Body die and neck collet die

[KMW 1954]

Loading the 6ARC for a bench bolt rifle and have been using just a FL sizing die and reality is it has been working very well. Gun and load will consistently shoot .5MOA or better from 100 to 300yds. It's working well enough that I am in the top 4. So I can't complain.

I have always been interested in optional loading technics and always read the Bushing die and Mandrel die sizing. Now I am reading about the use of the Lee Collet die and it has seriously piqued my interest.

So anyone else using both the body die and the collet die?

 

[Murray Brook]

I use this very set-up in several rifles that I have ( 6br, 7/08 , 6ppc / 25/06). Works great and will give you reloads as concentric as custom dies at 1/4 the cost.

 

[R&B]

I use this method for a few of the rounds I shoot as well. This system has worked out well for me. I am tempted to have Lee make me a custom neck sizing collet die for one of the wildcats I shoot. I use Redding body dies and sometimes a FL neck sizing die with no bushing to bump the shoulders back. You can also have Lee custom make an under or oversized mandrel to get the neck tension to your taste.

 

[Murray Brook]

The Lee collet die is certainly a great die but there is a learning curve to it. Once mastered there are many things you can do. As for mandrels what I do is get a few standard ones and sand them down to the size I want. By backing the die out and adjusting it you can size with no mandrel and get the neck tension you want or go a little more and expand with a mandrel die. A lot of possibilities.

 

[R&B]

The Lee collet die is certainly a great die but there is a learning curve to it. Once mastered there are many things you can do. As for mandrels what I do is get a few standard ones and sand them down to the size I want. By backing the die out and adjusting it you can size with no mandrel and get the neck tension you want or go a little more and expand with a mandrel die. A lot of possibilities.

Yes, you can modify the mandrels in different ways. One of the issues is the size of the standard Lee collet die decapping pins. Some of the brass I use has smaller flash holes (Lapua), so I modify the pin diameter to fit. Lee offers mandrels that will fit the smaller flash holes (.057). I have 1 or 2 mandrels where I removed the decapping pin all together. I usually remove all my spent primers using a universal decapping die so there is no need for decapping rods and or expanders in my full length or neck sizing dies.

 

[charlie b]

Yep, I usually use the collet die after the body die. I also decap in the body die so will knock the pin off the collet die. I also will reduce the dia of the collet mandrel a tiny bit if I want more neck tension. But, for a very nominal fee Lee will provide a custom mandrel.

 

[KMW 1954]

Thanks folks! Appreciate the feedback.

 

[Mark611]

this method is the only method I use; new brass gets ran thru an expander mandrel first, fired brass gets body sized with a Redding body die then the LEE collet die, I de prime and clean my cases and anneal them before anything else, dirty brass never goes into my dies, my 2ct.

 

[Murray Brook]

The only thing I believe I do different than you guys is I use the collet die first. In my testing I found that using the Lee CD last changed the shoulder bump in about 1/5 cases (20%.) Not sure if it was my brass or what but I noticed slightly harder bolt closure on some cases. Upon rechecking the shoulder bump, I found that it had changed. JME

 

[243winxb]

I had to put 25 pounds pressure, minimum, on the lever to size 243 win necks with the Lee collet, per Lee instructions.
The pressure applied to the handle needs to be the same, every time.

There is a "cam over" method? That i didnt try.

To hard on the press and this old man.

No improvement in accuracy, when compared to my Redding type S fl bushing die. Test rifle Rem 40x.

More on the subject at https://support.leeprecision.net/en/knowledgebase

 

[L.Sherm]

If it ain't broke then why fix it?

 

[charlie b]

I don't use a cam over, I think Lee discourages it.

I've measured case OD and as long as the pressure applied is similar, ie, "firm", then the OD's are within .0005" (whatever resolution my vernier has). I know I don't put 25lb pressure on the handle. Maybe 10 and that's not at the full stroke point so leverage is not max.

It is probably not accurate enough for some.

 

[Shifty6br]

I did this method for some time...eventually just moved over to fl resizing minus expander and a dedicated mandrel die.

When I was neck sizing only with the collet die I did. despite Lee, set for a very, very slight cam over. I found this to give me the most consistent results vs trying to "feel" whatever value of pressure Lee recommends of which I can not fully ensure vs the mechanical stop of the slight cam over.

TBH...sounds like whatever you are doing is working out welll, not sure if new method will gather any advantages on target.

 

[25ring]

I get the most consistent and repeatable results using cam over with a collet die.FWIW.

 

[243winxb]

https://support.leeprecision.net/en/knowledgebase

 

[jk80]

If I remember correctly, there was a thread on here where a guy rigged up an adapter on the handle so he could use a torque wrench to get constant pressure. I tried searching and couldn't find it.

 

[Mark611]

The LEE LCD do not cam it over, it needs to be set so there is no cam over, all that it needs is to squeeze the neck, I do this by feel, and rotate the case about 1/3 rotation for 3 pulls of the ram, to get the consistent neck sizing, I get less that 1k of runout by doing this method,

 

[Mark611]

Murray, I probably learned this from you!

 

[243winxb]

guy rigged up an adapter on the handle

I put weights on the handle, while measuring the change in neck sizing. RCBS press as per Lee instructions.
Will wear out a press sooner.

 

[Chris Edmondson]

I get the most consistent and repeatable results using cam over with a collet die.FWIW.

Same here.