[Eightball]

Alright. I want to pick up some dies in order to make some .223/5.56 ammo to run through my AR15. I've got a bunch of 55gr FMJ projectiles, some powder, 2,000 5.56 primers, more casings than I care to count....but no dies.

Every time I look for dies--say, on Midway, Cabelas, or whatnot--there's always a ton of options. X-dies, match dies, etc.....and it confuses me. For my RCBS press, which are the best dies to get for my purpose (reloading some brass into 5.56/.223 suitable for running through an AR15)? I'm not trying to necessarily load "match" ammo....just something more along the lines of functional plinking ammunition, etc.

Thanks!

[bobotech]

I'm thinking about getting a set of RCBS Small Base X Dies. They are supposed to be the bee's knees when it comes to autoloading rifles. After one initial trim and chamfering session, you no longer neeed to trim them if you size them in the small base X die.

The Small Base die is good for people who have autoloaders, they size the brass down a little bit more than standard full length resizing.

Also helps when sizing brass that was shot out of a machine gun like a lot of DOD surplus brass which sometimes doesn't get sized down all the way with standard full length sizing. Stay away from neck sizing/collet sizing for autoloaders.

[Walkalong]

Any die set will work. I have a Redding set and also a Forster seater. Work great.

The X die is said to stop stretching and eliminate trimming. I have not tried one yet. They were not invented yet when I bought my dies.

Most folks do not need small base dies.

[Eightball]

I didn't know small-base dies existed. What's the deal with both them and X-dies?

[edelbrock]

Any FL die set will work. I prefer Redding and RCBS.

[1moa@500]

I agree with Walkalong that you dont need small base dies. I have used the x-die for my garand and it limits the case growth with the help of a mandrel. I can get 5 or 6 loads out of a case without trimming. I have loaded a few thousand of the military brass that has been fired in auto guns and have found that both my lee and rcbs dies size enough for the brass to not stick in my ar's chamber. I do have a 5.56 chamber in my ar as I think most do. I have tried the cases in my savage 110 and out of a hundred one might be a bit difficult to chamber. The hard part will be finding dies in stock. I use a lee turret to load my cannon fodder in and I use two different dies to seat the bullets with depending on which bullet I use. It will be hard to go wrong with whatever you pick.. Have fun JW

[jerkface11]

As long as it's a full length sizer you're good to go. I'd order a Lee factory crimp die while you're at it too.

[Roccobro]

I agree with all but the small base die recommendation. I love the Factory Crimp Die too.

I bought Hornady just to get the free bullets. I'd get something a little more fancy/expensive next time. I'm only interested in plinking .223 ammo right now.

Justin

[moosehunt]

If you get an X die--and contrary to all logic, they do seem to work--you still have to have a standard FL die to run the cases through the first time (then you trim them), THEN you can start using the X die. At $30, I find them a bit pricey for what they do. As to a small base die, they do have value in larger cases, i.e. .308, .30-06, etc. in semi-auto rifles like BLR's, but I've not heard reports that suggest they are needed in AR types in .223. Die sets are a bit hard to come by nowdays, so I would suggest you grab what you can find--RCBS, Redding, Hornaday, Lyman, maybeso even Lee if you're real desperate. And when it comes to a shell-holder, which you'll also find to be in short supply, don't worry about matching your die brand--get what you can get--they all work with one and other. Over the years, I've gravitated to Redding dies, and think that they are currently the best for the money, but right now, especially in .223, might want to just take what you can find. Good luck!!

[Sport45]

maybeso even Lee if you're real desperate.

I buy and use Lee dies and never felt a bit desperate. They even work great for my AR.

[243winxb]

Q. I see a Small Base Die Set listed for my caliber. Do I need these or should I buy a Full Length Die Set or Neck Die Set? How does each set differ?

A. The Small Base Die set is intended for use for ammunition to be used in auto, semi-auto, and lever action rifles so that the loaded round chambers and extracts easily. The Small Base Sizer Die sizes the case from the shoulder to the head of the case a couple of thousandths smaller than a Full Length Sizer Die. In certain calibers it also sets the shoulder of the case back a thousandth or two more than the Full Length Sizer Die. The Full Length Die Set or Neck Die Set is not normally recommended for ammo to be used in auto, semi-auto, or lever action rifles. The Full Length Die set is recommended for ammunition used in bolt action rifles, particularly for ammunition to be used for hunting. The Neck Die Set can also be used to produce ammunition for use in bolt action rifles. The Neck Sizer Die sizes only the neck of the case so it will hold the bullet firmly. It does not size the body of the case nor does it set the shoulder back. Neck sized cases will usually chamber for three or more firings, depending on the powder charge and chamber dimensions. However, over a period of time, a slight drag will be noticed when the bolt is locked. At this point, cases will need to be full length sized and the shoulder set back so they will chamber and extract easily. http://www.rcbs.com/questions I/dies_questions.aspx (http://www.rcbs.com/questions /dies_questions.aspx) Standard RCBS dies have worked for me in many different 223/5.56 firearms. The X die requires trimming .020" below the maximum trim length, this is more than the normal trim length of .010", This i do NOT like. But have never used one. PDF files on the X die here.http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/XDieProductInstructions.pdf Crimping is not needed IMO for the 223. Your standard RCBS bullet seating die has a crimper built into it if needed. Many shooters loading for competition will use the Redding Type-S full length sizing Bushing die to better control sizing, it is best left to the more advanced reloader. Any brand of FLRS die set should work well, except i do Not like the units that have the decapper pin sitting in a wedge type arangement. Threaded is better as crimped in primers can cause the wedge type to slip/loose adjustment.

[ranger335v]

"which are the best dies to get for my purpose (reloading some brass into 5.56/.223 suitable for running through an AR15)? I'm not trying to necessarily load "match" ammo....just something more along the lines of functional plinking ammunition, etc."

For the uses you indicate, I'd get a set of Lee's Pacesetter dies, without question. They include both a shell holder and the best rifle crimping die available at any price. Lee's sure aren't as purty externally as other brands but then you really can't load with purty externals, can you?

"X" dies might offer you something in convience. But, if you only size enough to insure reliable chambering, case stretch shouldn't be a problem for the safe 4-5 loadings I prefer for autoloaders, and without trimming, so that wouldn't be very effective for me. I would simply start by insuring the cases are at "trim-to-length" and monitor them for their useful life. Auto cases tend to stretch too much to attempt to get really long case life, IMHO.

A small base size die is occasionally needed for autos but not often. Most autos have generous chambers and conventional dies will usually work fine with them.

[rcmodel]

My standard base RCBS .223 dies have been feeding my AR's & Mini-14 perfectly for about 40 years now.

If you have a 5.56 chamber, there is no need for small base dies.

rc

[Lone_Gunman]

I think that small base dies are not very helpful.

Here is my experience with them:

I had a large batch of once fired Lake City 5.56 brass, some fired in SAWs and some in M4s.

I sized it all with Lee Full Length Sizer Dies.

I then ran each piece through a Lyman case gauge.

If the brass didnt drop easily into the gauge, I ran that piece of brass through RCBS small base sizer die. I then dropped it back into the Lyman case gauge. I would guesstimate I was able to salvage less than 10 percent of those cases, and made the decision it was not a good use of time to small base size.

So now I just size on a Lee full length sizer, and if it dont fit the case gauge, it goes to the scrap bucket.

[bobotech]

I don't know why the guys here are so negative on the small base dies. I got close to 2000 308 cases, all lake city fired out of machine guns and when I used my standard full length resizer and loaded them up, a lot would not chamber in my semi-auto 308.

I then pulled the bullets and resized them with the small base FL sizer and they now chamber beautifully.

I just know that machine gun shot 308 brass can stretch quite a bit due to just how loose and overly generous a machine gun 308 chamber can be.

So I like the 308 small base die set. Now that they are sized with the small base die once, I will FL size them out of my standard dies in the future.

And why don't the guys here think that the X dies are a good idea? I would love to have a set. It would be a huge benefit to progressive loaders like me.

You buy the brass, say 1000 pieces then you go though the whole process of prepping it for the first time. FL size with a standard FL die (small base or not). Then you remove military crimps with a swager (reaming would take far to long with 1000 pieces). Trim all of them .020 under max length. Chamfer in and out all 1000 of them. Then prime all of them. You now have 1000 prepped and ready to load 308 cases.

Now after you have fired all 1000 of those cases, it will be a snap to use the X die. You can just use the X die in your progressive and NOT need to remove the brass to trim and chamfer and replace back into the press. That would save a tremendous amount of time when loading a large amount of rifle brass in a progressive after you do the initial one time standard full prep chore on all your brass.

35 dollars for an additional set of dies (x dies) seems like a very small price to pay for the time savings in not having to trim and chamfer all your brass everytime you shoot it all up.

My choice would be to have 3 sets of dies for a heavily used 308 gun like mine. A small base die (non X) for sizing military brass for the first time. A standard FL sizing die for sizing commercial brass the first time. And a X die for all future loadings of my brass that were prepped as above.

The time savings in loading 308 on a progressive seem well worth the small expense of a couple of extra sizing dies.

As for 223, I have no idea how bad the military brass is. I have yet to load a single 223. All my recommendations are based upon what I would do with a 308 and using lots and lots of military brass.

[BikerNut]

I had a hard time finding a set of dies for my 5.56 AR, so when Cabela's had a set of RCBS .223 small-base dies, I grabbed them (now they have .223 die sets out the wazoo).

I highly recommend the Lee Universal Decapping Die if you're popping out a lot of crimped primers -- no worries about breaking pins on this thing.

I also picked up a Lee Factory Crimp Die, because everyone raves about it. Frankly, I find the crimp from my RCBS seater die more than satisfactory. However, if you reload a lot of .223, and go back and forth between crimped and uncrimped, then setting up your seater die to not crimp is easy, and then you just chuck in the Lee FCD when needed.

I'm satisfied with my RCBS die set, but I'm going to buy a set of Forster full length dies for my AR also, because I think I'd like the way they align the bullet with the case neck. Redding also has a positive alignment design in their seater die.

Just my .223 cents...

[moosehunt]

Bobotech--I think that if you are FL sizing .308, then an X-die may well be justified, but not so much so if .223 is the diet. There will generally be a lot more case stretch in the .308 cases than the .223 per firing/sizing cycle. When FL sizing your .308, you probably would have to trim every reloading, at least every second, but I find that .223 doesn't need trimming for at least 6 or 7 cycles, often more.

[243winxb]

I'm satisfied with my RCBS die set, but I'm going to buy a set of Forster full length dies for my AR also, because I think I'd like the way they align the bullet with the case neck. Redding also has a positive alignment design in their seater die. RCBS Seating Die adjustment, No Crimping, bottle neck case.
The factory instructions-
Quote:
Screw the seater die into the press untill you feel it touch the mouth of the case. Back up th die 1/8 of a turn (never more) and set the large lock ring. This will leave a gap between the bottom of the die and shell holder about 1/16" or the thickness of a nickel. Seater Dies have a unique alignment device built into them which aligns the bullet with the case mouth an instant before seating http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=5504515&postcount=5