What is Your favourite die set for 6.5 CM and why?

[MichalS]

I'm gathering components for my new 6.5 Creedmoor project. With .223 and .308 the die choice was a no brainer - I went with redding competition. With 6.5CM opinions are mixed... Which die set you chose and why?

Michal

[MJR]

I Cant comment on 6.5Creedmoor as I don't load for that calibre but I have swapped all my various dies over to Forster full length dies and micrometre bullet seating dies. I find run out on loaded ammunition to be very small and more often than not less than 0.001". 

[jcampbellsmith]

I have got some dies recently from these folk - https://www.whiddengunworks.com/custom-reloading-dies/

Very helpful folk to deal with.

Regards

JCS

[DaveT]

+1 for Whidden kit especially the click adjustable FLS.

[palo]

If I was buying new dies I'd get a  Whidden custom set or a forster micrometer seater and a full length die with the neck honed to suit. 

[PhilM]

With the Whidden custom dies, is it not the case that really they are only valid for the barrel you send them the fired brass from?

Im around 400 rounds in to my 6.5CM barrel, so plenty of life left and am going to have to dump my Lee/Hornady dies which I necksized with and move to FL sizing each time, and with that want a good dies like the OP.

Can anyone explain with their click adjustable dies, what exactly you are adjusting? Any why would you want to adjust anything given from Whidden it’d be a custom die made from your fired brass.

[DaveT]

You use the click adjustable feature to FAR more easily and accurately set the degree of shoulder setback you require to set headspacing (typically resizing the brass to be shorter by about .001"  at the datum point on the shoulder than its fired measurement.)

With standard dies you have to unlock the lock ring, turn the die down a fraction then relock and see if the resize operation gives the desired headspace....a real ball-ache and sooo easy to overshoot and create excessive headspace.

With the Whidden you do have to do the coarse setting in the same way BUT the fine and final setting is easily crept up on by turning the ring 1 click at a time which netts about a .001" change...... mine actually produces a half thou change per click.

[Catch-22]

Another +1 for the Whidden dies (6.5x47L and .338 Norma Mag).

I chose NOT to go full custom route (eg sending them 3 fired cases) and chose their ‘standard’ dies as I too wanted to reuse the same die sets once I rebarrel both calibres. I own the .338NM reamer but not the 6.5x47, so couldn’t guarantee specs to be the same.

Tbh, their ‘standard’ dies are very precise - I don’t think I’d notice/see any difference between them and their custom dies.

And yes, the Whidden family are extremely helpful and customer service is top notch!

[VarmLR]

I like Redding dies personally.  Quality for even the entry level ones plus the relatively simple design and decent finish, and (measured) precision put them a class above some of the entry level competition for not much more money.  Their seating die with vld micrometer insert is a gem and the vld insert I've found a must for most CM bullets I now use.  For other bits and pieces like the case holders for my trimmer, Wilson stuff takes some beating.