"Lee Collet Die" Experience

[Ringostar]

I've posted this little tip on past threads. A few years ago Lee was so busy with work, that they wouldn't take custom orders. I wanted to try a LCD for my 284. With the similar size and length to the 7x57 Mauser, I was able to to get one to try. It works! You don't need to custom order a 284. I took the die apart and checked case clearance in the collet sleeve. A fired case bottomed out at shoulder and my shell holder slid on with about .005 clearance. So that means the die would hit shoulder before contacting shell holder. I bought a few thin washers to take care of the issue.

 

[LRodgers]

^^^^^^^ This. Jay is spot on. Although I don't get those marks I do size the neck 3 times rotating the case shell holder 120° each time. It takes little time to do this.

Is it necessary? Probably not but it doesn't harm anything.

I do the same thing. Does it help? Makes me feel better

 

[Macropod]

I don't seem to get any marks on the neck but this is on unturned Lapua 308Win brass fired in a 0.342" neck chamber.

It's quick and makes sure the neck is nicely 'ironed' against the mandrel. I use an RCBS RC4 press in cam-over. Results are excellent. New collet dies do need a little cleaning up though.

 

[ranger3]

Has anyone found that if the necks are thin that it doesn't size the neck?

 

[clowdis]

Has anyone found that if the necks are thin that it doesn't size the neck?

If you cam over it won't size thin necks unless you reset everything. If you use it like the instructions say then it will size all necks.

 

[jb]

If you cam over it won't size thin necks unless you reset everything. If you use it like the instructions say then it will size all necks.

 

[jb]

i use the bump over setting. moving the die down untill that cass measures no more than .0005 longer. if neck tension is not enought i polish the mandril smaller. if you are seeing marks on your case neck you are moveing the brass making the neck longer.

 

[brokeasajoke]

I rarely post but read almost daily. There is little that I could ever offer to the knowledgeable experiance on this site. Thanks to this thead I started digging on using the collet die. The only lee product I had used until was the shell holder set to fit my K&M priming tool. I ordered a collet die for my 204 so we will try it. I disassembled it and polished it as many reccomended. I also emailed redding and mentioned that they should offer a high quality collet die and that they were missing a good portion of the market. I use thier competition sets for a 220 swift and 308. They emailed back and said they would pass the info along at the next production/engineering meeting. I apologize if this is a hijack in any way.

 

[wholman]

Like your handle Broke

 

[savagedasher]

Great dies you can use a washer that fits over the case . The thickness of the washer you use you can size how much of the neck you want to size . Larry

 

[brokeasajoke]

Great dies you can use a washer that fits over the case . The thickness of the washer you use you can size how much of the neck you want to size . Larry

Yes apparently that's to align the neck in the chamber by not sizing the complete length of the neck with the lee die?

 

[savagedasher]

Yes apparently that's to align the neck in the chamber by not sizing the complete length of the neck with the lee die?

Yes you can find washer that very in thickness from .025 to .090 so any combination you want to change the neck is simple . I have some dasher brass the inside of the neck is wore from so many reloadings . Larry

 

[Fotheringill]

I have the RCBS Competition set and separate neck sizer and the Redding Compeitition neck and seating dies.

I was MOST pleasantly surprised by the TIR obtained with the simple, inexpensive Lee collet neck sizer. It was better than other two mentioned and this after measuring a few hundred of each.

 

[B_Thomas]

I have the RCBS Competition set and separate neck sizer and the Redding Compeitition neck and seating dies.

I was MOST pleasantly surprised by the TIR obtained with the simple, inexpensive Lee collet neck sizer. It was better than other two mentioned and this after measuring a few hundred of each.

Yup, Great product. Especially after polishing the mandrel, tapered seating surfaces and a dab of TW25 grease.

 

[wholman]

Somebody needs to send the correct instructions to lee on
collet die setup. Thank yall, they work a lot better now.

 

[bsekf]

Larry, sent you a PM about using a 6PPC collet die on a 6x47L or even a 243.

Bill

 

[brokeasajoke]

Yes you can find washer that very in thickness from .025 to .090 so any combination you want to change the neck is simple . I have some dasher brass the inside of the neck is wore from so many reloadings . Larry

So is there a standard to start with or is it all just guess work as to the thickness? Maybe doesn't matter as long as we have good bullet tension?

 

[savagedasher]

So is there a standard to start with or is it all just guess work as to the thickness? Maybe doesn't matter as long as we have good bullet tension?

I shoot with hardly none . Larry

 

[brokeasajoke]

Washer thickness or neck tension?

 

[rogn]

This thread is almost amazing as there isnt one post slamming the LCD. I have about a dozen of these dies and sets and love them. There are a couple of things to look out for though. Id heard a lot about people having trouble with crushing cases and couldnt figure that out until I finally got ARs and 223s. Just trying to load misc brass for varmit/barn quality ammo started causing crushed shoulders. Biggest issue was the disparity of mil-brass and the frequency of burred case necks.polishing up the lead into the collet and outside champfering of all cases stopped that. So far I cant create cases with ribs but Im sure Ill learn eventually. I have a Rockchucker and and an old RS press. Both of these "cam-over" and thats how I set them up. Ive found that about 25# of force on the handle is ample for virtually every case I load. Still looking for a LCD for a 375R, so that might be a bit different. I find you can get a meager increase in neck tension by rotating the cases and restriking 2 or 3 times.
Id like to get a LCD for 6X44, but I was put off by the lead time and cost. Sounds like I may need to recheck.
The overcenter operation is just giving a total of linkage and press "springing". Increaseing the force too much just results in something yielding, which is designed to be the die(cap)