redding body die.

[wj kerr]

Good evening all.Could someone explain the way the redding body die works does it only bump the shoulder back a hair or does it work the whole case.Also is there any special way to ajust it in the press ive heard redding competion shell holders are a big help when using this body die.the press is a redding big boss . many thanks in advance.wj kerr.

 

[243winxb]

The body die is same as a FL die, it just does not touch the neck area. For info on how to adjust your die, look here. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11470/guntechdetail/Gauging_Success___Minimum_Headspace_and_Maximum_COL

 

[USSR]

The Redding body die resizes the whole case from the shoulder down. You adjust just like you do any FL sizing die - the further down you screw it into your press, the more you bump your shoulder back. I use it in conjunction with my Redding Competition neck sizing die with bushings to FL size brass. The beauty of this setup is, you don't use an expander ball.

Don

 

[ranger335v]

A body die coupled with a Lee Collet Neck Sizer is the best possible "SIZE" die for factory rifles, in my opinion.

I suppose Redding's "competition" shell holder set works fine but it seems a pricey solution for a very small 'problem.' If the loader understands his dies, has a case shoulder gage of some type and knows how to use them, no such shell holders are needed. And it seems the case gage is required to properly choose and use the shell holders too, so that's a wash.

Actually, cases vary enough that attempts to size shoulders with an accuracy of a thou seems pointless.

 

[Walkalong]

Actually, cases vary enough that attempts to size shoulders with an accuracy of a thou seems pointless

True for mixed range brass, or poor quality brass, but with a set of best quality brass all treated the same and shot the same number of times, it's quite doable, although there will be an occasional cranky case that wants to be different.

For general rifle shooting, keeping it at exactly the same isn't needed. Bump the shoulder enough so the occasional, cranky/stiffer/springier case still gets bumped enough.

Don't mix dead soft new or annealed brass with work hardened brass. Monitor the shoulder position each time as it will change slowly as the set of brass work hardens over time and doesn't bump back as far for the same sizer position. That is one reason some target shooters anneal often.

For Benchrest I would bump the shoulder .001 or less, but I was using a small set of brass (15 to 20) that had been carefully prepped when new out of possibly the best brass there is for competition (Lapua), and it would all be fired continuously, changing as a group together. As Don posted he wis doing earlier, I was seating into the lands using very light neck tension. It was very easy to tell if a bullet seated differently. If one did it was used as a fouler or sighter.

I would never try to load 300 High Power cases while bumping the shoulder that minimally. I would shoot for bumping the shoulder back about .002 or .003, and take what I got.

 

[Dave P]

I find the redding body die a very handy item - not unusual for me to find some ammo I loaded long ago, and finding it too long to fit a particular rifle. This die lets me shorten the HS.

This die with the comp shell holders let me set the headspace of the cartridge very accurately. You can use on a case, or on a loaded cartridge.

And if I did not sell my neck/bushing die years ago , I too would use it like Don suggests!