To anyone shooting a 7mm Dakota: What dies are you using? How do you like them? Am cosidering building a Dakota 7 and the only companies I see making dies for it are RCBS and Redding. Has anybody ever made a 7mm Dakota with a 40 degree Ackley shoulder? I think Pacific Tool would make the reamer but don't know where I could get the custom die. Any thoughts?

I can't imagine why you'd want to put a 40 deg Ackley shoulder on the 7 Dakota. I works quite well just like it is.
My dies are RCBS and they work just fine. I imagine the Reddings would be about the same if maybe nicer finished and more expensive.....................DJ

Why not Ackley? I'm sure that there are plenty who would make same the argument for the 25-06 and 280 working "quite well" the way they were originally designed. Its just a thought. I agree that it is impractical but then again, is anything practical ever really fun?

I see the 7 Dakota as a very sweet balanced round that works extremely well. I think if it hadn't been made by a small proprietary manufacturer I think it would be extremely popular.

I just don't see a 40deg shoulder as an improvement. And an expensive non-improvement at that. Fireforming $2 each cases is a little different than .25cent ones.....................DJ

I agree with DJ on the AI version vs as is.

I also use RCBS and they work fine, I am only loading for one rifle in that caliber, so I've tweaked the die set to be just like I want, and I get really consistent ammo with them.

If doing it again, I might wait and send in a couple fired cases to Hornady and have a set of custom dies done by them.

My 7 Dakota is really consistent with a wide range of loads, I like it a lot.

I'm sorry. You already ahve a case with 89grs of capacity and minimun taper and 30deg shoulder. A 40 won't give you much if anything. Except higher cost for dies, reamer.

I have a 7mm Dakota on a Ruger #1. I use std. Redding dies. It does anything I can ask of the round from close to far w/ 160gr-175gr bullets.