"Lee Collet Die" Experience

[Fotheringill]

I have now loaded over 750 rounds of .223 with the Lee die. It is truly a pleasure and there is minimal runout. I would NOT suggest re neck sizing with the Lee AFTER you have already neck sized with a bushing die. It is a PITA to get the rod into the neck and then down. Use those pre sized neck rounds for your foulers.

 

[Homerange]

I have now loaded over 750 rounds of .223 with the Lee die. It is truly a pleasure and there is minimal runout. I would NOT suggest re neck sizing with the Lee AFTER you have already neck sized with a bushing die. It is a PITA to get the rod into the neck and then down. Use those pre sized neck rounds for your foulers.

Which suggests your bushing die is leaving the necks a shade tight. Many instead prefer much less neck tension for better consistency.
I have 5 collet dies sets for all my calibers

 

[bsekf]

Rogn, are you talking about a 444 Marlin necked down to 6mm, when you say 6x44? If so, just get a 243 Collet die and use washers to get the right length.

 

[Fotheringill]

Which suggests your bushing die is leaving the necks a shade tight. Many instead prefer much less neck tension for better consistency.
I have 5 collet dies sets for all my calibers

Tighter than the mandrel for sure.

 

[rogn]

BSEKF,6X44 is a 1/4" longer 6BR. I think Ive tried that and tripped over something, but I think Ill re-examine it.

 

[BoydAllen]

Oh but seating force has nearly nothing(directly) to do with actual neck tension.
Tension is varied with length of sizing. Can you adjust the length of neck sizing with a collet die?

We tune by using different bushings sizing the same length down the neck, so something must be going on.

 

[jimmymac]

Old thread, but still good stuff. I'm a fan of the LCD!

I've found the LCD works great on my rock chucker using the cam over technique as outlined by John Valentine. To me, those instructions produce consistent results and eliminate human error. I was very skeptical when I first got the die because the instructions were quite different than what Lee tells you to do, but John's instructions are spot on. Very little pressure on the press handle is required to achieve the intended goal.

I added several more LCD's to my arsenal once I realized how nice they work. About all I do anymore is use the LCD. When things start getting a little tight in the chamber, I break out the Redding body die.

One negative I can find in the LCD system is the crappy lock ring they provide. It gets replaced immediately with a "set it and forget it" lock ring. The other issue is lack of fit and finish in the Lee product. As many others have done, I've taken all of mine apart to smooth and polish the internals. YMMV

 

[dabeechman]

My collet die will occasionally collapse a casing, but other than that they are good dies and keep my concentricity to .001.

 

[JohnKielly]

My collet die will occasionally collapse a casing, but other than that they are good dies and keep my concentricity to .001.

It can happen if the collet doesn't spring back. Try disassembling, cleaning & then lubricating the two mating surfaces of the collet with white grease.

Other times, it might suggest that you have the collet set to "oversqueeze" the neck.

 

[mikecr]

We tune by using different bushings sizing the same length down the neck, so something must be going on.

If that length of sizing extends beyond seated bullet bearing, then greater downsizing does grip bearing-base junction tighter. A benefit where you need extrme tension,, a detriment in that it brings donut into tension, and of course greater tension means greater variance of it.
Otherwise, sizing amount in length that does not go beyond seated bearing, provides no more than spring back gripping(usually plenty). And with this, sizing amounts any more than spring back does nothing but overwork brass(no extra tension).

If I used a collet die, for my cartridges, I'd modify/adjust it to size ~1/2 the neck, 1thou under cal (after spring back).

 

[savagedasher]

The good thing about a cullet die the inside of the brass is always the same size . Larry

 

[dabeechman]

It can happen if the collet doesn't spring back. Try disassembling, cleaning & then lubricating the two mating surfaces of the collet with white grease.

Other times, it might suggest that you have the collet set to "oversqueeze" the neck.

If it does that, I take the collet apart and spin it in the lathe with some 600 grit sand paper then re-grease it with white lithium grease and it goes back to functioning properly.

 

[1953greg]

BSEKF,6X44 is a 1/4" longer 6BR. I think Ive tried that and tripped over something, but I think Ill re-examine it.

what case is used for this?.....243?

and is there any clearance issues in the shoulder area using standard collet w/ ai brass?

 

[Fotheringill]

I have now loaded and measured for run out about 1500 .223 rounds using the Lee Collett neck sizing die.

Much, much better than Redding Competition. Certainly the best +$20 I have ever spent.

 

[rogn]

what case is used for this?.....243?

and is there any clearance issues in the shoulder area using standard collet w/ ai brass?

I dont think so, but pull the collet out and hnd fit the case and at least "eyeball" the clearance or depth.

 

[jamesdmock]

Oh but seating force has nearly nothing(directly) to do with actual neck tension.
Tension is varied with length of sizing. Can you adjust the length of neck sizing with a collet die?

What ????

 

[T-shooter]

 

[Iowa Fox]

I like the Lee Collet die. The only thing that Lee could improve on is packaging a set of instructions like John Valentine's and a body die like Reddings. Actually I have John's instructions printed out and have a Redding body die for the cartridges I have the collet die for. I'm not the first one to say any of the stuff above. My best run out comes from using the Lee collet die, Redding body die, and a Forster BR seater. The Forster seater beats out my Wilson for run out. And of course I use John Valentines instructions.

 

[swadiver]

I like the Lee Collet die. The only thing that Lee could improve on is packaging a set of instructions like John Valentine's and a body die like Reddings. Actually I have John's instructions printed out and have a Redding body die for the cartridges I have the collet die for. I'm not the first one to say any of the stuff above. My best run out comes from using the Lee collet die, Redding body die, and a Forster BR seater. The Forster seater beats out my Wilson for run out. And of course I use John Valentines instructions.

I use this exact same set of components with great results.

 

[bsekf]

There is no reason someone couldn't make a "universal" collet die for each caliber. Lots of clearance in the shoulder area and a bunch of spacers. The only problems I have had using a stack of washers is occasionally bumping the shoulder area and putting a bulge in the case. You don't realize it until you try to chamber the reloaded round. I have used a 6PPC collet on a 6X223 and it works fine. The die is so simple I don't understand why Lee doesn't offer them in more sizes.

Bill