Reloading 8mm...

[amadeus76]

What's the best dies for reloading 8mm Mauser for use out of an M48 or K98?

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[browningautorifle]

Everyone will tell you a different opinion here...so I guess they're all OK. I use RCBS and have no problems. If brass is short in supply, you can use trimmed down 30-06 which could be easier to find where you are.

[CINDERS]

I use Lee collet's for my 303's, Redding & Forster for my 308's as Jim says it is up to you Lee collet 3 die set are good value for money if you are just starting out you get neck sizer, full length sizer & Bullet seater plus the cartridge rim holder for the Lee presses.

[amadeus76]

I use Lee collet's for my 303's, Redding & Forster for my 308's as Jim says it is up to you Lee collet 3 die set are good value for money if you are just starting out you get neck sizer, full length sizer & Bullet seater plus the cartridge rim holder for the Lee presses.

Well I don't have a .303 yet, but that's good to know for when I do... You actually like the Lee's? I tend to find them of lesser quality.

[browningautorifle]

You actually like the Lee's? I tend to find them of lesser quality.

They're cheap so there's a following here in Canada. Most gun guys won't spend a dime. Cinders has sure put his share of ammo down range with effect and if he likes them so be it. I've had trouble getting replacement parts for them here in Canada, even the dealers couldn't get them. RCBS replacements are available. There's also the used section of all the gunsites that have old out of manufacture types that will suit you fine. I had a set of Lee dies for .223 for a few years and loaded several thousand with no trouble. Also I've had Herter's, Lyman, Forrester...if they're serviceable, it doesn't matter.

[CINDERS]

I use the FLS Lee on my 303's because I am running 2 No.4's 2 x MkIII's so to save having to sort brass I just FLS and they fit all 4 just recently I won the state titles in the "As issued" invitational shoot with my No.2 - No.4 shot over 3 ranges multi positions so the Lee's work.
Jim mentions the brass shortage we have that here as well for some reason we have not been able to buy Remington 303 brass for the last nearly 2 years in Western Australia

[browningautorifle]

My mistake, he's loading for 8mm Mauser. It's the same for that one though. I'd need to make it from 30-06 to be efficient...

[Eaglelord17]

I have a RCBS 8mm Mauser die set that does the job. Overall I tend not to really care about the brand when it comes to dies, more about the cost. I have Lee dies, RCBS dies, and two CH4D dies. Highest quality is by far the CH4D dies, however they cost a small fortune and I only bought them as no one else makes dies in the calibers I needed.

[Brian Dick]

I've had great results using Redding dies. They make a neck sizing only die for the .303 also.

[cipherk98]

My RCBS dies are from the 50s and still work great. I would advise against used Lee dies... I have a 7.7 set that the decapping rod slipped too many times and I can no longer get it to stay tight in the die no matter how much I clamp it down, leading to it getting stuck in brass once, and now it likes pop out when decapping. Don't know what you're getting with any used die set but that seems like a really obvious risk with the Lee. My new Lee die sets and Lee Loaders work okay though. I also recently had a bad experience with a brand new Hornady .223 set where on the third shell the expander ball broke but that may have been a fluke flaw in the expander as my other set, for .270, worked fine over 200 pieces. RCBS are my favorite though, quick and easy to set up and never had an issue new or used with them. I would buy new Lee dies again though if RCBS wasn't an option or economical, same for Hornady. I'm sure Redding makes a good set, never had any.