I must be an old time reloader,I still use some HERTERS' reloading dies.Anyone remember HERTERS ?

sir; i do not use herter's dies but have 3 measures, a model 39, 40 and 65. i use the 39 the most. i enjoy using older equipment, finally found a bonanza 68 press, neat loading 38/40 using an old redding no. 1 scale, herters measure, and old redding diesand the bonanza press. i shoot to empty the cases.

I have a couple of sets in my die box. - Dan

Sure, I have a number of Herter's dies. Back in the 1960's when C & H or RCBS were selling from $9.95 to $13 a set, standard Herter's dies were $4.95. And they were quite serviceable. The Herter's die parts would typically interchange with the contemporary C & H parts. I don't know if this is still true, since I haven't ever used a C & H die less than about 25 years old.

There was a Herter's spinoff mail order company for a while called Ruhr-American. Their products were identical to Herters.

I have a set of "Always first with everything new" Herter's dies in .338 Win. They are probably the crudest looking set of dies I've ever seen, but, unbelievably, they turn out excellent, accurate ammo! I also still have about 1/2 a box of Herter's 275-grain .338 roundnose bullets from the 1960's. (NOT the "wasp-waste" variety!)



Also have 3 volumes of Herter's BULL COOK AND AUTHENTIC HISTORICAL RECIPES AND PRACTICES "cook books". Fascinating stuff! Should have kept one of the old Herter's catalogs too, the "MAD MAGAZINE OF THE MAIL-ORDER WORLD"!!

Cole,
Yesterday,I loaded another batch of cartridges for my 30 Carbine;with the Herter's seating die. Along the way,I bought a carbide sizer and a Lee crimper,to modernize my equipment,but the old Herter's are still turning out good ammo.
I'm still using Herter's dies in three other calibers,as well.
Frank

Yes,

They look bad on the outside, but they are great on the inside. I have loaded 270 Win ammo for 34 year on a set, and shot out two barrels with the ammo they have made. (I would guess about 18-000-20,000 rounds) I like mine.

I have a number of Herter reloading dies. Purchased most of them between 1961 and 1968. I picked up a couple more sets at gun shows or in trades. One of the sets is a 30/06 "Match" Die set with the "many adjective" Herters name. They are nicely finished on the outside (much better than the "Standard" Herter's Dies) and very nicely finished on the inside. They load very accurate ammo. and I have never had any trouble with them. The "Standard" dies are not as nice on the outside, but, are well finished on the inside and load accurate ammo. and do not seem to wear much at all. These were the "low priced" alternative before "Lee" became popular. As far as I know, Herter's mail order business suffered badly after the GCA of 1968. They also use to sell some very nice, low cost, semi-finished stocks (that needed a lot of finishing) that had well seasoned and very nice to beautiful wood in them.

Allow me please to take a bow....It was I that designed them for manufacture by Automatic Engineering and Manufacturing of Fridley Minnesota in 1972 after manufacturing was changed from another manufacture. Herters didn't have drawings!!!!!

If you bought your dies from them prior to that date they was made by a company in western Minnesota.

I always thought they was a fairly good set of dies as I was also the QA person there.

I have a set in 32 Winchester Special that I have had and have used since the late sixties, they've always worked just fine.

I've got a couple of boxes of Herter's International Match Grade 6.5x55 ammo.
According to the box:

The Worlds Finest Ammunition
Ultra Magnum Velocity
International Grade Ammunition Less Than 1/20 Grain Powder Variation
156 Grain Soft Point Banana Peel Bullets
Most Perfect Mushrooming Bullets Made In The World

I've also got one their catalogs from the sixties. Man, those were this kid's favorite wishbook back then. My, how times have changed.

As a mater of fact yes i bought my barreled action
in 458 out that catal/ I still have one down stairs. its very yellow now its the 1967 Herter ..\
My god has it been that long .. i bought my Anton Zolie 12 ga. that year ordered it right from the compony to my door
ahh the good old days ..when a rifle cost only 139.00........to 159.00 and a winchester 30/30 was still under a 100.00 bucks ..


Sorry i was just day dreaming guys

Pottsy

I looked for my .375 HH dies after years of not using them and was startled to find that they are Herters! I sized a case and the FL die is working the brass way too much. I don't use that die much as I usually shoot cast bullets in that rifle and use a 378 Weatherby die to neck size only.

The Weatherby die is really well made and has double lock rings instead of a set screw. They are zinc or cadmium plated I would guess and have the look of a CH product.

Just yesterday I loaded some .30-06 cast bullet rounds with a set of Herter dies which I bought in 1958...what is that, 46 years ago?

Also have several Herter's "Universal dies"...they were a long, long, neck sizing & seating die with which one could load just about any length case of a particular bore...like the .30 Universal Die could be used for virtually every .30 from the .30-30 through the .30-378 (a wildcat in those days).

Am also working on my last 2,000-bullet ammo-can of Herter's 45 grain .224 bullets. They are still the most accurate bullet I have found for the Hornet, except for the new Hornady V-Max's. Some of you guys may remember that most of the Herter's bullet line was made by the Hi-Precision Bullet Company of Orange City, Iowa...which just happens to be the town Frank de Haas also called home. The best .25 bullet I ever used in my .25-06's was the 130 gr. RN that Hi-Precision made...

AC

I didn't relize there would be such a response. I find the bullet seating dies excellent. A sliding collar sits on top of the bullet and rides up into the die holding the bullet for perfect alinement.