Should I get Lyman dies for 38/357 cast reloading?

[Stopsign32v]

Honestly while Lee is cheap and gets the job done, there has been many many times that I feel the quality of the reloads and reloading process was equal to Walmart.

Well I'm on a path of dedication to casting and reloading and my next step is I want some GOOD dies for 38/357 reloading. Should I go with the Lyman dies or go with something else? Right now I am using a single stage Lee crappy press but later I plan to switch to a different brand turret press. But that is a topic for another day.

[ryanmattes]

Honestly, I prefer the Lee dies in a lot of cases, with some caveats. There are occasional manufacturing errors, and sometimes you have to send a die back, but they'll always make it right. Of course I prefer the Lyman M-dies for opening the case mouth for cast. I usually prefer seating and crimping in separate steps, and the Lyman sets almost always come with an FCD.

I have some Hornady, Lyman, and RCBS die sets, but for the most part, the Lee sets do the same job, just as well.

That said, I'm doing it all on a single-stage press, and I'm taking my time and doing it right, adjusting as needed to stay consistent. I don't know how well they hold up in a progressive press.


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[DAFzipper]

There are plenty of good dies out there. I like the RCBS cowboy dies for straight wall pistol loading with cast bullets.

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[metricmonkeywrench]

All the die sets from all the major players are pretty good all around, the Lyman sets often offer 2 advantages there’s the “M” die for for sizing and often the seating stem can be matched to a particular bullet mould same as with the top punches in the lube sizer.

[rockrat]

If you want a really good set, get Redding. Lee dies aren't that bad. I have one set of Lee and one set of RCBS I have set for 357 max.

[ryanmattes]

If you want a really good set, get Redding.

Right. Just move the decimal in the price to the right a place. 8-o

I know, you get what you pay for. I believe that. But ouch.

[Stopsign32v]

If you want a really good set, get Redding.

$112 for some dies...

https://i.imgur.com/ozoPxRn.gif

[Mk42gunner]

I've mixed and matched my set of .38/.357 dies together. I think at last count I have seven or eight dies total, but they all get used occasionally.

If I were to start over with the .38 dies, I would go with the Lyman carbide set, primarily for the M-die expander, then add a Redding Profile crimp die.

I had loaded oodles and gobs of ammo with my mixture of RCBS and CH dies with complete satisfaction until late last year when I started to load WC ammo for the first time. The ancient RCBS expander wasn't long enough so after getting advice here I bought a Lyman M-die and the Redding Profile crimp die. I am glad I did.

Robert

[dverna]

I purchase higher priced rifle dies, but for loading pistol calibers I doubt 1% of shooters could tell the difference. And not many pistols are good enough to tell the difference either.

Unless you are consistently shooting 3” groups at 50 yards, you are worrying about nothing.

[richhodg66]

Lee dies are OK for straight walled stuff, I won't buy a set for bottle neck stuff ever again.

One thing I do like about Lee dies is that powder through expander die. I really do find that system easier to set up and work with than others, though I rarely drop powder charges through it.

Your dies will do what you need to do, I'd be more concerned about getting a real press if I were you.

[oldhenry]

I've used C&H, Hornady, RCBS, Bonanza, Lyman, Redding, Dillon & Herters. The only Lee dies I've used was a .270 collet die & recently a de-priming die: both work fine.

The only die set that gave me problems was a Redding 38/.357 seating die. After 2 trips back to Redding it works OK, but their crimp die was replaced by an old Lyman (I like it better: a personal choice).

I'll swap that Redding set for a Dillon set.

Oops: I forgot to mention the Redding 7X57 FL die that was returned 2 times.

[zarrinvz24]

If you want a really good set, get Redding. Lee dies aren't that bad. I have one set of Lee and one set of RCBS I have set for 357 max.

X2

I spent years trying to correct concentricity problems. It wasn’t until I converted to all Redding does that I eliminated the problem. Also, I hated the large number of aluminum parts on Lyman and Lee dies. Redding is all steel. It’s true, you get what you pay for, but only accurate rifles are interesting.

[Sasquatch-1]

I don't load rifle so I can't speak to that. As for Lee dies in pistol calibers...I have no problem using them. I have RCBS, Lee and Hornady. Keep the Lee dies and start saving for a better press. I think you will be happier.

[lesharris]

Carbide sizing dies are important. Lyman M=die is essential to me for using cast boolits. Get a good press you will be happy.

[Forrest r]

I purchase higher priced rifle dies, but for loading pistol calibers I doubt 1% of shooters could tell the difference. And not many pistols are good enough to tell the difference either.

Unless you are consistently shooting 3” groups at 50 yards, you are worrying about nothing.

??????

3" groups @ 50yds is child's play. 4 different 6-shot groups @50yds on the same target. Was testing 5.5gr and 6.0gr loads of bullseye using the cramer "hunter" 158gr fn hp bullet and the mihec 640 series 158gr fn hp bullet. All groups measured outside to outside
Top row left target: 5.5gr load hunter bullet 2 1/8" group
Top row right target 6.0gr load hunter bullet 2 1/16" group
Bottom row left: 5.5gr load 640 bullet 2 3/16" group
Bottom row right: 6.0gr load 640 bullet 2.0" group
https://i.imgur.com/CfpwHXk.jpg

This is the setup I've used since the 80's to reload the 38spl's & 357's
lee carbide sizing die for both the 38spl's & 357's
Lyman m-die for an expander
2 rcbs seating dies, 1 for the 38spl and the other for the 357's.

I like the roll crimp I get from the rcbs dies along with by calling rcbs they will send you any seating stems you my need for free (button nose wc/swc/rn).

[zarrinvz24]

I will say that modern production Lyman Dies were sorely disappointing. The Lee dies felt higher quality in the hand. 15-20 years ago when I got into reloading, I had heard the phrase that buying cheap equipment now will cost you more in the long run. I wish I had listened. All I buy anymore is Redding and CH-4D. I had always put CH-4D as top tier price bracket in my head, so I never gave them an honest look. Finally took the plunge and it wasn’t that much more than any of the other big makers. I don’t look back and wish I had stuck with lyman or Lee, rather I remember the frustration of things not working correctly or having to cobble things together to work. Lee dies on a Lee classic cast press was giving me 20thou of runout in the case alone. I suspect the press had been machined incorrectly, but Lee refused to take it back because it was out of warranty and it functioned as it should.

Seating dies: I like the Redding and CH4D design that seats using the ogive of the bullet.

Hindsight is 20-20 and I know if I had purchased good equipment right up front I could have spared myself much frustration, which would have translated into more shooting.

[gwpercle]

1.) CH4D , if you can get them
2.) Redding are sweet
3.) Bonanza , Pacific and Eagle are sleepers on the used die market ...
while everyone else bids on the RCBS dies ... no one bids on Bonanza and you can get a good deal .

[AlHunt]

Lee dies are mostly fine. I usually spin on a lock ring without an o-ring.

The only quarrel I have with Lee dies is when seating in mixed brass. The rubber o-ring on the seater stem creates some variance in seating depth due to varying amounts of force required to seat bullets.

I've never owned a Lee press but I know millions or maybe billions of rounds of perfectly good ammo and spewed out of them over the decades. I think they're not as long lasting and solid as RCBS or any of the other big name presses but if it's in good shape, it should churn out good ammo.

[DonHowe]

I purchase higher priced rifle dies, but for loading pistol calibers I doubt 1% of shooters could tell the difference. And not many pistols are good enough to tell the difference either.

Unless you are consistently shooting 3” groups at 50 yards, you are worrying about nothing.

Unless you ARE worrying about every aspect you will NEVER shoot better than 3" at 50 yds. 3" won't win in serious matches.

[richhodg66]

Carbide sizing dies are important. Lyman M=die is essential to me for using cast boolits. Get a good press you will be happy.

Why are carbide dies so important?

Honestly, I've gone back from carbide Lee dies for .45 Colt to an old set of steel RCBS dies. Carbide dies over size as often as not, not good for accuracy to have a loose fit.

[405grain]

I usually use RCBS dies, though I do have some dies from Hornady, CH4D, and Redding. The single best improvement that I've made in loading cast in basically anything is to do bullet seating and crimping as two separate operations. It doesn't really matter which brand dies you use so long as they're of good quality. You'll get better ammo if you seat all your boolits with the die body screwed out a little bit, then back out the seating stem and screw in the die body to the right length for crimping. Then run all the cartridges back through the die to create the crimp. The boolits seat better, there's no shaved lead, the crimps are uniform, the ammo is better. What's not to like?

[pworley1]

I have Lee, Lyman, and RCBS, for loading 38/357. I mostly use the RCBS. There is nothing wrong with the Lee or Lyman dies.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

It seems to me, that different die manufacturers did some things right, and other things not so much. So I tend to load with a mix n match dies for 357Mag. RCBS sizer, RCBS seater, Lee PTED with 38S&W insert (it's a wee bit larger than the standard insert), and A Lee collect style FCD.

[Walks]

My 1st set of New dies were Lyman, still using them, 46+yrs later.
Last set of dies were Lyman too.

[zarrinvz24]

The Redding catalog discusses this, greater accuracy potential comes from properly sized steel dies, but one needs to lubricate the cases.

[Stopsign32v]

The Redding catalog discusses this, greater accuracy potential comes from properly sized steel dies, but one needs to lubricate the cases.

Let me guess....

....Did they also suggest the "superior" Redding dies?

[zarrinvz24]

Let me guess....

....Did they also suggest the "superior" Redding dies?

Not really, just explained why the dual ring carbide dies were created.