7 Mistakes You’re Making with Redding Reloading Dies (and How to Fix Them)
There’s a certain stillness in the air when you’re at the bench. The sun is just starting to peek over the jagged ridges of the high desert, casting a long, golden shadow across your workspace. You’ve got the faint scent of gun oil hanging in the air, a half-empty tin of coffee at your elbow, and the weight of a Redding reloading die in your palm. It’s heavy. Solid. It feels like tradition.
Redding dies are the gold standard for a reason. They’re built with a level of precision that would make an old-time clockmaker blush. But here’s the truth: even the best reloading equipment for sale can’t fix a sloppy setup. If you’re seeing inconsistent neck tension, wonky shoulder bumps, or: heaven forbid: a stuck case, the fault usually isn't in the steel. It's in the process.
In the spirit of the frontier, we don't believe in cutting corners. We believe in doing things right. If you want your handloads to shoot as straight as a professional lawman’s aim, you need to avoid these seven common pitfalls with your Redding dies.
1. The "New Die" Grease Trap
We’ve all been there. A fresh box of Redding reloading dies arrives, and you’re so eager to see what they can do that you thread them straight into the press.
The Mistake: Redding ships their dies with a heavy coat of preservative oil. It’s great for preventing rust during shipping and storage, but it’s a disaster for reloading. That oil can trap grit, cause hydraulic dents in your brass, or even gum up the internal threads of your bullet seating micrometer.
The Fix: Give them a bath. Before you ever pull the handle on your press, disassemble the die and scrub it with a good bore solvent and a nylon brush. Wipe it bone-dry with a clean patch. You want that steel to be as clean as a whistle before it ever touches a piece of brass.
2. The Shell Holder Mismatch
You might think a shell holder is just a hunk of steel that keeps the brass from falling over. In reality, it’s one half of a precision measurement system.
The Mistake: Mixing and matching brands or using a worn-out shell holder. If you’re using a shell holder set from one manufacturer and a die from another, you might run into slight dimensional differences. While most are "universal," a few thousandths of an inch of difference in the deck height can throw off your shoulder bump entirely.
The Fix: Consistency is the law of the land. If you’re chasing ultimate precision, we recommend using a Redding shell holder with your Redding dies. At the very least, keep a dedicated shell holder for that specific die set and keep it scrubbed clean of carbon and grease. A single flake of burnt powder trapped in the shell holder can ruin your headspace consistency.
3. The "Set and Forget" Decapping Pin
The decapping pin is the unsung hero of the resizing process, but it’s also the most common point of failure for those who are in a hurry.
The Mistake: Letting the decapping rod hang too low. If the pin protrudes too far, it can hit the bottom of the case web or even the flash hole off-center, leading to bent pins or snapped rods.
The Fix: The "Two Nickel" Rule. Loosen the lock nut and adjust your decapping rod so the pin sticks out about 3/16 of an inch below the bottom of the die: roughly the thickness of two nickels. This ensures you clear the spent primer without putting unnecessary stress on the internal components. It’s a small detail that saves a lot of headaches on the trail.
4. Over-Cranking the Shoulder Bump
If you’ve ever had a round that refused to chamber or felt "mushy" when you closed the bolt, you’ve likely got a shoulder bump issue.
The Mistake: Screwing the die down until it hits the shell holder and then giving it another half turn without measuring. While this works for "general" reloading, it often pushes the shoulder back way more than necessary. This overworks the brass and can lead to premature case head separation.
The Fix: Measure twice, cut once. Use a headspace comparator to measure a fired case from your rifle. Then, adjust your die to bump that shoulder back only 0.001” to 0.002” for a bolt action. This keeps the brass fit tight to your chamber and extends the life of your reloading supplies.
5. Choking the Bushing (Type S Dies)
For the shooters using Type S Bushing dies, there’s a nuance to the setup that many miss. These are some of the finest gunsmithing tools available, but they require a delicate touch.
The Mistake: Tightening the bushing retaining cap all the way down. If you lock that bushing in place, it can’t self-center on the case neck. This leads to increased runout: meaning your bullet won't be seated perfectly straight in the bore.
The Fix: Let it breathe. Screw the cap down until it touches the bushing, then back it off about 1/16th of a turn. You should hear a faint "rattle" when you shake the die. That tiny bit of "float" allows the bushing to align itself perfectly with the brass, ensuring your neck tension is uniform and your runout is minimal.
6. The Unintended Crimp
Nothing ruins a beautiful group like a mangled case mouth.
The Mistake: Having your seating die body screwed down too far while you're trying to seat a bullet. Most Redding seating dies are designed to apply a crimp if you screw the die body down far enough. If you’re trying to seat a bullet to a specific depth and the die starts crimping before the bullet is finished moving, you’ll bulge the case neck or crush the shoulder.
The Fix: Separate the steps. If you’re a beginner looking for the best reloading press for beginners, remember this: seat first, crimp second. Back the die body out so it never touches the case mouth, and use the bullet seating micrometer to get your depth right. If you need a crimp for a lever-action rifle, do it in a separate pass with a dedicated crimp die.
7. Ignoring the "Ghost of Rust"
You wouldn't leave your favorite saddle out in the rain, and you shouldn't treat your dies any differently.
The Mistake: Storing dies in a damp basement or leaving them coated in acidic finger oils. Carbon steel is tough, but it’s not invincible. A little bit of pitting inside a sizing die will scratch every piece of brass you run through it, making resizing a chore and potentially ruining your cases.
The Fix: A little bit of prevention goes a long way. After a reloading session, wipe your dies down with a light coat of rust preventative. If you’re in a humid climate, consider keeping a desiccant pack in your die box. At Western Gun Store, we believe in tools that last a lifetime: but only if you treat them with the respect they deserve.
Final Thoughts from the Frontier
Handloading isn't just about saving a few pennies; it's about the pursuit of the truth. It's about knowing exactly what’s going into your rifle and trusting that when you squeeze the trigger, the result will be exactly what you intended. Whether you’re using Lee Precision reloading equipment or high-end Redding sets, the principles remain the same: patience, precision, and a bit of old-fashioned grit.
If you’ve run into trouble with your setup, don’t get discouraged. We’ve all stripped a decapping pin or stuck a case at some point. If you need help picking out the right precision shooting accessories or just want to talk shop about shoulder bumps, we’d love the opportunity to make things right and get you back on target.
Keep your powder dry and your aim true.