redding type S match bushing dies for new reloader?

[jaredr]

good friend of mine is getting into reloading, his interest is in making precision/match .308 for bolt gun practice at 500-1000 yds. he's picked up a forster press and has begun to accumulate the other tools (tumbler, calipers, case gauge, bullet comparator, etc.) and had asked me about dies. his intention is to segregate brass and he will only use federal headstamp for reloading precision .308 as he has a few hundred factory gold medal match rounds that have already been once fired through his .308 bolt gun.

I load all of my .308 on my 650 using a redding competition seating die and a full length resizing die that I have adjusted to resize the neck only. all my .308 brass goes through the same savage model 10 rifle and I shoot WW headstamp only. Only range readily available to me is 100 yds and this approach gives me sub-moa at 100 yards when I'm not having some seizure behind the rifle, so I am satisfied with that. I have no experience using bushing dies for resizing the neck, tho i understand tha they may provide some benefits over traditional dies (bushing die will work the neck less by simply sizing it down to a bushing-specified dimension, vs. resizing the neck down below SAMMI spec and then expanding it back to a given dimension using the expander ball).

I don't want to just recommend he use a full length resizing die because that is all I am familiar with, but on the other hand I have no experience with bushing dies so only know what redding's product page says about their use and benefits.

My question(s) for folks who have used bushing dies for loading precision rifle ammunition are:

1) can you use a bushing die if you are going to stick to a single headstamp but are NOT going to neck turn your brass?

my understanding is that the bushing die relies (at least in part) on having a very consistent brass thickness in the cartridge neck as the busing simply sizes down to a standard outside diameter (and relies on a consistent corresponding inside diameter because the brass will be a consistent neck thickness).

2) if you are not going to neck-turn your brass, is there a meaningful benefit to using the redding type s bushing dies vs. just using a traditional full length die and adjusting it to neck size (or bump the shoulder back on occasion as needed)?

2) If you are neck sizing using a bushing die, will you also occasionally need to bump the shoulder back with a body die after a few firings?

Appreciate comments and feedback.

[singlestackman]

1- Yes, measure a loaded round neck, then -.002 for the bushing size. Works fine on unturned brass.

2-It simply let's you change the neck tension with different bushing size. Also the bushing is free floating so it centers itself on the neck. Thats the advantage over full lenght.

3- You can bump the shoulder the same as a full length, But.... the best way is to use redding's compitetion shell holder set with a bushing die to bump shoulder.

The main goal is to have ammo that has consistent neck tension and is concentric as possible.

Turned necks give more consistent neck tension, but alot of record groups have been set with unturned necks.

Good Luck!