BrianA

Does anybody have some experience with these dies? They sound great, but I would like to hear from someone that has had either good or bad experiences with them.

bigcountry

Yep, they work as advertised, but after trying couldn't really find thier need. After you trim, you should be able to fire most brass 3 times, before another trimming. After 4 or 5 shootings, I usually toss anyway. If your one of these guys that likes stretching brass life to 10-12 firings, it would be worth it.

If I start getting bad accuracy, I like to eliminate variables. And neck tension is a varible.

Roskoe

I have not used the RCBS X dies, but the Lee Collet dies are very similar in concept - and have produced some of the most accurate ammunition I have ever loaded. I'm not really a penny pincher when it comes to reloading equipment, but these bargin neck dies really work. Also great for any Ackley Improved cartridge; as the die will not touch the body or shoulder of the case.

bigcountry

Roskoe, I don't think the collets stop brass growth do they. They never have on my brass.

johnch

I use several X dies and I realy like them.
It works as avertised .

I also use LEE collet dies , it works on a different idea.
It just compresses the neck onto the depriming rod and leaves the rest of the case untouched .

Some times you will get case strech from the expander ball being pulled thru the neck , the LEE collet die stops this.

Both work , but in different ways.

Johnch

Roskoe

BC - I have only used them on my various Ackley Improved rifles; and those simply don't grow. In fact, they shrink on the first firing - and then just stay there after that. I would like to add, however, that I have had to do a little tweaking on the de-prime rod that goes through the neck on the Lee Collet dies a couple of times. If bullet tension in not sufficient after resizing the neck, shave a couple of thousands off the rod (in a lathe of course) where the collet squeezes againstthe neck. Roskoe

BrianA

Thanks guys for you replies. The use of these dies would just be for producing plinking ammo for a .223. If it were for hunting or precision target shooting, I would not worry. I just wanted to speed up the process for a high volume of rounds.

mounting man

The directions,of the X-dies,states you must trim .020,off of new cases???? The cases would be kind of short,to begin with,don't you think??????
IMHO,by the time cases grow .020 and are trimmed,aren't these ready to be replaced??I don't know???

Vapodog

Mountain man.....020 is not as much as some might think.......I routinely trim .030 from new cases so that I never have to trim them again and it's worked just fine for me. No problems at all.

As far as X dies.....if you have to trim .020 first it seems to be irrelevant as to what dies one uses..... I've been doing this for over thirty years with no problems and have never used X dies.