I started using Redding dies about 15+ years ago. Not exclusively, but 95% of the new dies I have bought since then have been made by Redding.
Previously (for the previous 28 years or so since I started reloading) I had used RCBS dies and tools for the vast majority of my reloading needs. Why I diverted over to Redding I think was based on some not so concentric ammo that I was turning out - like I say this was about 15+ years ago.
The Redding dies have worked out very well for me and I have never had a problem with any of the many (25+) sets of them I have now.
I just now came up from my loading room where I was loading for a new Rifle I recently purchased. It is in caliber 220 Swift - one of my all time favorite cartridges!
Anyway I acquired this new Rifle in early September and had fired it with Swift ammunition I had on hand for a couple of other Swifts I have owned for some time. Then just recently I bought a standard two die set of Redding 220 Swift dies ($27.50 - Sportsmans Warehouse Missoula, Montana) specifically to use just for this Rifle.
Well I have the barrel of my new Rifle broke in now so I decided to load only 10 rounds up with the new brass I recently bought. The 10 rounds I thought would be somewhere to start in beginning to decide on a good Varmint load for this Rifle. Well when I got done loading the 10 cartridges I get a bug to see how "concentric" these Swift rounds are so I drag out my NECO Concentricity Gauge and get to measuring. Well in brief there was not much to measure! The first cartridge barely moved the gauges dial at all! The concentricity of the bullet in this round was .0003"! Yeah thats 3 TEN THOUSANDTHS! Way under what I consider as VERY concentric - .001" to .002"! I thought that has to be a freak deal! I quickly measured the other 9 rounds and the highest out of concentricity reading I got was .0013"! As a laugh (joke to myself!) I replaced that round in the press and tried to straighten it! LOL I thought its already straighter than 98% of the bullets I shoot. In fact I amazed myself some more as it did straighten up to being only .001" out of concentric! 8 of the 10 bullets were under .0007" out of perfect concentricity! I was impressed!
Now concentricity gauges can be (I have decided after years of using them) a tool that often times induces unwarranted stress and concern to your average Varminting type reloader (me!). I have had cartridges that are as much as .006" (average) out of round and they shot fine for me! But I will add that the more concentric the round the more likely it is to shoot very "accurately" (my definition of Rifle accuracy is being able to shoot under .500" five shot groups at 100 yards more often than not).
Anyway I may also have to add kudos to the W-W (Winchester - Western folks) who made the brass I am using and the Speer people who made the 52 gr. H.P./F.B. bullets I am using in these "super-straight" cartridges. They are also obviously produced under quality control guidance that is well in excess of what I expected!
Good for Redding! They have made (for $27.50) an extremely fine set of loading dies! I very much appreciate it!
Now also this - I am a VERY big Remington fan but my past experiences have "lernt" me that once those fine pieces of W-W brass have been fired once in my Remington 700's chamber I can pretty much say goodbye to quality concentricity that near perfect. Even the Redding dies I have used in the past just don't seem able to "straighten" out the brass enough to regain "new brass" concentricity levels.
I don't know why! And I am not actively seeking that answer either. I get great accuracy from my Remington Rifles and it takes a REAL calm day for me to notice at the range the differences that amunition out of concentric by more than .005" or .006" usually causes.
By the way my solution in the past for out of concentric ammo (above my standards) is simply to sell the dies and get new ones!
Again KUDOS to the folks at Redding! Good job! Buy American!
And this is not to berate the folks at RCBS I did buy a set of their dies recently in caliber 204 Ruger. They produced ammo that was under .003" out of concentric and that is good enough for me also.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

tell us more about the 220 swift. and most of all how it shoots those perfect reloads

Cummins cowboy: The new Swift is a Remington 700 VSSF model. It is the all stainless action and barrel model with fluted barrel and fiberglass stock. It has a silver Sightron 6x24 variable scope on it in Leupold silver rings and bases. I shot it a bit already with ammo from other Swifts I own and after a short barrel break in a few months ago I am ready to "groom" some loads for it. Back in September I did fire two 5 shot groups at 100 yards for record. One group measured .602" using Speer 52 gr. H.P./F.B. bullets and IMR 4064 powder and W-W brass. The other ammo produced a .743" group and used the Sierra 55 gr. Blitz bullet in Norma brass and again IMR 4064 powder.
I thought these were respectable groups as the ammo was crafted for other Swift Rifles.
The ammo I made yesterday for the new Swift will also be using the nifty Coyote killing Speer 52 gr. H.P./F.B. bullets. I carefully adjusted these bullets to be seated .004" off of the lands. To do this I used the wonderful Sinclair tool called (I think!) Sinclair Bullet OAL Length Gauge. It is very easy to produce ammunition using this tool that allows you to choose EXACTLY how far off (or into!) the leades of the rifling your chosen bullets will be. I highly recommend this tool and when I bought mine years ago it was only $17.00!
Great tool this one! And it has saved me (I am sure) lots of money and time and barrel wear in coming up with accurate loads quickly and easily.
Anyway I sure will let you know how the new rig shoots as soon as this wind quits! I was packed up and ready to hit the range yesterday when the air went from calm to howling in just minutes!
The dang wind here in Montana seems to know when I have some load testing to do!
I have two Rifles to test and there now appears to be at least two more days of wind in store.
I do now have access to a new 100 yard shooting range. It is really nice and uses a large abandoned irrigation canal as a wind break area! The section of canal is 100 yards long and a really cool shooting shack with tilt window keeps the shooter comfy! The bad news is its 14 miles away (which is actually pretty close in Montana distance comparisons!). I don't think even this cool range can adequately protect my bullets from the steady winds ranging from 22 to 28 MPH!
I will stay busy prepping brass and with other chores til the conditions improve significantly.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think your on the right track playing with seating depts. The first thing I like to do is pick a bullet, Have you tried the vmax or blitzkings, these shoot well in everything I have tried. I think too much is made on the powder charge being the most important accuracy factor.

(empty)

Cummins cowboy: I have only tried the ballistic tip type bullets in one of my 4 Swift Varminters to date. It was the Nosler 55 gr. Ballistic Tip bullet and it shot well in that Rifle. But it shot only as well as the 55 gr. Sierra Blitz bullets that I have used for so long and they (the Sierras are so much cheaper! So I decided to stick with the Sierra Blitz (#1345) - not the Sierra BlitzKing (ballistic tip type). Anyway I have been so happy for so long with the Sierra Blitz bullets for Colony Varmints that I think I will keep using them. By staying with the cheaper bullets (the Sierra Blitz's vs. the Nosler Ballistic Tips) in my chosen Varminters I probably only save $40.00 - $50.00 a year. But I am a notorious penny pincher (pound foolish!) type.

Yes I do use a bunch of V-Max's and Ballistic Tips every year for Colony Varmints in many other cartridges just not the Swift at present!

You should see what the Sierra Blitz bullets do to an adult Prairie Dog or a double chubby Rock Chuck at 275 yards! Well let it suffice to say - ITS IMPRESSIVE!

More later

Hold into the wind

VarmintGuy

Swede44mag: In my larger calibered Rifles yes I often measure just the far side of one bullet hole to the near side of the furthest bullet hole away. And measure on the diagonal that gives the "smallest" reading.

Many of my smaller calibered Varmint Rifles will produce groups that need to be measured from outside edge to opposing outside edge then I subtract not the CALIBER but the actual measurement of a single bullet hole. I can't explain how but .224" bullets make a hole in my heavy target paper of between .205" and .210"! So I subtract the correct amount only - not the caliber! What this does is it allows you to find more correctly the actual "center to center" measurement!

I will try to illustrate my contention as this sometimes confuses folks!

Say my favorite 22 BR is really packin them in one calm day and I shoot a one holish looking group that measures .398" outside to outside (remember I use the .224 caliber bullets in this rig)!

Then I find a single hole on that or that type paper made by the chosen bullet and measure it outside to outside. Illustration - I find the measurement that day for one hole is .205". If I were to subtract .224" from the "group measurement" of .398" I would come up with an incorrect "center to center" measurement of .174"! When the true center to center measurement would be .398" minus .205" - or .193"!

I will gladly try to re-explain my measuring technique if this confuses you (or anyone else!).

Yes most all of my bullets in the medium to small calibers (.26, .25, .24. .22, .20 and .17 calibers) make smaller holes than the actual bullet size! Take that into consideration when measuring when need be.

This phenomenon can be ignored when the goup is large enough to measure far egde of one furthest bullet to the near edge of its opposing (furthest away) bullet. You are in effect measuring center to center as both bullet holes should have made the same size hole in the paper!

I should also mention I use my Brown & Sharpe dial calipers that measure to .001" and I often look at the stainless blades under a magnifying lamp to find the correct distance and then I look at the dial for the measurement reading. This can be surprisingly repeatable and when I do repeat the procedure I am usually within 3 or 4 thousandths of an inch each time I measure and compute.

That is one shooting machine your 300 WM! Good for you!

I am notoriously "recoil conscious" and I long ago sold a wonderful pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in that caliber! It kicked like a Missouri Mule! I wish I had it back now though! They are very collectable arms.

More later

Hold into the wind

VarmintGuy