Don't discount the Lee Collet die out of hand. Here is a short video I made.

OK, its not up to Redding Competition Bushing die standards, but at least any neck wall variation is pushed to the outside - good for hunting loads which you cant be bothered to neck turn
Likewise, they are great to use before neckturning - with the variation on the outside, you can get very consistent neck wall thickness.

I honestly believe these Lee Collets are better than any die with a button. That said, you do need a press with a positive handle stop. Without this the neck tension does seem to vary.

Kev.

Thanks - great VID and very informative.

A nice and interesting video! I'm a Lee Collet and Factory crimp dies fan; I own a set for almost everything I reload for.

The Lee Collet dies produce less run out than any other dies I use(RCBS, HDY, Fstr, Redd, etc).

I use the collet dies for several carts. When the shoulders need to be "bumped" I use the redding body dies along with the collet dies.

Reloader

I use one for my 260ai, works great.

I have Lee Collet Dies for 223 Rem., 404 Jeffery, and 450/400 3 inch.

My son-in-law uses the Lapua brass I reload with the Lee dies to shoot 300 yard F Class.

Stupid question, what loading press were you using in that video?

quote:

Originally posted by filmit:
Stupid question, what loading press were you using in that video?

Forster Co-Ax.

Kev.

I use the Lee collet die exclusively for cartridges only getting neck sized including for my 30 PPC Largo wildcat's best group of .257"

Ihave Collet de Luxe dies for .22Hornet, .222Rem, .223Rem, .22-250Rem and .30-06Spr calibers.

quote:

Originally posted by wildboar:
A nice and interesting video! I'm a Lee Collet and Factory crimp dies fan; I own a set for almost everything I reload for.

Likewise, I use Lee Collet dies and Factory Crimp dies and have found them to produce very accurate ammunition. I have both dies for 22-250, .257 Rob. and 30-06 Spr.

It's great not having to lube the brass every time I run a batch of cases through the process and then having to clean up the lube afterwards.

LEE COLLET DIES are the best value in reloading period!! Anytime that you can keep an expander ball out of that neck on the upstroke of the press handle, you've saved yourself some run-out! And you have created more accurate ammo!! Richard Lee was a genius!! GHD

quote:

OK, its not up to Redding Competition Bushing die standards,

I agree with all you stated EXCEPT this one!

Gaging "standards" only by results, I feel my Lee collet neck dies are better than any others, at any price, period; at least for factory (SAAMI chambered) rifles.

I've gone to using body dies along with the collet neck dies instead of FL sizing for my most accurate rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by Reloader:
The Lee Collet dies produce less run out than any other dies I use(RCBS, HDY, Fstr, Redd, etc).

I use the collet dies for several carts. When the shoulders need to be "bumped" I use the redding body dies along with the collet dies.

Reloader

Amen!

LOVE the collet dies......if only they made one for the 280 Ackley Improved.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Szczepaniak:
LOVE the collet dies......if only they made one for the 280 Ackley Improved.

They do, it's the regular 280 rem collet die (might be called the 7mm Express, will check it out next time I pull the box). From the Lee site (go to FAQ, then dies then Ackley)

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/faq/index.cgi

quote:

Ackley Improved Cases

The standard Collet die for the parent cartridge should work, provided that the base to neck/shoulder intersection dimension has not changed. Most Ackley Imp. cartridges have less body taper, and a steeper shoulder angle, but the distance from the base of the case to the neck/shoulder intersection is not changed. There is enough clearance in the collet to accommodate the improved cartridge

The problem with the collet die is that you still need another size die. Brass not fired in the gun or brass that expands so it is too tight will still need another size die.
I agree they do a good job but there an extra expense involved.

I use Lee's 257 Bob collet die for my 257 AI

use in same rifle so don't FL re-size anymore

quote:

Originally posted by bfrshooter:
The problem with the collet die is that you still need another size die. Brass not fired in the gun or brass that expands so it is too tight will still need another size die.
I agree they do a good job but there an extra expense involved.

Not significant. Example for 30-06 a Lee Collet is $20.00 and a Redding Body Die $24.00. By comparison a Forster Full Length is $32.00 or a Redding Bushing Die is $47.50

Will the Lee Collet neck sizer work in a progressive press? Caliber would be 204 or 223.

Thx

Mike

Just to make sure, I fully understand, what's happening:

The Lee collet presses the neck walls against the mandrel. So there is pressure exerted both to the inside and outside at the same time. That's why the run-out is minimized. And neck wall thickness should be standardized. In this case not by taking material off but by letting it flow to some other part of the case.

In a conventional die the outside diamater is sized down first, and only in a second step the expander ball will widen up the mouth again. So any irragularities of the neck wall thickness will be pushed back to the outside of the neck. As a consequence there will be more run-out, when necks are measured on the outside.

So far so good. Lee's collet die will produce very equal necks. But what's with the excess material having been pushed "away" from the necks? Where is it now? I would think somewhere in the shoulder area. So the problem of unequal neck wall dimensions is simply shifted to another part of the case. Correct?

If I must to use conwertional die, I take off expander ballrod. Then I use Collet die only for neck expansion and extraction of spendid primers.

Here's another vid showing the Lee Collet die. It talks about the sticking problem that can occur. I have had that problem but I solved my problem by using some lapping coumpound and lapping the parts together and then some graphite. I didn't have any problems with the die until after extensive use and it was a very easy fix. Dave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...UGnM&feature=related

quote:

Originally posted by McFox:
Just to make sure, I fully understand, what's happening:

The Lee collet presses the neck walls against the mandrel. So there is pressure exerted both to the inside and outside at the same time. That's why the run-out is minimized. And neck wall thickness should be standardized. In this case not by taking material off but by letting it flow to some other part of the case.

In a conventional die the outside diamater is sized down first, and only in a second step the expander ball will widen up the mouth again. So any irragularities of the neck wall thickness will be pushed back to the outside of the neck. As a consequence there will be more run-out, when necks are measured on the outside.

So far so good. Lee's collet die will produce very equal necks. But what's with the excess material having been pushed "away" from the necks? Where is it now? I would think somewhere in the shoulder area. So the problem of unequal neck wall dimensions is simply shifted to another part of the case. Correct?

It is my understanding that the Lee Collet does not push the brass somewhere else. The collets have more give than the mandrel so the neck thickness irregularities will be pushed to the outside. The mandrel is free floating so it does not push the neck one way or the other.

The Lee Collet will not remove runout measured on the neck that is induced by variances in neck thickness, it reduces runout as measured on the bullet. That is what is important anyway.

One other advantage of the Lee Collet is that it also reduces work hardening of the neck. With an expander ball the neck is sized in and then out, 2 work hardening operations. With the Lee Collet it is only sized once.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
I have Lee Collet Dies for 223 Rem., 404 Jeffery, and 450/400 3 inch.

Rusty,

Where did you get your 450/400 Collet die? Lee doesn't seem to list them.

Thanks

Here's my story on Lee Collet dies.



I went to the store and bought a set for 7Rem mag and 223.

Then I went home and loaded up some ammo.

Then I went to the range and proceded to fire the smallest groups I have ever shot out of both rifles.


The end.

quote:

Originally posted by bigfats:

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
I have Lee Collet Dies for 223 Rem., 404 Jeffery, and 450/400 3 inch.

Rusty,

Where did you get your 450/400 Collet die? Lee doesn't seem to list them.

Thanks

I'm not Rusty, but I can answer the question: Lee will make custom collet dies for $50 if you will send them three once-fired cases of the caliber you want. However, I was very disappointed to send them three cases of 7x33 Sako only to have them return them with a note that the cartridge is too short for them to make a collet die. I don't understand this, but it is what it is.

There are some calibers for which you can adapt their existing collet dies. As has been noted, many A.I. cartridges will size just fine using a standard collet die. This is not true of the K-Hornet, but I simply drilled out the collet with the proper size drill bit far enough to allow the fatter shoulder to go into the die without touching and it works like a charm. Similarly, Lee makes no collet die for the .222 Magnum, but using a collet die for the .223 with a washer of the right thickness dropped over the case to sit on top of the shellholder adapts this die to this cartridge. I also chopped the right amount of the base of the collet off of a .222 die to adapt it to size .221 Fireball cases.

If it shoots in a bolt action rifle, I use a collet die to load it.

quote:

bfrshooter "The problem with the collet die is that you still need another size die. Brass not fired in the gun or brass that expands so it is too tight will still need another size die."

That not much of a "problem", it's true of ANY neck sizer.