Lee collet die.......amazing!

[nhm16]

Also where can i find a collet die for 260AI? Ive heard some modfying of the standard 260 die to work for the ackley but seems scetchy.

You can probably run a chambering reamer into the collet, but it's easier just to order a set from Lee. Yesterday, I just sent Lee $60, 2 fired cases, and 2 7mm 180gr VLDs so they could make me a collet neck sizer for my .284 Win. (neck turned brass).

Have always been a fan of these dies; currently I'm using Redding bushing dies for the first time with my new .284 Win. only because a collet neck sizer wasn't available.

 

[Flouncer]

Torque wrench on the handle! That is perfect, i have been wondering how to get consistant crimps with the Lee factory crimper.

Also where can i find a collet die for 260AI? Ive heard some modfying of the standard 260 die to work for the ackley but seems scetchy.

Lee will make or modify a custom die on special order. I rarely chirp in here because

Any comment on my question regarding the Arbor press over a conventional one ? Other than the dies available for each ?? -- Thanks !!

 

[bigedp51]

In the Speer No. 9 reloading manual dated 1974 was a favorite of mine because at the front of the manual there was a chapter called..

Modern Benchrest Reloading Techniques
by Neal Knox
Editor, The Rifle and Handloader Magazine

In this article it states more neck run out is caused by crooked decapping rods and buttons than for any other reason. (pulling the necks off center)

The second was uneven case wall thickness that caused warped banana shaped cases when the case tried to spring back to its original shape after firing.

L.E. Wilson neck and seating dies and arbor presses were the "in thing" at the time.

 

[Con]

Also where can i find a collet die for 260AI? Ive heard some modfying of the standard 260 die to work for the ackley but seems scetchy.

If case length is the same it should work as is. I neck size 223AI in a 223 collet die. Friend does 375AI in a 375 collet die. Try it before forking out for custom dies.
Cheers...
Con

 

[Rock Knocker]

Thanks i will have to give it a try.

 

[in2deep]

Nice thing about using an arbor press is that you can really feel things that are wrong or inconsistent that a leveraged press covers up.
I had some bad bullets and never knew it till switching to an arbor press and hand die and since you can feel every little difference in brass hardness, neck tension,crappy bullets etc.. it helped me to load better and get my technique down and get everything more consistent. Found out one lot of brass needs a larger neck bushing than the other to get the same neck tension but had no idea using a regular press since the leverage hid the differences but it's very noticeable when seating by hand and I learned alot from it.
Also for me the arbor press is faster and saves a little time when cranking out alot of rounds and maybe most importantly my runout dropped considerably for all the reasons mentioned.

 

[Flouncer]

Thanks Deep. So...... arbor presses don't take standard threaded dies ? The Lee Collet die ???

 

[queen_stick]

Thanks Deep. So...... arbor presses don't take standard threaded dies ? The Lee Collet die ???

No, they don't. The Wilson dies are often called "hand dies." In theory, you can neck size and seat bullets using the Wilson-style dies in your hands. Actually using your hands isn't very practical/realistic... it takes a good bit of force. (Although seating bullets with .001 or less neck tension wouldn't be difficult). Using an arbor press with Wilson-style dies works great for neck sizing and bullet seating, however FL sizing isn't recommended due to the extra force required. (in most cases).

Conventional presses/dies offer A LOT more leverage than an arbor press. Both types of presses/dies will produce very uniform ammo if attention is paid to all the details by the user. This year, I've moved away from neck-sizing only on my arbor press and Wilson dies, and started FL sizing every time on my conventional press and dies. I'm running hot loads in my 1K bench gun, and sticky bolt lift is the norm after the brass is 2x or 3x fired when only neck sizing. If you FL size each time, you'll mitigate the stiff extraction issue (sticky bolt lift).

 

[in2deep]

I should have clarified that I use the arbor press only to seat bullets but use a regular press for f/l sizing like queen stik was pointing out.

 

[hogan]

Jon,

Whatever makes you happy, man! For a guy who began handloading in April, you seem to have discerned a good many of the advanced processes and funded them willingly to avail the advantages.

I am sure a guy could come to this site and with diligent reading and comprehension skills learn and apply techniques that would limit the variables of successful shooting to wind-reading and trigger control. If you reamed your chamber to .0005" over SAAMI minimum, and have a built rifle in all other respects, you are likely on your way: Congratulations!

It is interesting to observe that most benchresters will choose Arbor/hand dies. I recall reading in Precision or Tactical Shooter years ago that one ranked Service Rifle competitor loaded his & daughter's yearly ammunition supply on Dillon Progressive gear.

Might behoove you to know that Redding and Wilson bushings are interchangeable between dies. So, if you want to try a Wilson bushing sizer you won't need to buy new bushings.

Would be interesting if someone here, owning a Wilson bushing sizer, might comment on its performance in controlling or reforming brass to eliminate caseneck concentricity variation, which basically defines "runout".

So many loading prep techniques not even mentioned: weighing and sorting of brass and bullets, obsessing over powdercharge weights to Nth degree of grain-weight, primer pocket uniforming, flash hole broaching, sorting by ogive oal, meplat uniforming. Still all comes down to holding hard, reading the wind, and trigger press.

Having perfect ammunition, or as close to as you discern for your needs, goes much of the way to eliminating nagging doubts that can be ruinous when shooting for record or group.

All the best, and good luck!

 

[Hector]

Remshooter, I own RCBS, Redding, Lyman, Hornady, and Lee dies, other than the lock ring, tell me how the others are better quality. I use Lee collet dies for all calibers that I shoot, And the collets seem to work better for me than regular neck sizing dies. I use Lee Collet, Redding Body, and RCBS Gold Medal Seating, and have yet to have a problem.

 

[XTR]

Minor thread resurrection but I figured I didn't need to start another.

I use a Lee collet sizer and a Forster micrometer seater to make my bullets.

I finally got a concentricity gauge to check the runout on my loads. I knew my Lee Collet sizer made a difference on the target. Now I see why, I checked the runout on better part of 50 rounds, I had one with .003, the rest range from too little to measure with my dial indicator to maybe .002.

Dollar for dollar this may be the best piece of kit on my entire reloading bench.

 

[kraky]

If lee would dome out with a bit stouter version of the collect die...supply it with 2 mandrels...one for a bit more tension for hunting. Then supply a minimal body die and a good seater all in one set theyd sell them like popcorn.

 

[memilanuk]

If lee would dome out with a bit stouter version of the collect die

Been saying the same thing for a while now... seems like I get flamed by the LCD users almost every time

Around the end of the season this year I got some custom (smaller) mandrels from Lee... don't recall the cost, but the wait time was noticeably less than anticipated (more like a couple weeks rather than six+). Haven't had much chance to use them, but I'm thinking maybe I will give them a try this season.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

If lee would dome out with a bit stouter version of the collect die...supply it with 2 mandrels...one for a bit more tension for hunting. Then supply a minimal body die and a good seater all in one set theyd sell them like popcorn.

I made the switch to LCD for all my rifles (including match rifles) and they've been outstanding. Takes a little work to hone them (remove burrs etc), but it's worth it.

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I have had good success with Lee Collet Dies but, I have found that they sometimes don't offer enough neck tension to suit me. The first one I purchased was for 22-250 and it performed flawlessly until I got lazy one day and didn't inspect the flash hole on a new piece of brass and broke the decapping pin off :/. The next two, .243 Win and 30-06, both didn't provide enough neck tension and I had to polish the mandrel down another .001-.002 to size the necks enough for good tension. Before that I could push and pull the bullets out of necks! In my opinion the best neck sizing die out there is the Redding Type S bushing die! You can give and take neck tension with a simple change of bushings and as brass work hardens you can go smaller on the bushing to retain the same neck tension after spring back! Just my experience!

Mike

 

[DanConzo]

jaychris--I feel same as you do, it is well worth it IMO.

 

[thefitter]

I have a LCD and I love it. I have not seen any burrs on mine? Where are the burrs people are finding?

Thanks

 

[Bradley Walker]

Just to add my two cents worth (maybe worth even less?), but I find the majority of my loaded round runouts to be caused by a defective piece of brass, probably going all the way back to when the case was drawn.

Totally. Crooked brass is crooked and will most likely stay crooked.

 

[ReedG]

In my experience, the Lee Collet Die is the ultimate "straightener". Fired brass full-length sized in a good quality die, followed by a Lee Collet Die will be straight. One problem the Collet Die will not fix in uneven neck turning, but, unlike neck-sizing bushings which push the unevenness to the inside of the neck, the Collet Die leaves the inside of the neck perfectly round and any unevenness on the outside. There is no bushing die that can resize a neck as concentrically as a properly adjusted Collet Die with a properly sized mandrel. And never a donut to be had.

A brass case is a soft metal cylinder that can be shaped and reshaped and if it was once true and has become misshapen, I believe good dies will return it to proper specs.