Are Lee Pacesetter 3 die Sets Any Good?

28 January 2019, 05:21

wildcat junkie

Their 257 Ackley dies sets are attractively priced.
About 1/2 of what RCBS 2 piece sets go for.

28 January 2019, 06:17

Rapidrob

Yes, the die sets are well made. The Factory crimp die can't be beat for crimping the bullet.
The factory stands by their products 100% if you have any problems.

28 January 2019, 07:03

p dog shooter

I have more Lee dies then other brands last count about 30 out of 50.

28 January 2019, 07:24

craigster

I have and use more than a few. they all work fine.

28 January 2019, 09:10

CLL

I like Lee dies , if I were shooting bench rest competition maybe I would look harder at other offerings . In all reality for the hunting rigs I reload for they have provided great results with little trouble .

28 January 2019, 11:27

John Chalmers

It's what I use,good value although I do like the Lee neck sizer dies.jc

28 January 2019, 16:51

wildcat junkie

Thanks everyone. I'll be purchasing the Lee dies.

29 January 2019, 02:43

Dulltool17

I have only one set of dies that aren't Lee dies.
That's only because Lee dies weren't available in 9.3x62 at the time.

Quality and value in one place with Lee.....

29 January 2019, 07:06

dpcd

A story for you young guys, meaning under 50; back in the old days, there was RCBS and Lyman; some Herters and smaller makers. Dies were quite expensive.
Then in I think the early 70s, Lee came in at half the price. Overnight, the other guys had to drop their prices.
Lee dies are great; no reason to avoid them. I have 25 sets of them.

29 January 2019, 09:42

georgeld

DPCD:

Way back in 1958 when I got started playing this reloading game. I got
Herters dies. Sure seems like they
were around $5-6 a set. Herters did sell LOTS of junk shit. Back then, there wasn't much choice. A few years later other's came along at higher prices, some tried to gouge, til Lee came along with better prices.

I still have I think at least three sets, possibly 5. '06, 375, 222mag, maybe 303, and 8mm.

Could verify as my memory on such things
varies a lot. Just too damned lazy to go
take 'em off the shelf when it don't matter.

Loaded lot's of ammo with them and not many problems. Lee has some features none of the others have that are slick. Like the sliding
primer pin to keep from breaking things or unsticking a case. Just hammer it out.

It's a pain to me when I do break Lee products as it takes at least 2 weeks to get
them replaced. Where RCBS all we need to do is call or e'mail and the replacement is on the way. Usually takes 2-3 days. One time sizing a bucket mostly full of brass I ran a dirty case thru a Lee die that scratched it. They polished it out. When I had the same thing happen with an RCBS, I called to see if they wanted to polish it. "no sir, I'll send you a new die no charge". These things matter a lot to me.

I had a Lee 6 cavity .38 mold that I know had cast at least 20 gallons of bullets before the pins came loose. Taking them up on their half price fix or replace warranty. I sent it back. Instead of fixing it, they sent brand new mold blocks. Can't beat a deal like that.

They're all good imo, some just have different features and warranties. Make sure you check that part out. Sooner or later we'll screw some things up and need replacements.

George

29 January 2019, 20:46

TomP

I started with Lee Loaders, never had any problems with them. My wife bought be a press, at some point.

29 January 2019, 22:43

wildcat junkie

quote:
Originally posted by TomP:
I started with Lee Loaders, never had any problems with them. My wife bought be a press, at some point.

I started loading 16 ga paper shotgun shells when I was 15. I used the old Lee Hand Loading tool employing a bathroom scale to get the proper fiber wad seating pressure.

30 January 2019, 11:54

Wstrnhuntr

The only thing I dont like about Lee dies is the expander ball is secured by a collet instead of threaded. And sometimes you have to really snug the snot out if it to keep it from slipping up and down. Otherwise they work beautifully IMO.

30 January 2019, 19:01

dpcd

Put them in your lathe and cut some little grooves in them.
Or take a file and roughen it up. Put some emory powder on them. Those methods will hold them. Yes they have to be tight; it is actually a design feature so you don't break a decapping pin. Whether it was a good one is decided by the user.

30 January 2019, 22:24

ANTELOPEDUNDEE

quote:
Originally posted by georgeld:
DPCD:

Way back in 1958 when I got started playing this reloading game. I got
Herters dies. Sure seems like they
were around $5-6 a set. Herters did sell LOTS of junk shit. Back then, there wasn't much choice. A few years later other's came along at higher prices, some tried to gouge, til Lee came along with better prices.

I still have I think at least three sets, possibly 5. '06, 375, 222mag, maybe 303, and 8mm.

Could verify as my memory on such things
varies a lot. Just too damned lazy to go
take 'em off the shelf when it don't matter.

Loaded lot's of ammo with them and not many problems. Lee has some features none of the others have that are slick. Like the sliding
primer pin to keep from breaking things or unsticking a case. Just hammer it out.

It's a pain to me when I do break Lee products as it takes at least 2 weeks to get
them replaced. Where RCBS all we need to do is call or e'mail and the replacement is on the way. Usually takes 2-3 days. One time sizing a bucket mostly full of brass I ran a dirty case thru a Lee die that scratched it. They polished it out. When I had the same thing happen with an RCBS, I called to see if they wanted to polish it. "no sir, I'll send you a new die no charge". These things matter a lot to me.

I had a Lee 6 cavity .38 mold that I know had cast at least 20 gallons of bullets before the pins came loose. Taking them up on their half price fix or replace warranty. I sent it back. Instead of fixing it, they sent brand new mold blocks. Can't beat a deal like that.

They're all good imo, some just have different features and warranties. Make sure you check that part out. Sooner or later we'll screw some things up and need replacements.

George

You mean that it all wasn't Herters Model Perfect?

I'd still like to read George Herter's book "How to live with a bitch". Likely warn't about a dog tho you never know.

30 January 2019, 22:28

Wstrnhuntr

quote:
Originally posted by dpcd:
Put them in your lathe and cut some little grooves in them.
Or take a file and roughen it up. Put some emory powder on them. Those methods will hold them. Yes they have to be tight; it is actually a design feature so you don't break a decapping pin. Whether it was a good one is decided by the user.

Ive thought about trying to run an appropriate sized thread die down it just to give it something to bite onto. But most of my dies are green and I dont use the Lee much anymore.

31 January 2019, 02:32

bigrdp51

quote:
Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
The only thing I dont like about Lee dies is the expander ball is secured by a collet instead of threaded. And sometimes you have to really snug the snot out if it to keep it from slipping up and down. Otherwise they work beautifully IMO.

One of the biggest causes of neck runout happens when the expander is locked down off center.

Lee dies use a locking collet that centers the expander when tightened. And they have a lock ring with a rubber o-ring that allows the die to float and self center in the press threads.

If you don't want the expander to move then tighten the locking collet until the threads start to smoke and then give it two more full turns.

(the above is meant as humor so don't do this, it will be torqued far beyond Gorilla tight and you might get a hernia, a nose bleed and break the teeth in your slip joint pliers)

31 January 2019, 03:59

ANTELOPEDUNDEE

quote:
Originally posted by bigrdp51:
quote:
Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
The only thing I dont like about Lee dies is the expander ball is secured by a collet instead of threaded. And sometimes you have to really snug the snot out if it to keep it from slipping up and down. Otherwise they work beautifully IMO.

One of the biggest causes of neck runout happens when the expander is locked down off center.

Lee dies use a locking collet that centers the expander when tightened. And they have a lock ring with a rubber o-ring that allows the die to float and self center in the press threads.

If you don't want the expander to move then tighten the locking collet until the threads start to smoke and then give it two more full turns.

(the above is meant as humor so don't do this, it will be torqued far beyond Gorilla tight and you might get a hernia, a nose bleed and break the teeth in your slip joint pliers)

Or just remove it.

31 January 2019, 04:17

Jeff mills

quote:
Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
The only thing I dont like about Lee dies is the expander ball is secured by a collet instead of threaded. And sometimes you have to really snug the snot out if it to keep it from slipping up and down. Otherwise they work beautifully IMO.

I like this feature , myself.
It allows for easy stuck case removal and if a decapping pin gets bent it usually will push up instead of snapping off.
Love Lee dies. Work great at a great price.

31 January 2019, 20:57

ANTELOPEDUNDEE

quote:
Originally posted by Jeff mills:
quote:
Originally posted by Wstrnhuntr:
The only thing I dont like about Lee dies is the expander ball is secured by a collet instead of threaded. And sometimes you have to really snug the snot out if it to keep it from slipping up and down. Otherwise they work beautifully IMO.

I like this feature , myself.
It allows for easy stuck case removal and if a decapping pin gets bent it usually will push up instead of snapping off.
Love Lee dies. Work great at a great price.

How do you pull the expander stem out if the case neck is stuck in the die? Or do you remove the collet and tap on the expander plug to try to remove a stuck case?

The only stuck case I've ever had was so tight that the rim bent allowing the case to be free from the shellholder. Since there was no expander I simply stuck a rod thru the top of the die and tapped it out.

31 January 2019, 21:13

Jeff mills

Simply loosen the collet that holds the expander, wack it with a hammer and punch, driving it out of the die. Then slide the expander up to the case neck and pull the brass off using vice grips. If it's too tight to pull out, cut the case head off with a sharp hack saw blade, and the expander will fall out the bottom of the case.
Other type dies usually require a pulling tool and some drilling and threading. Usually a few more bad words also.

02 February 2019, 22:14

wildcat junkie

I just bought a set of 257 Ackley dies on e-bay.

Last one at that.

09 February 2019, 00:24

44magLeo

I like Lee tools. The only problem I have had with their dies is my 44 Mag carbide factory crimp die. Using cast sized to .432 to shoot well in my Marlin 1894 the carbide sizing ring at the bottom sized not only the case but the boolit too.
With a .429 or .430 bullet it would probably be fine.
I bought one of their collet crimp dies and set the other aside.
I just might measure the carbide insert. See if it is the same size as the regular size die has. If bigger I may pull the innerds and us that as a sizing die.
Lee

09 February 2019, 01:09

44magLeo

Just measured, I have a Harbor Freight telescoping gauges. The smallest of set to fit the FCD carbide ring wont fit through the regular sizing die. If set to a snug slip fit in the Regular die it practically falls trough the FCD.
Getting the mic out that makes the regular die at .448+9, the FCD at .4548.
I may try the FCD to neck size some brass to see if there is a difference in my rifle.
I have 11 sets of Lee dies and. I did have a bit of an issue with the collet neck sizing die in my 7x57 set. I started to use it and on one case I noticed a sharp in crease in resistance to going into the die with the next case, I stopped and pulled the case out of the die and the case was just starting to crumple at the shoulder. I inspect things and found the collect was stuck up.
I tapped it back down then completely out. The surfaces of the collet and inside the body were not rough but could have been polished a bit better. I'm a bit lazy at things like that so I greased it with Super Lube from Harbor Freight. Popped it back in and worked fine since.
I now do the same thing to all my collect dies from Lee, neck sizing as well as FCD's.
Bought their 50th anniversary Challenger press kit. One of the early ones with the old style hand primers and perfect powder measures.
I like the safety scale, the powder measure is ok but if not adjusted properly can leak.
I have their hand press, handy for loading at the range.
The bench priming tool, love it. It took some practice to keep the primers flowing, found if you just let the handle go and spring back up on it's own does the trick.
Ill probably buy more of their tooling in the future. I recommend it to everyone who asks me about reloading tolls. Best bang for the buck.
Leo

21 February 2019, 22:38

Atkinson

All my dies come in a green box, old habits are hard to break..Never a complaint however in some maybe 70 years of using them..Ive only owned one set of Lees in a 250-3000 as a kid..

I do like the Lee crimp die..

The only dies I don't like are Hornadys, to complicated for an old timer, and especially C&H because he sent me some custom dies for my .470 that simply didn't work and he pissed me off with his ignorance and lack of knowledge on the caliber specs..I ordered a set of RCBS and all was well, tossed the C&Hs in the trash.