Custom Reloading dies

[Alpha1]

I have machined neck sizing L.EWilson type dies before and seating dies.
I recently bought a Ruger Precision 6.5 Creedmoor
I bought a set of Lee dies I used them once. I think I gave them away on here for the price of postage they were pap.
I know other companies make dies for it Hornady. RCBS Forstner etc.
But they are super pricey.
So I decided to make my own I am just waiting for the reamers to arrive. Then we will have a play.
I am actually quite keen to do this for a number of calibers I shoot.
I would be interested for any input from any one else who has had a go at any similar projects.

[snayperskaya]

Forgive my ignorance but isn't the steel used in die making a lot harder than the steel used in a chamber?, or does the hardness come from heat treating/nitriding?.

[The Gun Pimp]

I have machined neck sizing L.EWilson type dies before and seating dies.
I recently bought a Ruger Precision 6.5 Creedmoor
I bought a set of Lee dies I used them once. I think I gave them away on here for the price of postage they were pap.
I know other companies make dies for it Hornady. RCBS Forstner etc.
But they are super pricey.
So I decided to make my own I am just waiting for the reamers to arrive. Then we will have a play.
I am actually quite keen to do this for a number of calibers I shoot.
I would be interested for any input from any one else who has had a go at any similar projects.

Super pricey? I think you will find they are very cheap compared to making your own.
Before you go any further, check out the cost of hardening your homemade die.
The reamer alone will cost more than a decent die set.

[Alpha1]

Do they need to be hardened. I was thinking 316 stainless.

[FredB]

I have made the occasional die. If you have a tool post grinder---on my "want" list---you can grind your own reamers. For light use, they do not need to be hardened.
Fred

[WelshShooter]

Not the answer you are looking for but I use the Forster benrchrest die set (full length sizing and seating dies) for my 6.5x47 Lapua and find them to be excellent. I also have a Redding neck size die with bushing insert but didn't really see any benefit over the Forster full length die which I set to bump the shoulders back with.

Around 5 years ago the Forster set cost around £90. As The Gun Pimp has said, not very pricey. You could easily spend over £200 on the die sets with a micrometer.

What type of dies are looking to make? Threaded ones for a press or ones to use with an arbor press?

[Alpha1]

These will threaded ones to fit a conventional press.

I have all ready made L.E.Wilson type neck sizing and seating dies to use on my arbor press.
I also buy up any cheap second hand L.E.Wilson seating or neck dies and modify them. I don,t do it to save money I do it so I can spend time at the lathe or mill.
Its fun.
I also have a good selection of Redding body dies and Redding competition shell holders. My normal reloading practice is to use a body die with a suitable competition shell holder on my wamadet press to bump the case shoulder back. I then swap onto the arbor press and size the neck using a bushing. Add a primer drop the powder in then back on the arbor press and seat the bullet.
I just thought it would be fun to see if I can make a conventional threaded sizing die in stainless. The cost is not an issue I am just interested to see how it turns out. Its a project.

A tool post grinder I will have to google that one.

[ovenpaa]

I make dies for myself occasionally. I used to machine the whole thing from scratch, all of my de-cappers are my own from EN24T. These days I mostly use Newlon blanks, usually stainless for seating and they work well. They also do 12L14 steel which machines nicely however no point in HT as I cannot grind them. On a plus side I do now have a surface grinder for external stuff which is worth it's weight in gold.

I do have my own PID HT oven however it is not vacuum so I send such jobs off for HT, they can also be Nitrogen quenched if needed. (Not very often!)

On the subject of reamers, I have also started experimenting with CNC Chambering however this is for short parallel wall chambers and dies using carbide micro boring bars and if you let them wash out the results are very good, the hardest part being the setting of the internal datums as my tool post repeatability is around a thou which is not good enough. Hence the need to reset ID's every time and they are a pig to measure to the required tolerances. Last time I used gauge pins and dropped a thou on measured diameter and I am not convinced it was spot on....

[Alpha1]

I have made the occasional die. If you have a tool post grinder---on my "want" list---you can grind your own reamers. For light use, they do not need to be hardened.
Fred

I dont think this is really an option for chamber reamers.
I have turned the die body and threaded it. I have bored out the internal diameter to accommodate a .357 reamer. I thought this would be a good place to start. Still working on acquiring barrel rods I think I may have a solution.

[mag41uk]

What was the problem with the Lee dies?