quote:

The absolute best dies are Redding.

Quite a statement there! I can't help asking what criteria you used to make that kind of absolute judgement.

And what experience you have with other brands of dies that you find lacking??

No real preference as my reloading set up is pretty diverse.
Press: Lee Classic Cast. I am considering a CH “444” though because I want a bench top press
Dies: All my rifle dies are Redding or RCBS. I prefer Redding, just because I like the adjustment stems better. Pistol dies are all Lee
Shellholders: Redding, Lee and RCBS
Trimmer: Wilson/Sinclair
Powder Measure: RCBS Uniflow
Hand Primer: RCBS
Beam Scales: Dillon/Ohaus My other I think is an old Lyman because it orange, but I can only find the Ohaus name on it.
Tumbler: Cabela’s
Misc. Prep Tools: RCBS, Lyman, Sinclair, Lee
Stuck Case Remover: Hornady

I was stunned to check back and find zero votes for Lyman...

Ive been looking @ presses and seriously considering trying a Lyman. Does anyone here use the T-Mag turret? Comments good or bad?

The only thing I would add is if you reload for any factory WSM rifles, I would suggest a good steel frame press (RCBS, Redding, Lyman and others) with linkage that cams over as you WILL need it. I have never found the need for more than my RCBS Jr. press until I started reloading for semi-auto pistols and rifles.

I am buying more and more Lee products these days as Lee engineers seem to be very innovative. I don't shoot competition though, strictly sporting rifles and pistols. If I did shoot competively I would be on another band wagon.

I took Alberta Canuck's comments-compliments on the Lee Perfect Powder Measure to heart one day and bought one. The 22 dollar "nylon" bodied measure dispenses powder as accurately if not more so than my Redding powder measurer for a hell of alot less money.

I really don't see how one can beat the Lee Case Length Guages except for maybe speed. They are as precise as you can get for trimming.

Just my thoughts and suggestions.

If your just handloading high power rifles for typical hunting ranges it won't really matter because they all make servicable equipment and dies. The bullets you choose will have a much more significant effect on accuracy. I started with the Lee aniversary set and slowly upgraded from the plastic Lee equipment to steel from the other manufactures as money allowed. A lot of my choices depended on what was on sale or what was available when the money was burning in my pockets. Rcbs presses, Hornady and Herters scales, Redding powder measurer, rcbs priming tools, lee shell holders, rcbs case trimmer, rcbs case prep station and a hodge-podge of dies. If you want precision equipment for bench rest or long range accuracy you will need to be more finicky and the price will go up also.

My bias is to Hornady presses and dies. But I have used all of the list, and each have their strong points.

I now have "backup" dies for all of my most common calibers from Lee. They work, and if you have a die go south on you a week before you need ammo, it will get the job done.

Most of my stuff is RCBS - superb equipment and customer svc. I use a Lyman #55 powder msr, some Redding dies in hard to find calibres, and Lee dies (cause they're cheap) when I know I'm probably not going to load many rounds of that particular calibre. I use Pacific/Hornady progressive presses for my shotguns.