Lee collet neck sizing die

[rebs]

How many of you guys are using this and not fl sizing ?

 

[DLT]

I use one on 223 and 22/250. In conjunction with a redding body die.

 

[SKWERLZ]

I use them with Redding body dies.

I used to neck size with the collet and the body size every 3-4th loading but moved to sizing the body as well every time for a better ES and less hassles and with lots of neck only sizing your almost guaranteed to get hassles.

 

[jepp2]

How many of you guys are using this and not fl sizing ?

I use LCD's with a number of the cartridges I load for, but I use a body die on every single one of them. I don't want my case head to datum changing with every loading. But I don't follow the common advice offered of bumping the shoulder back 0.002" from the fired case size. I bump the shoulder to 0.001" from bolt contact.

 

[cwebster]

22 Hornet

 

[Fuj]

I anneal first, then full length size. Next is the collet die
with the proper mandel. Squeeze, turn and squeeze again.

 

[DLT]

I use LCD's with a number of the cartridges I load for, but I use a body die on every single one of them. I don't want my case head to datum changing with every loading. But I don't follow the common advice offered of bumping the shoulder back 0.002" from the fired case size. I bump the shoulder to 0.001" from bolt contact.

Do you strip the bolt to feel when it makes contact ?

 

[jepp2]

Do you strip the bolt to feel when it makes contact ?

I do.

 

[Chris Edmondson]

I recently discovered that Lee neck sizing collets, at least for 6.5 Creedmoor, went through a transition. I have both collets shown in the picture below, I use the older style which squeezes the entire neck.

I've seen some evidence, using a borecam, that excessive compressive force can materialize the collet gaps inside the neck, not sure that matters, and there's really no reason to use the die improperly.

The bottom line from what I can tell; the Lee neck sizing dies leave the neck inside diameters within a 0.001" tolerance according to my bore gage, and better than that based on touch feel.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Just the right FEEL is needed with the LCD
The new style (after about 2019) is short. I was able to shave the base of the old style (longer) 223 collet to fit the neck of my 22 Nosler. I have a couple of mandrels turned down for neck fit.
With the body die I adjust for 'click' then about 0.003".
I need that much headspace to reduce stickage in a no gas AR.
Ejector spring has been cut.

 

[jepp2]

I recently discovered that Lee neck sizing collets, at least for 6.5 Creedmoor, went through a transition

Lee has changed their design on all their collet dies. Their reasoning was that reloaders prefer the new design where the last portion of the case neck isn't sized. Give the bullet a place to sit when seating (kind of like the Lyman M expander works). I prefer the older style design, but must be in a minority on this as well?

I use a 6.5 CM LCD to size my 6.5 PRC brass with the appropriate thickness washer. Lots of folks are able to modify their collet dies to work for other cartridges as well.

 

[Fuj]

With the wild catting I do, I find a die that is close then on
the lathe it goes. The last few years have been several short
versions of the 284. The 7/08 LCD's get modded and work
just fine. I make my own mandrels, then get them hard
chromed by a friend.

 

[markm87]

I do both. FL size, tumble off lube, then Lee Neck and seat primer.

I have Neck sized only on occasion, but I lose track of which brass got what, so I generally FL size everything every time.

 

[Chris Edmondson]

The Lee collet neck sizing die is very capable IMO, not that there aren't better ways to approach seating uniformity. Wednesday, I seated 32 bullets with cases neck sized with a Lee 6.5 Creedmoor collet die, the mandrel mics at .262" diameter, so 2 thou neck tension lets say. Other than normal brass prep, the necks were swabbed with Neolube, the chart below shows the best 25 rounds, filtered by the amount of Work required to seat the bullets; I've done a lot of these, the result is in the excellent category, FWIW.

 

[6Creed73]

I got the LCD a few months ago after I saw everyone talking about it...figured, its cheap so why not try it. First time out with it I got an ES of 9 and an SD of 3 over 10 shots. This was with a developed load that was already giving an ES of 13 and an SD of 6. I then sized a bunch of brass with a Redding type S Fl die with the bushing removed and then hit them with the LCD. I'm going to load about 20 more of that load to see if I can repeat the results.

But so far, I'm digging the LCD and may not go back to the bushing. I do still use a expander mandrel too as I removed the expander ball from the Redding long ago.

Moral of the story, Redding body die, followed by LCD, followed by expander mandrel seems to be a winning combo.

 

[Homerange]

Lee has changed their design on all their collet dies. Their reasoning was that reloaders prefer the new design where the last portion of the case neck isn't sized. Give the bullet a place to sit when seating (kind of like the Lyman M expander works). I prefer the older style design, but must be in a minority on this as well?

You are not !

IMO the new Lee collet design was a retarded decision.
Hell, don't we all chamfer neck insides which gives the projectile somewhere to sit or do the Lee engineers have such fat fingers they can't use them to guide the projectile into a seating die ?

Using LCD for:
222
223
243
6mm Rem
7mm08
308

Luckily they are all of the earlier design.

 

[Rocketvapor]

I think their idea was slight flare to help seal the neck to bore and reduce blowback and carbon.

 

[Murray Brook]

I have been using the LCD in conjunction with the Redding body die for a good while now for several cartridges. Works great. Run-out #'s are real good, but leave it to Lee to screw things up by changing the collet. Their change was in response to some gun writer that suggested it. What I do with the new collets is size once then put a washer of proper size between the shell holder and die and size the second time to size the top portion of the case neck. JMW

 

[Homerange]

I think their idea was slight flare to help seal the neck to bore and reduce blowback and carbon.

And increase the depth one has to seat a light projectile and then need to jump it more ?

Nah, it was a retarded design decision not at all liked by anyone.

Oh they wanted to make reloading easier, well little of it is when you jump deep into the rabbit hole.
Me, I'd rather buy a chamfer tool....oh, don't Lee sell those too.

 

[rebs]

how many times can a case be neck sized with the LCD before it needs to be fl sized