Hello partners, a question: For the caliber 300 Weatherby Magnum: what dies mark is better RCBS or Hornady?.

Only that thank you,

Oscar.

Either will do the job for you.

If I had the option, I would buy Forster dies over Hornady or RCBS. But given you asked about these two brands, I like the Hornady seating die a bit better than the RCBS. I like Hornady's elliptical expander better than RCBS'. I much prefer the way the RCBS decapping stem is fixed in the sizer. I much prefer the Hornady die lock rings compared to RCBS.

- mike

RCBS, only because they have been around longer and supply custom forming dies. http://www.huntingtons.com/ Have not used Hornady.

I believe both are of equal quality but I like the boxes the RCBS dies come in better. Hornady makes all their dies the same size. In other words, a 223 die is going to be the same size as a 300 Weatherby die so their boxes have to be larger to accommodate the dies.

If you are getting standard dies, then I would agree that Hornady seating dies are better than RCBS since the bullet is guided and supported as it's being seated.

Anyway, I'll try this time with Hornady dies, as I have for my 458 Lott the RCBS dies and I like a lot, so I want to try something new. I hope I do not regret, by the way, thank you very much everybody.

Oscar.

I started reloading about a year back. My friends told me to go with RCBS dies but I bought Forester dies. I've had some problems (might be about beginner reloader but I didn't have probs with RCBS dies I already had} I even sent them back to Forester and had them check them out.

I really like the forester seater dies with micro adjust for seating depth but wonder if I would have been better served with basic RCBS dies in the first place; and I have to hear my buddies remind me they said to go with RCBS dies in the first place.

quote:

Originally posted by Zhurh:
... I bought Forester dies. I've had some problems

What problems did you encounter??

- mike

ovny--If it aint broke don't fix it. You like RCBS dies you have--stick with them.

I used both and prefer Hornady new dimension.

The elliptical expander will save you a lot of case neck stretching and grief. Just my opine!

I like both and have dislikes with both, like the Hornady seater and as I have many calibers of inserts I use them for most seating jobs. I don't like the Hornady decapping stem adjustment.
So there are trade offs.

quote:

what dies mark is better RCBS or Hornady?.

RCBS.....nuff sed!

quote:

what dies mark is better RCBS or Hornady?.

Hornady.....nuff sed!

I have about 50/50 RCBS and Hornady. I had started having all RCBS. Then as I started doing more wildcats I found Hornady easier to deal with having custom dies made.

I would have no trouble using either one for a 300WBY

Neither of the two, it's Redding.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

what dies mark is better RCBS or Hornady?.

Hornady.....nuff sed!

I have about 50/50 RCBS and Hornady. I had started having all RCBS. Then as I started doing more wildcats I found Hornady easier to deal with having custom dies made.

I would have no trouble using either one for a 300WBY

And I'd agree that for wildcats the Hornady folks are good to work with and reasonable priced.

For everything else.....I'm sticking with dies that don't require a pipe wrench and a set of box/ends

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinJ:
Neither of the two, it's Redding.

+1

RCBS not too long ago changed their dies. Before, when they were better dies, they were finished in the raw metal form. Today they have coating on them and they are cheaper dies. The sizing dies crack much easier. I've taken newer cracked RCBS dies and once you get through the hard coating ( and probably the surface hardening) they machine pretty dang easy on the lathe. The old RCBS weren't like that at all. The main thing I don't like about Hornady dies is the sliding bullet guide sleeve. Eventually, after repeated dropping down when extracted your loaded cartridge, that sleeve will override that pitiful snap spring they put on the die to retain it. It's even worse when seating cast bullets and the slightly fatter cast bullet sticks in the sleeve putting more down force on the sleeve. That sleeve has also cracked on a set of 45 pistol dies and Hornady said on certain calibers it's been a problem.

Another good die is Forster, but they don't handle a long list of rifle calibers and they don't make pistol calibers....funny too since they bought out Bonanza which carried both. Redding has remained the same over the years....a damn good die.

MHO, First I'm not in any way complaining about Forester, when I called; they told me to send them back and they would check them out. They sent them back and said they were fine. I guess they had just printed up a new paper (the one they send with dies) due to some of the problems they were having with people new to reloading. I'm using them, but I personally don't feel as confident as I do with the RCBS dies I've accumulated over the years. My friends keep telling me didn't I tell ya to just get the RCBS, ha ha.

We live out in the sticks along Yukon, our road is closed for winter, and most people around here use Lee. I've been relying on friends over the phone when I run into probs. I bought Redding Ultramag press, mostly Redding case prep tools, scales, ect. Got forester primer seater and bought 6 set of forester dies. Picked up 10K primers, 50 lb powder, and a few thou bullets from midway. Probably spent 4 gran or better on everything but figured I then could forget about ever running out or being taxed, ha ha.

Prob had was setting & keeping expander ball adjusted. After screwing some brass up and also sizer die, I think I got it figured out. I've loaded 700 shells from 6.8 to 30-378 and shoots fine. The guy from Forester thought maybe expander ball was off, but I measured and seemed ok, anyway I'm using them but if I had to do it over again, I'd went with what my friends told me to go with, RCBS ha ha. Forester is a good bunch of people, I just haven't had any probs with my RCBS dies and I did with forester. I do like their micro adjust seater die and have used them no probs.

So was probably my own dumb fault, not forester, but I'll probably buy RCBS nx time I buy a die and continue to use the foresters. Maybe when I get good enough, I'll admit it was me, not the forsters, ha ha.

We've had a month of minus 30-40 F since November. It went up to plus 12 today. I was shooting off the back porch T bench 100 yards. Everything went bang and was happy enough I started reloading, forester dies and all. Between the junior world cup hockey games, I'm shooting the nx few days while it stays warm. Usa Vs Switz tomorrow;;;; GO USA

quote:

The main thing I don't like about Hornady dies is the sliding bullet guide sleeve

The Hornady dies are pitiful. I've had the stupid bullet seating die crush cases full of powder while seating bullets. They've since been replaced with Redding competition seaters.

quote:

Originally posted by Zhurh:
We live out in the sticks along Yukon, our road is closed for winter, and most people around here use Lee. ... I bought Redding Ultramag press, mostly Redding case prep tools, scales, ect. Got forester primer seater and bought 6 set of forester dies. Picked up 10K primers, 50 lb powder, and a few thou bullets from midway. ...

Prob had was setting & keeping expander ball adjusted.

Zhurh, I'm glad you seem to have overcome your problems with the Forster dies. I can certainly see the advantage of a low-or-no-problem setup when one lives out in the sticks. I does sound like you bought yourself a great setup, though.

I happen to HATE expanders, so one of the advantages that Forster dies offer to me, is that for 10$ plus postage Forster will hone the inside of your sizer neck to the dimension you specify, which in turn will allow you to size without an expander. Voila, the road to minimal runout on top of very smooth sizing! In addition to that, the Forster seater is a best-buy when it comes to price/quality. But, there is more than one way to skin a cat, in particular in reloading.

Have fun with your hockey games. I guess I'll have to root for the Swiss then - "Hopp Schwyz!!"

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:

quote:

The main thing I don't like about Hornady dies is the sliding bullet guide sleeve

The Hornady dies are pitiful. I've had the stupid bullet seating die crush cases full of powder while seating bullets. They've since been replaced with Redding competition seaters.

Go man, you give me upset, because I just ask that you send me the Hornady dies for the 300 Weatherby. As I said, I hope not to have to repent. I will tell you.

Oscar.

Hornady seating dies, if inverted, can get the seating plug stuck above the sliding sleeve, keeping the sliding sleeve from retracting properly, which will buckle a case. This happens most often when they are used on a hand press, which may not remain vertical. It is generally not a problem on a conventional bench-mounted press.

I have had very good results with Hornady dies, particularly the seating dies, but I like Forster better, since their sleeve engages the whole case body, not just the case neck as on the Hornady seater. I like Hornady for handgun cartridges, because Forster does not make handgun dies.

Andy

quote:

I like Hornady for handgun cartridges,

They are really good!....I agree.

MHO, Thanks for the Forrester info on getting around expander issue. I still have 223, 270, 338 mag, 300 mag Forrester dies to try out; if & when I have problems I'll call them and send them off.

Switz/USA is about to start. Sure hope I don't see a repeat of earlier game. Sweden beat Canada in a Shoot Out. Man Canada will be unbeatable in the nx round. Go turn the game on, Junior Hockey worlds can't be beat; best young kids under 20 that exist; future NHLers

I like the micrometer adjustment option for the Hornady dies.
It is removable and you use it for ALL of your Hornady dies. Record the Mic.# and add it to your load data and the next time you load all you need do is return the mic. to the die and set for depth....

Yes it works.

I'm fine useing a real wrench to tighten my sizeing die collet nut....RCBS = pliers..yuk!

Thanks to all and Happy Year 2011. I am going to prove the Hornady and I will tell how they have proved.

A greeting,

Oscar.

quote:

Originally posted by ovny:
Hello partners, a question: For the caliber 300 Weatherby Magnum: what dies mark is better RCBS or Hornady?.

Only that thank you,

Oscar.

I have both Hornady and RCBS dies sets. I like both, but must say the seater dies of Hornady makes it a better choise.

Hello and first of all thanks for your answer. The dies Hornady that I have bought second-hand sound, but they are in good condition. Why do you say that there are a better election the Hornady than the RCBS?

A greeting and thank you,

Oscar.

Many people, including myself, prefer Hornady over RCBS because newer Hornady dies have the floating seating collar, while RCBS dies do not. The collar supports the bullet and helps keep it straight as it is being pushed into the case mouth.

quote:

The Hornady dies are pitiful. I've had the stupid bullet seating die crush cases full of powder while seating bullets. They've since been replaced with Redding competition seaters.

I concur with that. Hornaday seater appears to be the cats meow in engineering design but it aint. The set I had the whole contraption was too loose, in tolerances, too many part and I had bent necks and bullets started crooked, bad seater ram profile too. Hornaday even sent me new parts for that set , same problems
That Hornaday set I replaced with a RCBS set and it solved the problems



.

Zhurh, the expander ball you had "trubble" with was only because Forster makes it adjustable for better results. No others do that so the others are, by that fact, simplier even tho they don't normally do quite as good a job. Stick with the Forsters. Even if you just screw the exander down to the "normal" location they work well and the Forster SEATERS are the best type available (Redding's is simply a copy).

I've been reloading a LONG time and have some 50+ die sets in 32 calibers and a dozen or so brands. One of the things I've learned is no one brand has a lock on making better or worse dies, on average, than anyone else. Some work slightly different than others but they really aren't very complicated devices so it's quite easy to use them propberly for great results.

Fact is, all dies are quite good. Most of use have a favorite brand simply because we know how to use them almost without thought and get the results we like. Others have different favorties for the same reason!