Nature Boy
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
- Messages
- 8,258
I recently recieved Widden Gunworks click adjustable full length sizing die for my .308 and I figured I’d share my observations.
Up until now I’ve been using the standard Dillon die and it’s severed me well. My goal for switching was to have a die that minimizes run out, which I had read the Widden die does.
You begin my sending Widden 3 fired cases from the rifle you’re loading for and they make a custom die for it based upon the dimensions of those cases. You can also send them the drawing of the reamer that cut your chamber and they will machine the die to it.
Approximately 2 months later and $168 dollars poorer heres what I got.
The die comes with a head space comparator you attach to your calipers to measure shoulder bump and instructions for set up. Following these I screwed the die down till it touched the shell plate then backed it off 1/3 of a turn and sized a case. Shoulder set back measured 0.004 and I’m looking for 0.002. Here’s where the click adjustable part comes into play.
Dillion die on top, Widden die on bottom. There are ball detents in th locking ring that engage those longitudinal cuts in the thread. Each “click” is supposed to correspond to a 0.001 change in shoulder set back so I give it 2 clicks and size another case. Sure enough, it came out to 0.002 shoulder bump. After locking it down I doubt I’ll need to use that feature very often but I can appreciate the ingenuity that went into it.
The Widden die also has a mandrel instead of a ball for forming the neck diameter, which that say will yield 0.002 in neck tension. Here’s the difference between it and the Dillon (on top)
I made a dummy round out of the test case and measured run out to be <0.001. We will see if that holds up over larger volumes. If so, not having to check run out will make the purchase worth it.
Finally, I chambered the dummy round and it fit the chamber, but noticably tighter than with brass fromed with the Dillon die.
Next I will take a number of Dillon formed and Widden formed brass to the range and see if there’s any discernable difference between the two as it relates to accuracy and consistency
Up until now I’ve been using the standard Dillon die and it’s severed me well. My goal for switching was to have a die that minimizes run out, which I had read the Widden die does.
You begin my sending Widden 3 fired cases from the rifle you’re loading for and they make a custom die for it based upon the dimensions of those cases. You can also send them the drawing of the reamer that cut your chamber and they will machine the die to it.
Approximately 2 months later and $168 dollars poorer heres what I got.
The die comes with a head space comparator you attach to your calipers to measure shoulder bump and instructions for set up. Following these I screwed the die down till it touched the shell plate then backed it off 1/3 of a turn and sized a case. Shoulder set back measured 0.004 and I’m looking for 0.002. Here’s where the click adjustable part comes into play.
Dillion die on top, Widden die on bottom. There are ball detents in th locking ring that engage those longitudinal cuts in the thread. Each “click” is supposed to correspond to a 0.001 change in shoulder set back so I give it 2 clicks and size another case. Sure enough, it came out to 0.002 shoulder bump. After locking it down I doubt I’ll need to use that feature very often but I can appreciate the ingenuity that went into it.
The Widden die also has a mandrel instead of a ball for forming the neck diameter, which that say will yield 0.002 in neck tension. Here’s the difference between it and the Dillon (on top)
I made a dummy round out of the test case and measured run out to be <0.001. We will see if that holds up over larger volumes. If so, not having to check run out will make the purchase worth it.
Finally, I chambered the dummy round and it fit the chamber, but noticably tighter than with brass fromed with the Dillon die.
Next I will take a number of Dillon formed and Widden formed brass to the range and see if there’s any discernable difference between the two as it relates to accuracy and consistency
