Lee Collet Die Interchangable

[bsekf]

I tried a 6.5x47 Lapua in my 260 collet die, I re-sized about 1/8 inch of the neck. Do you think that will be enough? If it is, I see no reason you couldn't do the same to th 6x47 Lapua in a 243 collet die? What do you think?

I was trying to figure out how to shorten the 260 die so it would work on the entire neck of the 6.5x47.....didn't see how to do that.

I know I can have Lee make a custom collet die, but I just love "shooting myself in the foot".

Bill

 

[jonbearman]

I don't think an 1/8th of an inch will do it. I would get a redding or whatever brand you like and get a bushing die for the right caliber. If you don't size enough of it then the bearing surface of the bullet may push past the sized area and fall in the case.

 

[arnie]

I have made Lee collet dies work for calibers that Lee doesn't make .Take the die apart and put the case in your shell holder and put the case a into the lower part of the die so the shell holder hits the bottom like it does when you use it in the press. You can see how much room is left before the shoulder hits .You can remove that much from the bottom of that piece and it will work fine .If a case goes too far inot a die and crushes the shoulder ,you can glue a spacer onto a shell holder so the case doesn't go too far in.

 

[lrgoodger]

I also have made Lee collet dies work on different calibers. Like Arnie says, it's not too hard to figure out how much of the neck will get sized if you take the die apart and examine it. My latest adaptation was using a 7mm-08 collet die on a 284 Shehane. A .150" thick spacer on the shellholder (I used three .050 washers) puts it just right for me (I seat the 180 hybrids pretty far out).

 

[bsekf]

I will have to take the die apart and look at it again. I quickly realized you wouldn't just grind some off the bottom. I have used washers for spacers to collet size 7x444 in a 7/08 die. Same with a Forester BR seating die.

Have not experienced having the bullet drop into the case, but I see your point. I was thinking along the lines of running a case part way into a FL die to just size the neck, but you do size more than 1/8" of the neck.

Bill