How many have two sets of dies?

[armoredman]

One for j-word bullets, and one for boolits? While loading 9mm today, it occured to me that having a seperate set of dies, or, more particularly, a second seating die set up for light taper crimp, as opposed to the FCD, (boo, hiss, yes, it works for me. :) ), which some say is bad for boolits. BTW, I seem to get decent accuracy using the FCD lightly, but another seater set up to seat and remove the bell might be an interesting change/experiment, when I can afford to buy another seating die.

[HeavyMetal]

Since it is a rare day I use j word bullets one die set per caliber works for just about everything although I will be the first to admit my die sets might include more than 4 dies!

As for the Lee FCD die, if within correct diamentions, there is nothing wrong with the die or it's concept.

What's usually wrong with the FCD die is operator error! I have made the statement that most shooters start out reloading for a revolver cartridge, the 38 special is the most reloaded pistol cartridge according to RCBS, and a decent roll crimp is a normal thing in this round.

Now our "newbie" buys an auto pistol, most likely a 9mm but maybe something else, and buys the Lee die set with the FCD die in it.

Because his only experience is with a roll crimp our hero figures he must be able to see it for it to be crimped!

There in lies the problem! If you can see a taper crimp it is way past the point of being to heavy and has damaged the boolit.

I've seen this with other taper crimp dies as well, the Lee is not the only suspect in this case.

I usually suggest not using the taper crimp die, FCD or otherwise, not because it's a bad idea but to remove one possible problem from the loading cycle.

Didn't mean to wander on the topic but I think you'll find most long time reloaders have several different "special" dies added to sets they bought to do a particular operation in the loading cycle.

As an example when I load 45 auto my die set has a boolit seating die and a seperate crimp die as I prefer doing this as two seperate operations. It's an old school roll crimp die from an RCBS auto rim die set.

[462]

I have two sets for .38/.357 (seating depth/nose shape) and .30-'06 (cast and jacketed). In addition to the two sets for .38/.357 there is a third seating die used only for crimping.

[Recluse]

For .38 Special and .357 Magnum, I have a complete set of dies for each projectile I load.

For .44 Special and .44 Magnum, I have a set of dies dedicated for each.

:coffee:

[blaser.306]

I have 2 yes ( two ) sets of 7/08 dies for my wichita silouette pistol one for J words and one for real boolits !!!:lovebooli

[missionary5155]

Howdy
I have different sets for the same caliber in 45-70, 35-55, 41 mag, 44-40 and possible another I am forgeting.
This is due to working with differring Throat diameters. Old rifles and Marlins tend to be fat throated while new model Winchesters (jap) Brownings and revolvers tend to be less diameter. So I have FAT THROAT dies and regular.
The FAT dies have the seater / crimper reamed out to accept at boolits. The sizers are also reamed to not oversize. This is of course just .003-.005 difference but does make a difference especially with the seaters. Fat boolits just do not pass through without getting scraped.
Mike in Peru

[XWrench3]

i do for my 30-30. but so far, that is the only one.

[Johnch]

Yep

Also I have aquired a number of extra Seating dies for some Cal
As I like to leave a alone

So for the 44 mag I have 4 seating dies for different Boolits ( I do not crimp with these dies )


John

[ktw]

I have a 310 die set and a 7/8x14 die set for most all the cartridges I load for. For about half of them I also have a Lee Loader.

I only have a 7/8x14 die set for 6x45. I have two 7/8x14 die sets for 38-55; one set up for lead/smokeless, the other for paper-patch/blackpowder.

-ktw

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I use different seating dies to match the type of cast bullet I am using. I think I have four sets of 38/357 and just as many 44spl/44mag. I rarely load jacketed bullets so I seldom use the seating stem for pointed bullets. I think I have four sets of dies for the .243 and I don't even own a rifle in that caliber. I also have three sets of dies for the .270 and I don't have one of those either. I have many sets of dies that I don't use and I would sell them but from what I see on the web, they don't bring much. I think there must be thousands of loading dies setting on shelves that are no longer used.

[1Shirt]

Probably have 5 sets of doubles because of deciding to upgrade in some cases from Herters to RCBS etc, only in most cases to find the Herters vintage dies are as good as the RCBS. Se le vie!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Mugs]

No J word bullets shot since 1983. One set does it.
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[beagle]

No j bullets around but I do maintain doubles on .38/357, 9mm, .45 ACP and .44 Mag. I've had occasional breakdowns and that causes withdrawal symptoms./beagle

[mike in co]

why stop at 2....

i have 5 or more in "06
6 or more in 308
5 in 7.62x54r
4 in 44mag
several in 223......

oh and dont for get i have over 90 lee loaders......

mike in co

[geargnasher]

More to the OP's point, I have one "set" for each caliber, although I would need to supplement those sets with OE spec dies if I were ever to load J-words again because my sets have been very much tweaked to work with cast boolits AND the particular chambers of the guns I own. Most sets that I have are a mixed bag of what works best for me, many have three or more different sizing dies depending on gun and boolit, same with the seating dies. I insist on the Lee PTE dies for pistol and the charge dies for rifle because I've abandoned every other powder measure but Lee's. I also have a shoebox full of die carcasses that have been plundered for their seating stems and expander balls to use in other dies (like .270 Win turned down to .272"for the Swedish Mauser). Often I must use a larger expander and hone out the sizing die (or use a Sinclair bushing die) to seat oversized cast boolits without swaging them down or mangling them somehow. I have a special decapping /neck sizing die for .45 Colt in three different chambers, all sizing dies and brass segregated for those guns. I have four different expander stems in that caliber, too, one for each of three different boolit styles and two for the same, but different sized diameters for different guns. Sound a little OCD? Well, if you want to shoot a PB 340 grain .45 boolit out of a short-cylinder SAA-style revolver, you have to make an expander long enough to keep the case from squeezing the base underized, or you'll get leading.

Bottom line is with cast boolits, if you want good results, you often need to modify your tools for the specific job at hand, much as a gunsmith constantly grinds screwdriver tips.

Gear

[geargnasher]

I was thinking earlier today, as I was trying to figure out where I was going to get a Lee expander stem for .30-30 that would work with my .311" boolits, wouldn't it be great if manufacturers offered bushing-style sizer dies on an "el cheapo" basis? Or possibly just a Cast Boolit option on at least the "cowboy" calibers that would optimize for larger boolits.

The problem, I suppose, is every gun is dimensionally unique in reality, and there are very few people who really know or care enough to fit dies to the gun.

Gear

[qajaq59]

I have 3 sets for my .308, but not for that reason. When we moved I couldn't find my Lyman dies so I bought a set of Lees. However, I didn't like them, so I bought another set of Lymans. And of course a week later I found my original set. Some day a neighbor or friend will take up loading and I'll give him a set to help him get started.

[winelover]

Can't ever have enough dies! Especially seaters!! I prefer to have a seater for every boolit / bullet that I load!!

Winelover:drinks:

[mpmarty]

In my 7.5X55 Swiss I bought a second sizing die due to RCBS having no clue.
I started measuring sized cases from the RCBS die and found they were close to .020" undersize. Called RCBS and they said the die was correct for earlier rifles but that the K31 had a smaller chamber and slightly different overall length. RCBS went on to say that if I sent them a few fired cases and my die, for a large sum of money they would make it right. I declined and bought a Redding die that is specific for the K31.

[ktw]

I was thinking earlier today, as I was trying to figure out where I was going to get a Lee expander stem for .30-30 that would work with my .311" boolits,...

This was the point I probably failed to make clearly earlier when I said I had a 310 die for each cartridge. For those who aren't familiar with them, the 310 die sets are very cast bullet friendly. .311 is the standard neck expander for most every 30 caliber 310 die set in my collection. The seaters also came with nose punches numbered the same as top punches for various cast bullet nose profiles.

-ktw

[geargnasher]

This was the point I probably failed to make clearly earlier when I said I had a 310 die for each cartridge. For those who aren't familiar with them, the 310 die sets are very cast bullet friendly. .311 is the standard neck expander for most every 30 caliber 310 die set in my collection. The seaters also came with nose punches numbered the same as top punches for various cast bullet nose profiles.

-ktw

You're right, didn't realize there were dimensional differences between the 310 tools and standard dies, but that's pretty neat.

Looks like I'm going to have to buy another 8mm Mauser RGB set, rob the expander and turn it down to about .310". $15 for two lousy thousandths.

Gear

[ktw]

Looks like I'm going to have to buy another 8mm Mauser RGB set, rob the expander and turn it down to about .310". $15 for two lousy thousandths.

The Lyman M dies have two "steps".

30R is .307/.311
31R is .310/.314

Depending on your application, one of those might work without going to the trouble of turning it down. If you already have an M Die body, Lyman will send you extra expander plugs pretty cheap.

-ktw