40-65 Dies that I have

2 sets of RCBS .410 Cowboy dies
1 modified RCBS Cowboy sizer
2 sets of Lyman .408 dies
2 Sets of Redding 40-65 dies
1 set of RCBS .406 dies (1966 original 40-65)
Lee Factory Crimp die
Redding Competition Seater
Extra .409 and .410 expanders
Redding trim die

I borrowed a CH die set. The sizer seemed to be tight like the Redding.


My actual using dies are not a set

1. Modified RCBS sizer (base cut off .030)
2. Extra expander with .410 plug
3. Redding competition seater
4. Lee Factory Crimp

FL Sizer (neck diameters)
Both Lyman & RCBS Cowboy sizer necks are .421.
The old RCBS sizer neck is .4175
The Reddings sizers are .416 trim die incuded

Seaters - Max bullet diameter

Lyman .412
RCBS Cowboy .412
Redding .410
Old RCBS .408

I currently use .410 bullets in a .408 bore rifle. My next project is to buy a barrel lap and lap a sizer to give only about .001 expansion when a bullet is seated.

As you can see the Lyman and Cowboy dies are set up for larger bullets even though one says .408 and the other .410.

The old RCBS seater is too tight for my .410 bullets but I can use it smaller bullet tests.

The standard Redding seaters have a very short bullet guide diameter only about .100 long.

SR4759,
That is interesting and helpful.
You are a sick man. Takes one to know one.
Sounds like what I do with .338 Lapua Magnum dies for my "smokeless" wildcats from .308 to .510-caliber.
I have a collection of custom and homemade dies for those.
I hope my sickness for 40-65 Winchester never gets as bad as yours.

I was kind of shocked when I tallied all of it.
After Browning discontinued the 1885 BPCR about 1999 or 2000 there was a lot of 40-65 cheap stuff floating around.

Fortunately I only have 4 molds for it.

I have tried the 400 grain Lyman Snoover bullet from 4 different sources and none shoot very well - meaning much better than 2" at 110 meters. Same goes for some 400 grain Saeco-Redding bullets. I have a Saeco mold that I have not tried but I am not expecting it to do well.
The best bullet by a mile is a NEI 325 grain bullet that was apparently supposed to be .405 dia and turned out .410. A friend bought that mold to use with a Remington Hepburn. He cast a lot of bullets then got rid of all of his .40-70 SS stuff.

I was thinking of getting a redding seater but the person I talked to at redding said it would not work with a .410 bullet. I have expanders from .4078 to .410 in .0005 increments for different neck tension that I use in Lee dies. What is your thoughts on the redding seater?

My Redding Competition seater has the spring loaded seating punch in the top of the die with a micrometer to adjust it.

The punch measures .4115 over the bearing length of about 7/8". That bearing length is a ground finish.

The bore the punch is fitted in has a honed finish. The bottom end of the bore is .414 and the top end is .4125. If you take care to keep the bullet lube cleaned out it should work with a .410 bullet. It is such a close fit that it will not take much lead residue or bullet lube to gum it up.

My die has really bad 7/8 - 14 threads that leave it loose in the press. It seems to work ok in spite of the slop but I am going to send it back and get it replaced.

The 2 standard Redding seaters that I have do measure .410 in the seating bore and that bore is only about .100 long. As is you might have some trouble with .410 bullets dragging in the seater body.

I have 2 batches of ammo loaded.
One is the Snover 400 grain bullet with about .200 length of .410 diameter ahead of the case mouth. The Snover bullet is a .full .410 and it hangs on the inside of the bullet guide bore unless you run the die up and the seater punch down.
The other bullet is an NEI which is about .409 to .4095 on the front driving band. The bullet is .410 on the bottom 1/2". This bullet has a little bit of lube over the upper half of the bearing surface because it is about .409 and the lube leaked around it during sizing. This lube drags in the seater bore and drags off in the die. This bullet would also work with the die body elevated about .300 from the shell holder with the seater ran down about .300 to keep the bullet out of the seater bore.

The short seater bore is .410 and would be easy to open up with a barrel lap.

Both Redding die types should be excellent given good threads.
The conventional die might have to be opened up .001 if you use .410 bullets that are allowed to reach up into the seating bore.

I guess I prefer the Redding Competition seater due to the sliding seating punch and the micrometer type adjustment. It is mostly an ease of use preference.

I once saw a Forster cal. .303 British Benchrest seater that had been modified for the .40-65. Naturally several bidders pushed it north of $45 so I did not get it. I really did not know how precise it was chambered. Given my preference I think I would make a .40-65 out of a Forster Ultra seater.

Thanks, gives me a good mental picture of loading with the redding.

Dear Girl shooting Dear 40-65 added since I last looked:

To supplement my RCBS 3-die set and a couple of Lyman single dies, I ordered all the 40-65 related stuff at Track of the Wolf I could find:
Lee 3-die set, Lyman 3-die set, .408 and .410 neck expanders to fit Lee die, and powder compression plug to fit lee die, wad punch, etc.
Sick!

By the time you do that for 4 or 5 BPCR rounds it really adds up.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Dear Girl shooting Dear 40-65 added since I last looked:

To supplement my RCBS 3-die set and a couple of Lyman single dies, I ordered all the 40-65 related stuff at Track of the Wolf I could find:
Lee 3-die set, Lyman 3-die set, .408 and .410 neck expanders to fit Lee die, and powder compression plug to fit lee die, wad punch, etc.
Sick!