I've got a Model 62 I want to start reloading for and need some advice. I can find Redding dies for about $43.00 which seems reasonable. However I think I would like to try making cases from .357 Mag but can't fiquire out what redding dies to order. They have a #1 and #2 Forming die and also a form and trim die. Do I need all three? If so it's pretty expensive. Is there somthing out there better?
Thanks ahead of time!

I've got a Model 62 I want to start reloading for and need some advice. I can find Redding dies for about $43.00 which seems reasonable. However I think I would like to try making cases from .357 Mag but can't fiquire out what redding dies to order. They have a #1 and #2 Forming die and also a form and trim die. Do I need all three? If so it's pretty expensive. Is there somthing out there better?
Thanks ahead of time!


I made them with just the standard die set, but you WILL lose between 6- 10%.

Start with NEW .357 brass...not once fired, not old range crap...brass brass, not plated.

Strip the seater and strip the decapper..want hollow die bodies.

GOOD lube...Imperial Die Wax..uses very lightly,

Use the seater die. Set it in the press WAY up (like five or six turns up from normal). Run case up...lower die until resistance is felt.

Withdraw case...screw die down 1/2 a turn...size case...withdraw case...screw die down 1/2 tuen...size case...etc.

Idea here is to (1) use the press at it's max. leverage of the top of the stroke and (2) withdraw case and redistubrute the case lube to avoid lube dents.

Once you have the cases sized int he seating die, move on to the stripped sizing die (stripped so that if once crumples, you don't ruin your decapping rod).

Once they are all sized, reinstall the insides of the dies and resize them one last time in the sizing die (need to expander ball to pass in and out to set the neck tension).

Trim to length...I just find the shortest case in the bunch and trim them all to that lenght.

Can anneal the cases, but if you started with new cases, they'll not need it right away.

YES! it is a PIA...but you only do it once, so take your timne and form good cases.
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IF you have a .30 Tok./ .30 mauser die, it makes a pretty good step...can size them to 30, then move on to the .256 dies. Will lose fewer cases, but will still occaionally lose some.
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Mode. 62 lore.

It's set in the stock with one action screw...kind of like a .22 RF. Free floating is NOT the way to go. With just one screw and no good way to really bead that action, free floating is likely to give you a case of wandering zero.

Bedding at least some of the barrel into the forend helped mine. At least 1" back at the breech end and another pad at the forend tip. Does make differnt loads shoot to differnt spots on the target, but does seem to shoot smaller groups.

Mine hated to be dirty...keep it clean. Might be that the early mircogoove barrels used a pot full of lands and grooves...a whole lot fo them, but shallow, so fouling seemed to degrade accuracy faster than with deep tradtional rifling.

Thank you! That's a lot of good information which I will need. I couldn't resist this gun it just looked like a fun gun to play with.

Ribbonstone's advice for case forming was EXACTLY what I was going to say. You may want to read my article on the little booger for more data.

www.reloadingroom.com

Mike, I've made hundreds of 256's from 357's and have done it all in one pass with the decapper installed. I can't recall loosing many cases but then no big deal for me as I always have alot of 357's on hand. I have some nickle plated brass that also worked just fine. I've never used the Imperial Die Wax but it may be better to use than the old lube I always used. Lately I've been using One-shot with success, but not for case forming. The point I'm getting at is that I have RCBS dies and no gun anymore to shoot these little gems out of and no plans of getting one. I could make you a good deal on the dies and some of the brass, if you are interested pm me. Chief aka Maxx Load

As an "experienced" .256 WM former, I can attest to ribbonstone's methodology! :D

The trim/forming die would be a good buy if you're just getting started.

Using a standard resizing die for the whole forming operation requires lots of patience and lots of crumpled/wrinkled cases. I would do as suggested and start with the backed-out seater die and incrementally sizing down.

They're right, I just tried forming a couple and both are trashed. Mebe I used new cases when I formed 'em 30 or so years ago. You shouldn't need that many cases so I would go in the careful direction. Chief aka Maxx Load

They're right, I just tried forming a couple and both are trashed. Mebe I used new cases when I formed 'em 30 or so years ago. You shouldn't need that many cases so I would go in the careful direction. Chief aka Maxx Load


One of the reasons i stayed away from nickeled cases was that I tended to anneal the ones that survived the first firing...and annealed nickeled cases are ugly.

I still tend to the "little-bit-at-a-time" sizing, but it can be done with one pass...I just lost more cases that way and lube dents were a problem.
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Have two frinds in Oregon with .256's...one in a Merril Sportsman and the other shoots a Ruger Hawkeye. With my Marlin 62 in the mix, one of them made a set of dies to convert .251" 50gr. FMJ's into little 50gr. .258" JSPs spitzers (or you could make them FMJ's). Worked petty well for varmints.

(Actually, they needed to be swaged into the basic shape at .260" and then swaged dwon to .258" in order to keep the lead core and jacket in form contact. Jacket material springs back just a hair...lead core doesn't...so needed to finsih by swaging DOWN to get good accuracy.)

Have some seating issues, but a Marlin 62 will spin an 87gr. flat pased spitzer and shoot them accurately...they won't expand worth a hoot at the low vel. you launch them and there is no good reason to use them...just interresting that they work well.

The old 86gr. JSP flat nose for the .25-20 works too...has the balsitc shape of a brick, but it works. Launch those at UNDER 1600fps and it's a pretty good small game round.

One of the reasons i stayed away from nickeled cases was that I tended to anneal the ones that survived the first firing...and annealed nickeled cases are ugly.

I still tend to the "little-bit-at-a-time" sizing, but it can be done with one pass...I just lost more cases that way and lube dents were a problem.
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Have two frinds in Oregon with .256's...one in a Merril Sportsman and the other shoots a Ruger Hawkeye. With my Marlin 62 in the mix, one of them made a set of dies to convert .251" 50gr. FMJ's into little 50gr. .258" JSPs spitzers (or you could make them FMJ's). Worked petty well for varmints.

(Actually, they needed to be swaged into the basic shape at .260" and then swaged dwon to .258" in order to keep the lead core and jacket in form contact. Jacket material springs back just a hair...lead core doesn't...so needed to finsih by swaging DOWN to get good accuracy.)

Have some seating issues, but a Marlin 62 will spin an 87gr. flat pased spitzer and shoot them accurately...they won't expand worth a hoot at the low vel. you launch them and there is no good reason to use them...just interresting that they work well.

The old 86gr. JSP flat nose for the .25-20 works too...has the balsitc shape of a brick, but it works. Launch those at UNDER 1600fps and it's a pretty good small game round.
Thanks again. I have a set of Redding dies on the way and I can't wait to try something in the gun. The little Mod 62 had the barrel hacked off at 17", so the gun's kind of butchered but the bore looks good and the crown looks good. the gun looks alittle funny but I fiquired if it shots decently it would be a great fun gun to start a kid on also.

Have to mention this from a safey standpoint.

Is possible to neck size the brass and have the action close, but not fully lock...shouldn't fire, but they will if it's just barely not locked. Can damage the rifle...and damage your fingers as that lever springs open.

Sacrifice case life and size a bit more than the minimum..want the action to close without any real resistance.

Case life usually is short. Marlin chambers are cut a little long (that isn't a headspace issue as the RIM decides headspace, not the shoulder). FULL sizing will really shorten case life...and as above, too little sizing has it's own issues.

Got to go for a happy medium...sized more than neck sizing, but less than full length.

The little rifles can shoot (and the .30carbin chambered 62's probably rank as the most accurate .30carbine rifles ever made). When the .256 was new, one test article mounted a stock marlin barrel on a single shot action (Martini if i rememeber right) and shot sub-MOA groups.

To be honest, while i had many 1" goups with the little Marlin, the average would be closer to 1 1/4 - 1 1/2". Which isn't bad for a round that kind of runs out of varminting at 200yards.

Was also an early handgun hunter (Al Gore...not the politician) who was an early promoter of scoped handguns. He took a .256 out and killed big game with it...really NOT A GOOD IDEA...but he was facinated by the accuracy of his Hawkeye.

I'm in a project with a Mod 62 in 256. Serial No 4xxx and it has 2 action screws in the stock. Trigger pull can be smoothed up and the chamber is tight. Firing pins available at Numrich Arms and new brass is available at Midway USA. Using Speer 75gr Varminter, it can be loaded to 1.69 COL and feed from the magazine. Weather is against me and load data is scarce. I did free float the barrel and can glass bed the front and rear of the action if necessary. It is a quirky action, but the little cartridge has some good potential for fun. One thing I noticed, the bolt can pick up trash at the rear locking notch inside the action and can keep the bolt from moving up into full lock. Dried lube and powder,etc. Numrich has an exploded view of the Mod 57 22, but gives a good idea of what the internals are like.

OOOPPS...my bad...are two screws. Still couldn't figue a good way to really solidly bed the reciever in order to float the barrel, but there are two screws into that action. IF i had one now, would probably figure a way to bed the action...proably with some kind of home-brew pillar system...and give it a try floated.