ram directly not "in" a shell plate.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I was curious because it would be quite difficult to drill and tap a Dillon shell plate, FWIW the 550 she'll plate could wobble all it wants and not have any effect on tilt as it is only there to pull cases from the dies, he case heads sit on the ram directly not "in" a shell plate.

J, I don't drill and tape the shell plate. I drill and tap the turret/die plate/tool head. I don't own any Dillons any more and it's been so long since I had a 550, I've gotten to where I don't remember much about it.