Once you have the cases, you need a die set.
Fortunately, the re-introduction of factory ammunition fuelled interest in handloading for this cartridge, and die manufacturers responded accordingly.
RCBS make them, as does Redding. I got my first die set for the .470NE from CH Tool & Die in Mt Vernon, Ohio. They are a specialist die and handloading tool company, with very friendly and efficient service.
CH provide a 3-die set for the .470NE:
(click to enlarge)
These dies have their optional titanium nitride coating to the sizing die and the expander of the expander die.
Redding on the other hand provide a traditional 2-die set for this cartridge:
Now here is the interesting part. You may recall a previous post with a photo showing two different Norma headstamps:
The brass of the neck of the Norma case with “norma” in smaller lettering (“small norma” cases) is thinner than all the others. Not by much, it is true, but enough to be an issue.
The CH dies are designed to size cases that have a neck thickness in line with the published specifications. Their dies work fine for all my cases except the “small norma” cases. The thinner brass of the neck of the “small norma” case means that after re-sizing there is insufficient neck tension to hold the bullet. The Redding die on the other hand uses an expander ball to size the neck to the correct diameter, regardless of the brass thickness. As a result the Redding dies will re-size all the cases to provide sufficient neck tension.
It is an interesting decision for the die manufacturer. Do you make a 3-die set matching the published specifications of the case, thus reducing the working of the brass and helping to prolong the life of the cases? Or do you make a 2-die set, which works regardless of the variation in the case neck thickness, at the cost of greater working of the brass? CH takes the first approach, Redding goes with the second.
You notice the difference in approach when you use the dies. The 470NE case has a short shoulder and long neck. With the Redding die, you must pull the expander ball a long way through the neck and you can really feel it, even with graphite case neck lube. With the CH die, the sizing process is a lot less effort, at the cost of an extra step in flaring the case mouth.
Another benefit of the 3-die set is that flaring the case mouth avoids the case mouth shaving cast lead bullets when they are seated. Using cast lead bullets enables you to reduce the cost per round, and so do a lot more shooting.
In summary, both die sets will do the job perfectly well, unless you have a big bag of “small norma” cases. I found the CH dies smoother to use and they work the brass less. They are also a better choice if you are planning to use cast lead bullets for practice. I will also confess that the titanium nitride coating just makes them look that little bit more special!
