Quote: What's your opinion on Hornady dies versus RCBS and Redding?
Bob257
Can you say, "Crap"?
They are crap on so many levels it's hard to list them all. "Custom Grade New Dimension" is a bad joke.
In tens of thousands of handloaded rounds, the only decapping pin I ever broke was a Hornady. Of course they don't supply a spare with the die set. I've never broken a Redding or RCBS pin, yet they give you spare just in case.
The Hornady case neck expander set up is horrible. The eliptical ball might be a good idea if the decapping rod it is attached to was secured to the die in a robust fashion. It isn't. It "floats" within a nut that cannot be adequately tightened. The result is that the press leverage overcomes the locking force of the decapping rod nut. If your case neck is the slightly less than fully (and i mean "profusely") inside lubricated, the ball sticks in the neck and then you have a horror show getting it out. And a real horror show at that - - the decapping rod moves with the press handle when you try to force it out. Who wants to put that much lube inside the case? Redding and RCBS are never a problem, no matter how little lube is put inside the case neck - - the expander ball can always be forced out throw the basic press leverage. And I have had no problems with neck runout or case stretching with Redding or RCBS.
The Hornady bullet seating stem lacks a locking feature, at least on the 6 sets that I have had. So you have little or no repeatable precision in the bullet seating depth you set. Later sets I have seen have a stilly O-ring set inside the adjustment nut, providing a modicum of tension to your setting - - but not nearly enough. RCBS and Redding use a lock nut on top: once you set it and lock it, it stays put.
A small item, but the Hornady box is too big, takes up too much room, and has a fragile lid attachment that breaks easily.
The Hornady dies are rust-prone. All my dies are stored in toolheads in the same location. Every Hornady die has external rust on it. The RCBS and Redding have none.
I wouldn't except a Hornady die set for free. They are crap. Stick with RCBS and Redding, who not only make a superior die, but have excellent customer service as well.
Posts: 380 | Location: America the Beautiful | Registered: 23 May 2001
I agree the new Hornady Custom Grade dies have got to be a marketing ploy. I have broken RCBS, LEE, and, LYMAN decapping pins. My question about breaking a Hornnady decapping pin is, why didn't you send it back to them?
Posts: 355 | Location: Roanoke, Virginia | Registered: 29 May 2003
I have more than twenty sets of RCBS dies and a few Redding dies.....and One Hornady die....I keep it only to remind me to never ever buy another set again...
The pistol dies are ok however.
Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
Quote: I have more than twenty sets of RCBS dies and a few Redding dies.....and One Hornady die....I keep it only to remind me to never ever buy another set again...
lmao you sound like me lolol...
I have tried Hornady dies and ill choose rcbs or redding any day.. It may have been just bad luck but on every Hornady die that I have used has giving me problems.. I had a 25/06 die that would stick cases for no reason at all.. I polished just like my other dies and still would get them stuck. Tried 3 different lubes but nothing I tried seem to work so I called Hornady and they said send them in and we will take a look.. Before i sent them back I went down to my local shop were I bought them and asked the guy that recommended them to me what he thought.. he took a look and said i'll send them back for ya but here take a new set and I will keep these.. Thought ok this is great went home with the new set and ran into the same trouble.. By now im getting really mad and needed to load this ammo.. So I left and went to my dads and borrowed his rcbs dies.. After resizing all my brass I decided to use there seater because I thought there floating seater was a neat idea.. Well I wasnt impressed at all.. No matter what bullet I tried what weight I tried the die would always ring my bullets not just a little ring either but enough to make it VERY noticeable.. So maybe it was just that run on 25/06 dies because I always heard good stuff from people that use them but my first take on them was just horrible.. Since then I havent been brave enough to buy another set becuse I really dont want to go through the hassel again.. I can say this I never had a problem like that with RCBS or Redding dies. I have damaged RCBS dies and like others have found out RCBS's customer service is the best there is even its your fault they will replace it no questions asked.. I dont think they would let you pay for it even if you wanted to lol..
I own one set of Hornady dies, in 25-06. I'll never buy another. Same exact problems as in the previous post. Stuck cases every other time. I even broke the edge of my reloading table trying to get a case out of the die. Also, the seating die 'rings' every bullet I've set with it. I'm glad to hear all of this - I thought maybe I just got a bad set since these were my first.
Hollywood
Posts: 286 | Location: Capitol City TX | Registered: 06 April 2003
My Hornady 357 mag sizer die wouldn't size the lower part of the cases down till the cases finally wouldn't chamber, obvious swelling at the case web - had to resize them all in a Lee die before I could use them again. The expander on my Hornady 8mm rifle die was very rough and I had to jerk the press handle rather stoutly to get the die to release the case. I don't trust Hornady anymore...Gary D.
Posts: 56 | Location: Western Washington, USA | Registered: 25 August 2003
I guess I've been lucky. Just got ticked off at my rcbs 30-06 dies cause I can't get consistant runnout before seating the bullet. (Most stuff was .002"-.004" and I worked and worked with the expander stem trying to get it centered). I ordered---you guessed it---another set of hornady dies and with just a little fiddling with the expander stem am getting .001" with win factory brass. I will admit they take a little more sizing effort for some reason but I'm about "6 for 6" on getting dies with no problems. Every one of my sets makes match grade runnout, and every case functions flawlessly in every gun. The finished case rivals everything my foresters can do. I will order them again for any calibers added to the gun safe.
Posts: 2002 | Location: central wi | Registered: 13 September 2002
For the money they are a very good buy.Here in Canada they are only a bit more than Lee dies.I like their design,which they share with Lee,of holding the expander with a collet.It centers the expander rod better than a thread.Redding just makes their expander rod self-aligning.Hornady lock rings are nice,as is their outside finish.However I find them unlucky ,both rifle that I bought them for required a fair bit of work.
Posts: 480 | Location: B.C.,Canada | Registered: 20 January 2002
I haven't had any problems with my 6mmRem. or 308Win. Hornady dies, my 6mm shoots under 1/2" pretty consistantly, so I guess the runout is fine, sized quite a few 6mms and didn't notice any problems in that dept. either. Jay
Posts: 1745 | Location: WI. | Registered: 19 May 2003
I love Hornady dies...got only 2 sets, though-309JDJ and 416 Rem Mag. the seater die is far and above the RCBS dies. I have a set of 6.5-06 Imp dies coming..too bad I couldn't get Hornady Dies..instead, I went with CH4D over high priced RCBS. Don't get me wrong, RCBS has FANTASTIC customer service..I just like Honady more.
Posts: 504 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: 09 December 2001
i havw 3 sets--223,257 roberts BS 7-30..I ACTUALLY LIKE THEIR SEATING DIE BUT THE SIZING DIE STINKS, ABOUT EVERY 100 TOUNDS THE DECALLING PIN STAYS IN THE CASE NO MATTER HOW TIGHT YOU HAVE THE NUT,, I JUST USE REDDINNG DIES NOW FOR SIZING BUT STILL USE THE HORNADY'S FOR SEATINGM SO I GUESS I HAVE CHEEP DIES AT REDDING COMPETATION PRICES..IF YOU DON'T WANT 2 SETS OF DIES JUST START WITH REDDING..
Posts: 1125 | Location: near atlanta,ga,usa | Registered: 26 September 2001
Well this is interesting. I have a set of Hornady's in 30-06, and I have been very suspect of them. After reading all that has been posted here, both good and bad, I think I'll buy a set of Lee's for the 06 and see if they give me better results. I have had very good results with the Lee's. The sizing dies are hard to work, and the seating die gives me fits.
Posts: 8421 | Location: adamstown, pa | Registered: 16 December 2003
I have a set of Hornady dies in 243Win. I hate the sizer die due to the case stretching I get from it. The seater is OK, but nothing to write home about. Given a choice of Hornady or Lee, I would pick the Lee every time.
Rick
Posts: 178 | Location: North Alabama | Registered: 15 June 2002
,both rifle that I bought them for required a fair bit of work.
