considering .308 dies

[Carphunter]

I have a semi-auto 308 I intend to do some handloads for.

It's been a while since I've bought dies.

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me which brand/model of dies grip the bullet for seating as close to the caliber diameter on the ogive as possible.

From experience, I don't want dies that are pushing on the tip, or near the tip.... I want a fairly open seater that grips low on the ogive.

For dies, I really will need just a full-length sizer/deprimer (hell...depriming shouldn't be an issue since this brass won't be reloaded...anyway). I then need the seater, and finally a separate crimper (not sure I'll need it...but I may want to use it if the gun has too violent an action for uncrimped loads.

BTW...I'll be making shells for an HK 770.... and possibly a pump Remington.

 

[jmorris]

Dillon sells a carbide size die that's the bees knees for .223 and .308.

 

[Archie]

I have a couple sets of .308 Winchester dies. One is the Lee conventional type and the other is a Lee collet type neck-size only arrangement. If I'm recalling correctly, both of them came with a seating stem which does not push on the tip, but rather somewhat down the ogive.

I use the conventional dies for my semi-auto and the neck sizer for my precision bolt gun.

 

[ocabj]

For 308, I have Redding S-Type bushing dies, both full length and neck only. I also have the Hornady neck only bushing die which I know use over the Redding neck-only because the Hornady bumps the shoulder, too. This is better than bump sizing using a full length die because a full length die will still size the body whereas the Hornady neck only + shoulder will not. For the semi-auto application, I'd go with the Redding S-Type FL die so you can adjust the amount of sizing done on the neck to customize neck tension.

For 308 seating, I use the Redding competition micrometer die. Best seater I have.

 

[loadedround]

Carphunter: Just my two cents please. I load with a buddy who has a Remington Pump in .308(Model 760 I believe) and he needs to use a small base resizing die to chamber his reloaded ammo. His gun may have a large chamber OR all Remington pumps are made this way, I don't have that answer. Just thought you may want to consider this when buying dies. My favorites are Redding.

 

[greg531mi]

If you buy RCBS or Lyman, chances are you will need small base dies with them, in a self loader....I had the best of luck with Lee dies, the price is right, and they don't tend to bend or break the primer removal pins like I had with RCBS and Lyman and Hornady...Also, RCBS small base dies tend to work the base too much, and over work the brass there. With the price of surplus going up, I think a lot of shooters will turn to reloading....and you can use premium bullets like soft points or hollow points instead of FMJ....