L. E. Wilson Die Kit 2

L. E Wilson is well known for their very high-quality gauges, with their trademark tight and accurate tolerances, but they also make a large range of precision reloading dies for those of us who want to produce the very best reloaded ammunition. They are sold individually or in sets, and although they are a bit more expensive than most brands, they are a sound investment.

The Die Kit 2

The name of the kit doesn’t really ‘sell’ it very well and you might expect them to have included the words precision or bench-rest. However, they tend to let their tools speak for themselves, with the contents of the kit really doing that very well.
The kit comes in a bright yellow plastic box with a secure sliding lock. Each item has its own instruction sheet which is very easy to follow. The quality of the dies is exceptional, and each item is heavy and solid. These are tools that have been engineered to very tight tolerances and you can see and feel that they are superb quality. So, what do you get in the kit?

Resizing

The bushing-type full-length seating die is threaded to fit any standard reloading press. It is supplied with a spare grub screw, an extra grub screw pad, and an additional 0.057” diameter decapping rod for use on cases with smaller flash holes. Bushings are sold separately and once you have obtained the size you need, they are quick and easy to fit or swap over.

Checking and measuring

The Wilson Cartridge Case Gauge has several uses, and it is particularly useful when used in conjunction with the resizing die to measure and set the desired shoulder bump and headspace. The instructions are again very detailed and easy to follow. The dimensions of the gauge are set to SAAMI specifications, and you can therefore check that your resized cases will fit into a standard chamber. A groove in the top of the gauge, just 0.005” high, represents the difference between the maximum and minimum headspace, and you can use it to ensure that your cases sit between these two limits.

Bullet seating

The Stainless Steel Bullet Seater has precision micrometre adjustment so the cartridge’s overall length (COL) can be very precisely set or adjusted, giving you exceptionally consistent ammunition. The die does not screw into a standard press and is instead intended to be used in an arbor-type press, which simply applies a downward force between one fixed and one moveable surface. This type of press is generally priced between £150 and £300 but, if you do not see any value in adding one to your reloading bench, a simple home-made version works just as well. A sized case, primed and charged with powder, is placed onto the bullet seater plate. Next, a bullet is placed into the case’s mouth as straight as possible. There is a hole in the centre of the bullet seater plate that prevents any pressure from being applied to the primer during the bullet seating operation. The seating die is then placed over the case/bullet and the setting up of the correct COL can begin. There is provision for both major and minor adjustments to the COL, allowing you to get the dimension set to within half of one-thousandth of an inch (adjusting the fine setting to halfway between the 0.001” markings on the scale). Once each of the adjustments is set, they are securely locked into place with a grub screw, which has a felt pad in-between the grub screw and the thread on the die to prevent damage. Note, that it is important not to overtighten them. A bullet seater stem for VLD bullets is also available.

Testing

The resizing die is really easy to use and, using the instructions included with the kit, you can calculate exactly the right sized bushing you need to get the correct neck tension on your ammunition. If you want to adjust and experiment with the neck tension, you can swap the sizing bushing over in just a couple of minutes. The lock nut on the die ensures that when it is put back in the press, the COL setting is not changed. When used in conjunction with the case gauge, this die allows you to produce very accurately resized cases with the perfect amount of headspace for your particular gun. The consistency of the resized cases is extremely good.

The bullet seating die is very unusual, with it not fitting a standard press and the process being so different to the more common on-press type of dies, but the results are very pleasing. When you are setting up the die, the seating cap will actually lift up if the round is too long, giving you a very clear indication of the amount of ‘major’ adjustment that is required. Once the cap is securely locked in place with the grub screw, you can then use the dial on the main body of the die to make minor adjustments in order to set your COL very precisely. You can then lock the dial in place with a second grub screw. Using a homemade press, it is then very easy to seat bullets securely and the resulting ammunition is very consistent.

Conclusion

These are very high-quality tools that combine to produce exceptionally consistent ammunition. Although the dies on test came as a set, you can buy each one separately, and introducing either the bushing sizing die or the bullet seater to your reloading bench will help to improve your reloads. Even without a proper arbor press, you can still use the bullet seating die with a homemade version and produce top-quality ammunition. Are they worth the extra cost? Yes, based on the quality of what they allow you to produce, they are definitely a worthwhile investment.