What's your favorite brand of reloading dies & why?

[iMigraine]

Tried searching so see of anyone asked this question.

Well, I started out about four years ago with Lee classic cast turret and dies for:
9mm
.357/38
.223 Rem (haven't used them yet)
30/30 Win
.45ACP
7.62x39mm (haven't used them yet)

They seem to work ok but I have no experience with any other brands. I'm thinking down the road if I find a good deal on a used Dillon 550 I'll snatch it up for my pistols.

So with all the brands available:
Hornady
Dillon
Lee
Lyman
Redding
RCBS

What's your favorite to use and why?

[Hickory]

1) Redding
2) RCBS
3) Hornady
In that order.
Judged by quality and performance.

[salpal48]

#1 CH4D VG quality and Personal service
# 2 Lyman Good warrantee
#3 Rcbs good Warrantee

[atr]

RCBS...
excellent dies and GREAT customer support

[44magLeo]

Most of us have preferences in brand and are willing to express these opinions. I doubt any one on here has used every die set of one caliber from every maker, and done an unbiased appraisal. It would be nice if some one could afford to do that and print the results.
My self I have used Redding, Lyman, RCBS, Lee.
I like them all for different reasons. The Redding are very good dies. The 44 mag dies I had are very high quality. Do they work better than others, not really. Some of the most accurate 44 mag loads I have shot were done with an and old set of Lyman 310 dies and handles.
The Lyman are good also and have had good customer service from them. I stuck a 270 case in the die and tried several ways to remove it myself. Had to send it back to Lyman for repair and they just sent me a new die.
RCBS are almost as nice as the Redding. I have several sets of their dies. They all work well. Their Rock Chucker press is hard to beat at their price point.
I use mostly Lee equipment now. Their Challenger press is almost on a par with the Rock Chucker but cost much less. Their dies might not have the hand polish some other brands display on the out side, but on the inside are just fine. A bit coarse bit not a real issue for me.
I have no hands on experience on other brands but have read positive as well as negative reports on most all the brands.
My best advice is to read all you can and make a decision based on what you feel is the most affordable option to you.
A progressive press has advantages for volume loading but has it's disadvantages for small batch loading.
If you want to excel in various forms of target shooting you may find you want top quality equipment designed to maximize accuracy and most average equipment can't always give you that quality of accuracy.
If we are honest with ourselves we can shoot just fine with most any brand of equipment.
Leo

[OS OK]

^...I like this response & feel the same way...BUT...one thing I'd like to mention about RCBS, In the 70's when I bought my dies I was not casting or stuffing brass with lead. Years later after I did cast, I needed larger diameter expanders. I called RCBS to see if they were available. They said sure and ask for a list of calibers I wanted to use...they sent me all those expander screw-in plugs for free.
This year the tab broke off my scale tray, again bought in the 70's...I called to purchase a replacement and again they sent it for free...

Outstanding guarantees...they go a long way to keep me as a loyal customer.

[Shawlerbrook]

RCBS because of customer service and price, Redding, cannot beat the quality and Lee because the FCD makes loading for my leverguns easy .

[Minerat]

Dies are tools for me as long as they do their job. I have all but Dillon but If given only one choice RCBS. The last set was for a Hornady 17 HH because of their seating stem.

[wch]

I like Forster; I think they're the most under rated dies on the market.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have been quite pleased with both RCBS and Redding dies.
Hornady dies in my LNL haven't met my expectations thus far...still working with them, so no final judgement yet.
Don't care much for Lee dies...do not trust the O-ring, in my experience they are not secure. The dies themselves seem to work fine but replacing the O-ring locking rings with rings with a locking screw pretty much negates the cost savings over a set of RCBS dies.
No experience with Lyman or Dillon...yet.

[OS OK]

Something I forgot to mention is that some of the mfgrs. make their dies with a wider tapered opening on their bottoms to accommodate the progressive presses so the 'wiggling cases' don't have head-on crashes as they go into the dies.
This might be standard fodder by now but I remember it being an advertising highlight years ago...

[AZ Pete]

For a single stage press:
Forster
RCBS
Redding
Hornady

That said, I have had equal results with those, Dillon Lyman and Pacific.

The edge goes to Forester for accuracy, but all have been more than satisfactory. When there has been a problem, each manufacturer has been very responsive, however Forster actually asked for samples of brass and the die back to evaluate...which they did and
agreed that run out was out of spec. They then tested a new die, with my brass and returned my brass with the new die and their measurements. Others just send a new die, with no analysis.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jdfoxinc]

The first generation Lee collet neck sizing dies for .223 would close up and crush cases. So for .223 I switched to RCBS. Other than that I'll use those two and Lyman. If I'm going to "mass produce" pistol ammo on my 650 I'll just buy Dillon. Because of case mouth expansion taking place in the powder drop die you have to buy a different die to use Dillon on any other press.

[earlmck]

Lee is the best way to go. a) widely available in many cartridges (unlike Dillon). b) you never break a decapping pin with Lee. c) the decapping/expanding plug is nicely tapered so you can expand case necks from something smaller (as in making 32 spcl out of 30/30's for example) without producing lopsided necks (unlike RCBS, Hornady, Redding). And d) if you stick a case in a Lee you just unscrew the plug that holds the expander rod, get a bite on the rim with your case holder, and use gentle down pressure along with gentle tapping of the expander rod to remove case. No need to ever send a Lee die back to the maker -- they never fail.

[smokepolehall]

Just personal use n i have Redding, RCBS, Lyman & Lee. I have nothing bad to say about these, they just work decently for me.

[44magLeo]

On the Lee collet dies, as you use it the collet slides up into the body. The collet can stick. The case pulls out but the collet stays up. The next case in will crush as it tries to enter the collet.
I have found that if you remove the collet and lube the collet and die body with a thin coat of a light grease the collet won't stick. I guess you could polish the parts to help but the lube works.
Leo

[JBinMN]

RCBS & Hornady are the ones I use. Approx. half of each kind. I have no experience with any others, but the ones I have work fine for about 11 calibers I reload. Cast or factory. I really have no "favorite", but like them both so far. I have used RCBS the longest, both steel & carbide types. The hornady are all titm./carbide types. I lube most times anyway, so that difference would not be an issue anyway, but might matter to some.

Interesting topic.
:)

[largom]

I have dies from just about every manufacture. Which I like the best depends on what I am loading and what it will be used for.
For serious bench shooting with jacketed bullets I use Redding Type S Match dies. Also use these for hunting with jacketed bullets.
If I am going to crimp the loaded rounds I use the LEE factory crimp die.
For cast boolits I use Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, or Lee for case sizing then inside neck debur with a 6 degree tapered reamer [K&M]. for cast boolit seating I use ONLY
Hornady seating dies with their sliding sleeve. I make my own sliding sleeve for the specific caliber and a seating stem to fit the diameter and nose shape of my cast boolit. This gives me perfect alignment of boolit and case neck without a bell on the case neck.
A lot of work but I load for precision not speed.

Larry

[Reddirt62]

Dillon because I mainly run Dillon presses and they are designed to work very well together.

Redding because they are well made and very precise.

Forster for thier micrometer seat dies.

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[RGrosz]

I have mostly Lee dies. Bought used. Most of my dies were bought used. Have some RCBS, Pacific, Lyman, C&H, and Herters. I think that is pry all. Use them all. They do all work good, except don't use the Herters dies too much. Don't like them and the guns they go to I ether have other dies for them or don't shoot the guns much. All of them have their little quarks and all do the job. Like the Lees 'cause they've treated me right on parts and customer service any time I've had to deal with them. Have to take other peoples word for other company's CS.
That's my 2 cents worth of opinion worth about what you paid for it.
Have what ever kind of day you'd like.
Rob

[sawinredneck]

I’m not accurate enough to justify Redding dies, I’d love some, but I can’t make the cost worth it.
Dillon Dies are very nice, but you sure pay a premium for just two dies.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Lee dies, they work as well as anything else and are a great value. BUTthe lock rings SUCK!
RCBS is my personal choice though, all the die sets I own and use on a single stage press are RCBS. They are made well, work well, priced fair and the warranty is just crazy! I purchased a used RCBS X-die knowing it was broken. About 15min on the phone, even telling them I’d bought it broken, new parts were on the way, on their dime. They wouldn’t even let me pay shipping, believe me, I tried to give them some money! That locked in my resolve that I’d made a good choice purchasing their dies.

[Ickisrulz]

I like the Hornady sliding bullet seating dies. I am less likely to drop a bullet when seating.

I like the Lyman M dies for neck expanding. They seem to do a better job with the little step.

For re-sizing, I like the CH4d neck sizer. The bushing is changeable, of course, but you can use the same die for many different cartridges. I use the same one for 22-250, 30-06 and 338 win mag.

[MT Chambers]

1. Redding
2. Forster
3. RCBS
4.CH4D
5. Lyman
6. Dies I cobbled up using rusty old 7/8" bolts
7. Lee

[EDG]

I have more than a 100 die sets of all different brands.
Some calibers I have multiple die sets of the same brand. Some calibers I have multiple sets of different brands. I have measured the interiors of most of these dies. Most dies have similar interior dimensions.
I found RCCBS to be the best for quality, availability and service.
Second are Bonanza/Forester. They are very good but they charge for repair parts and calibers are very limited.
Redding are also very good but are less available in a wide selection as used dies.

[OS OK]

207397

Here, we are talking pretty much about dies that make general fodder, some better than the rest, some...in our point of view...better than factory...but, when you look at your finished bottleneck ammo with one of these ^ gizmos pictured above, well...some of you will be taken back.
I was and am surprised at which dies did the best job in the type presses we use. If you get too OCD over it all you'll prolly end up a 'Bench rest' shooter and then all bets are off, your gonna need a few more tools than just quality dies!



EDIT: changed pictures...

[lightman]

I think I'll let my loading bench answer this question.

1. RCBS---I have more of these than any other brand.
2. Redding---This is the brand that I have the second most of.
3. Dillon--- Mostly used on my 550.
4. Forster---A nice set of dies but the only set that I own.

They all work well. The Dillon work better on progressive presses. The Redding and Forster have the fancy competition seaters.

[DerekP Houston]

All my dies are lee, only ones giving me issues are 380 (probably need an undersized die for jacketed rounds). Some were gifts, others purchased when starting and I thought you had to match press brand with die brands ;). Now I know better but i've already accumulated all the dies for my current calibers.

[BlackRat]

for pistol in a progressive I like Dillon dies, they are really great for cast as you can disassemble the seat and crimp dies to clean them without having to readjust.

[robg]

Started with Lyman now Lee dies only

[dverna]

for pistol in a progressive I like Dillon dies, they are really great for cast as you can disassemble the seat and crimp dies to clean them without having to readjust.

My reason for using them as well. Dillon makes it easy to run cast bullets that will eventually cause a lube build up. I use Dillon dies for pistol calibers in the three Dillon presses I have.

My rifle dies have been either RCBS, Bonanza (yep, they are old), and Lee. They all work but if I was buying new ones I would stay with the better quality dies. I will likely never buy another set of dies for rifle. Been thinning the herd for a while and am down to only four calibers. .223, .30/30, .308 and .300 Mag. I currently use Lee for the .223 and I plan on replacing them as I cannot seem to get great accuracy. It is not me, (the .308 is sub MOA with RCBS dies) but it could be the gun. I will likely get the higher end Redding dies.

[tazman]

In most cases, accuracy is a matter of learning to use the equipment you have to give the best result. Some brands probably make this easier than others. I can't say about that, just speculate.
I buy my loading dies as inexpensively as I can. Mostly Lee. They produce ammunition that shoots as well as I can hold. The shots out of the group are consistently my fault.
I have tried a couple of other brands but the end results have not changed.

[Grmps]

So far
................1st...2nd...3rd...4th
Hornady.....-........1......-.....1
Dillon.........-........1.....1.....-
Lee........... 4.......2......2....1
Lyman........-........2......1....-
Redding......6.......3......2.....-
RCBS.........10......3......4.....-
CH4D.........1........-.......-....1
Forster.......1........2......1....1

[Binky]

I have many sets of dies by many makers. I use mostly RCBS and Lyman. I like Redding equipment but can't really justify the extra cost. I do use/buy them if I have a specific need and find them at a good price. I use Lee dies and have bought several Carbide sizers to add to some of my older steel pistol dies. The guano Lee lock rings are replaced with regular locking rings( I buy them when they are on sale and currently have RCBS, Hornady and atleast one other brand on hand) Most/many of my neck sizers are Forester. The current generation of Hornady Pistol dies are good except for the sizers, which I replace with Lees or whatever is on sale. I do prefer the older Hornady rifle dies to the new generation.

[MT Chambers]

................1st...2nd...3rd...4th
Hornady.....-........1......-.....1
Dillon.........-........1.....1.....-
Lee........... 4.......2......2....1
Lyman........-........2......1....-
Redding......6.......3......2.....-
RCBS.........10......3......4.....-
CH4D.........1........-.......-....1
Forster.......1........2......1....1

Hey, what about my dies made crudely from old rusty 7/8 NF bolts??

[6bg6ga]

Redding for .223

RCBS competition for 22-250, 308

RCBS for pistol calibers followed by Dillon

No Lee for me.

[Rcmaveric]

I use what I can afford. So all my dies are Lee. I have been able to find great accuracy with all my guns. When I was inaccurate I never blamed the dies or gun. I just went back to the drawing board with different powders and bullet fit. Got a few new calibers I plan on reloading for and will most likely go with Lee dies. Wish Lee would make micrometer bullet seater.

[6bg6ga]

I don't blame dies for inaccuracy. I rate dies according to quality,warranty,and ease of operation.

[dragon813gt]

In most cases, accuracy is a matter of learning to use the equipment you have to give the best result. Some brands probably make this easier than others. I can't say about that, just speculate.
I buy my loading dies as inexpensively as I can. Mostly Lee. They produce ammunition that shoots as well as I can hold. The shots out of the group are consistently my fault.
I have tried a couple of other brands but the end results have not changed.

This is my experience as well. Most people aren't shooting pistols at 100 yards so dies aren't going to make a big difference in accuracy. Rifles are different. But even then it's about using them properly. I have Lee dies that produce less runout then higher dollar dies. I don't shoot benchrest so I don't need .2 MOA. MOA is more than enough for me. And if the rifle is capable of less than MOA then Lee dies are capable of producing the ammo for it.

Everyone has different needs. So buy what you need.

[Tom W.]

Redding for rifles.
RCBS carbide for my pistol/ revolver
I do have a set of Hornady for 30-06, but when I fire them they turn into 30-06 a.i and then back to Redding.
I started out with Lee and they did ok, but lacked something.... not sure what. I sold all of them to people mostly on this forum who were starting out.
I really like the Hornady lock rings.

[6bg6ga]

In most cases, accuracy is a matter of learning to use the equipment you have to give the best result. Some brands probably make this easier than others. I can't say about that, just speculate.
I buy my loading dies as inexpensively as I can. Mostly Lee. They produce ammunition that shoots as well as I can hold. The shots out of the group are consistently my fault.
I have tried a couple of other brands but the end results have not changed.

To be 100% factual I will admit that I tried Lee reloading dies. I dont like the retaining rings. I find that the quality isn't as good as say RCBS for one. Their taper crimp 9mm die was poorly finished and resulted in scraping of the case. With quality like that I simply don't need to experience any more of it.
If I'm into saving money I will simply buy used RCBS dies and have them for about the same price as new Lee dies. RCBS after all has a great warrantee program and will either repair or replace as needed without question. Lee wouldn't even replace a defective 9mm taper crimp die.

Having said this I will also admit that the manufacturers of the different dies didn't have any difference on the accuracy of any round I loaded. If however one wants to get really technical in bench rifle shooting I have experienced reloading the same cartridge shot after shot and even go as far as to use a micrometer and other gauges to check for taper and such and actually index the round in the same exact position for every shot.

[TXCOONDOG]

I use Redding, Lee, RCBS and Hornady. I have more Hornady than anything mainly because they come with two seating stems (FN and RN) and because of the get loaded promotion.

I do mix and match such as I like Redding profile crimp dies for 38/357 but use Lee collet die for my rifles.

I also like Lee’s universal expanding and decapping dies.

[roysha]

I like Forster; I think they're the most under rated dies on the market.

Agreed. Unfortunately they are a bit pricey and the selection is not anywhere near as large as some of the brands.

[Wayne Smith]

Lee is the best way to go. a) widely available in many cartridges (unlike Dillon). b) you never break a decapping pin with Lee. c) the decapping/expanding plug is nicely tapered so you can expand case necks from something smaller (as in making 32 spcl out of 30/30's for example) without producing lopsided necks (unlike RCBS, Hornady, Redding). And d) if you stick a case in a Lee you just unscrew the plug that holds the expander rod, get a bite on the rim with your case holder, and use gentle down pressure along with gentle tapping of the expander rod to remove case. No need to ever send a Lee die back to the maker -- they never fail.
Not true, I've twice broken decapping pins in Lee dies. They did send replacements, but they are not unbreakable.

[Preacher Jim]

For my style of shooting I use for rifle
Redding
Wilson
Forrester
And rcbs for handguns

[15meter]

Highest number of dies I own in order:

RCBS
Redding
Dillon
Lee
Lyman
Herter/Forester--tied

In order of quality/wish they were all made by:
Redding
RCBS
Dillon
Forester

Wish I could afford more Redding, and I didn't own a Lee, I hate the O-ring lock nut. Only have them because of the very low volume for those particular cartridges. I can't justify a top of the line/custom die set for a rifle like the 8x56R. The dies would have cost more than I paid for the rifle. For 100 rounds a year? Cheap works and I'll put up with the cheesy O-ring.

[marlin39a]

RCBS is my go to brand of dies for the last 40 yrs. I do own one set of Lyman. They were free.

[GONRA]

GONRA'S newly purchased reloading die sets end up being RCBS, also Hornady, CH4D.
Get Hornady seat dies with the internal sliding sleeve for all possible calibers.
CH4D die sets for .50BMG, 14.5mm PTRS-41, 20mm Solothurn/Lahti.

Am sure there are all sorts of good dies out there.
Carefully measure resized case diameters with a MICROMETER to confirm sizing die dimensions.
By the way - sad to hear (from RCBS) they closed their custom caliber die department some months ago.

[country gent]

For me die maker selection depends on the cartridge and what I'm doing. For a match rifle and true competition redding bushing dies are first I also use some Wilson straight line bushing dies here. For my BPCR rounds and some others the RCBS cowboy dies are great and usually set up better for the cast bullets used. For hunting rifle rounds and plinkers RCBS or lee. Handguns rounds can be what is available, for handguns I have RCBS, lyman and lee. I also have a meacham bushing die for 45 cal BPCR rounds. With the right bushing it loads 45 cal 2.1"- 2.6" or 40 cals 2.1 and longer. Dies have slight differences in adjustments but are pretty similar also.
The bushing dies can be a big plus in rifle with a lot of consistant brass with the right bushing no expander ball is needed. You don't over work the brass as much. I also get more consistant sized cases from them. Its nice being able to easily adjust neck tension to see how it affects accuracy. Also on a tight necked gun or Paper Patched bore rider a standard die may not size enough.

[Drew P]

^^^ what he said. I mix n match too. Redding is great for rifle. However, for pistol I think Dillon has a few good gimmicks going for them. I like the Spring loaded decapper very much. Also the reversible seating plug, and the quick cleaning mode clip system is fantastic. Lastly the small gopher die rings. They are designed to be used in progressive press for high volume and high quality.

[Walt]

I use most manufactures dies for one type of cartridge or another.

For bottleneck rifle cartridges on a single stage

#1 Redding
#2 Forster
#3 RCBS
#4 Dillon

For straight wall pistol on a SS or turret

#1 RCBS
#2 Lyman
#3 Redding
#4 Hornady
#4 Lee

For straight wall pistol cartridges on a progressive

#1 Dillon
#2 Redding
#3 RCBS

For bottleneck cartridges on a progressive

#1 Dillon
#2 RCBS
#3 Redding
#4 Forster

[Pb Burner]

For me, RCBS. Just because I've always had good luck with the dies, and the company.

[alamogunr]

I've got 55 sets of dies that represent several different manufacturers. Without counting, in order of estimated number of each mfg.:

RCBS
Hornady
Lee
Redding
Dillon
Lyman
C-H
Forster
Pacific

I have several duplicate sets for given cartridges. Some were acquired in order to get a steel size die for revolver cartridges since I have a few custom revolvers and was told that the steel dies didn't work the brass as much. Other duplicates were bought to replace a Lee set. Obviously, several were bought used, mostly from members here. A couple of the duplicates were bought used when I forgot that I already had that set.

[Ranger 7]

Have used Hornady and RCBS for 25 years, no problems (9mm--45 ACP--38--357 and now 380.
No need to try other brands.

[derek45]

I have LEE, Hornady, Dillon, Redding, Lyman, and probably something else I'm forgetting.

I like the Dillon lock rings, since I'm usually loading on a 550B or XL650

.

[crashdummy]

I have a large number of die sets including RCBS. Lyman, Redding, Hornady and some older classics.
The only dealings I have had with customer service has been with Lyman and RCBS, both were positive experiences.
If I were forced to pick a favorite, it would be Redding for bottlenecks, Lyman for straight cases and RCBS for just about
everything.

[gwpercle]

CH4D
Redding
Bonanza
Pacific
Lyman All American ( the old ones from the 1960's)
Lee Carbide Sizing dies because I'm cheap and can afford them.

Gary

[renegade99]

I load over 100 calibers. Most of my dies are RCBS, they are very good all around dies. For ultimate accuracy I use Redding bushing dies and their comp. seaters with a few Forster's thrown in. I have a few Lyman, mostly m dies, no Hornady, they have shown me the most run out in any die and I had 2 that no matter how tight the stem was it still pulled out at least once or twice per session. The only Lee dies I have are several of their factory crimp dies. I also use Dillon dies in my 650 for every caliber they offer them in.

[Walks]

I have dies from every current manufacturer & a lot of defunct one's. RCBS has the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE, PERIOD. I've a new set of HORNADY with the rifle sliding sleeve for bullet seating. LYMAN offered the same thing 40-50yrs ago, called it "P-A" seating die. Nothing new under the sun.
No one will ever convince me that LEE has any quality to their products, their warranty is non-existent. I've been using the same RCBS RockChucker & LYMAN spartan presses for 40 & 45yrs, respectively. I've LYMAN 310 dies I use for neck-sizing every bottleneck case I've dies for.
REDDING, C-H, RCBS, BONANZA/FORSTER, LYMAN, HORNADY.

[AK4570]

In rank order I would have to say...

1) Redding
2) RCBS
3) Lyman
4) Lee

Not really a huge fan of the one set of Hornady dies I run (.375 H&H) but they do work... This opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it!😁

Best,
John

[whelenshooter]

I have mostly Lee dies but have hornady and ch4d as well. They all have worked well.

David

[Handloader109]

I've Lee which is what I started with, Dillon which came with my 650xl, and one set of Hornady which I don't like. Buy Dillon if you want to get one of their presses much easier to work with.

[1browski]

Not sure if I have a favorite all around brand. I normally use RCBS dies for most reloading probably because they are a little less than Hornady. I have tried a Hornady neck sizer for 22-250 which the spindle got bent on so never used it again. For neck sizing I stick to the Lee collet dies and use them for bolt guns in 223, 308, 7mmRM, 300WM, and have a custom from Lee in 50BMG.

[Ziptar]

Lyman mostly, a couple of RCBS Cowboy sets, and a Lee universal depriming die.

[David2011]

Agreed, Dillon dies are exceptional for progressive presses of any brand. The spring loaded decapping pins and easily cleaned seating dies make them highly desirable for progressives and cast boolit shooters.

Other dies in my inventory include RCBS, Lee, Redding, Pacific and older Lyman. There are none that make me say, "Oh, no, I don't want to use that one." All load good ammo.

[oldhenry]

Lyman All Americans were my 1st. 2 dies. (.244 Rem. & 38-40) back in either '59 or '60. I had a Lyman Comet press then (great press except the shell holders).
As I added calibers I went to RCBS & then switched to Hornady (I have RCBS & Hornady for same calibers as a result. When I was shooting XTC with my space gun the Hornady sizing die did a better job of reducing base of the brass than RCBS small base die.
For my tight neck guns I used Redding bushing dies and Wilson (with an arbor press). Redding makes good stuff, but the only die problem I ever had was with Redding.
1. 7X57 when I went to seat bullet it fell down into the powder (Redding says most 7X57 reloaders use military brass.....thicker). Returned to them (my dime) & when they returned it I experienced the same thing (I think they sent the same die back). Returned 2nd. time (my dime) & finally got a die that worked.
2. Their "Competition" .38 spec/.357 die set for progressive presses (I think now discontinued). The seating die (separate from the crimp die) removed the bell. Returned (my dime) & they call & questioned why I wanted the dia. of seating die enlarged........they enlarged it with a disclaimer.(?)
For my Dillon 550 I've slowly changed over to Dillon dies for everything......they can't be beat for a progressive.
At age 78, I'm strictly a left eye pistol shooter since eye surgery to right shooting eye & the 550 gets everything done.

I didn't mean to ramble.

Henry
.................................................. .................................................. ......
A real sport involves either gasoline or gun powder.......all others are just games

[fstreed]

I have and use several brands. I guess my favorites are Redding. Usually after I've been reloading a caliber for a few years I end up with one brand of sizer, another brand for seater (I like Hornady for seaters but am not too particular), a Lyman "M" die, maybe a Lee collet die, various shell holders, for bottle neck cases a Lee case length gauge and shellholder set, extra seating stems for different bullets, maybe a home made "M" die expander plug or two of slightly different diameters, all stuffed in a Hornady die box because they are the only ones big enough to hold it all.

I haven't used Dillon dies, or Dillon anything actually. No particular reason, just haven't got around to it.

Edit: Forgot to mention something about the Lee dies that gets cussed about quite a bit. That is the lock rings with the o-rings. Most people hate them. I didn't much like them myself until someone pointed out a feature about them I had never noticed. They allow the die to deflect and self align. I have watched them do this. You can see it sometimes when resizing, the die will tip a slight amount, maybe a few thousandths of an inch. I don't know if there is an advantage to this or not but it's possible. I have always made it a practice to run a case up into a die before tightening the lock ring on any brand but some types of misalignment won't be affected by that. And I'm not going to get in any big hurry to replace my Redding and Hornady dies with Lees, just saying.

[RED BEAR]

Maybe its just me but don't see much difference in them. Never used redding so can't say.