Lee Collet die w/Forster Ultra Micrometer Seater Die

[jon8777]

I am looking to pick up a Lee Collet die and finishing that off with a Forster Ultra Micrometer Seater Die for my 223 and 25-06 reloading. Does anyone used these combinations for realong?

All I hear is nothing but great things about the Lee Collet die for neck sizing.

 

[Doug b]

Welcome Jon8777,I've loaded some very accurate ammo with Lee's collet die and dead length seater die,but useing a press with compound linkage and a collet type die is a royal pain.Don't know about a mic.seating die,I've never seen the advantage.

 

[jon8777]

Collet die take a bit more pressure to work in a Lyman T-mag press?

 

[Doug b]

Nope Jon just the opposite in fact collet dies require very little pressure.Almost impossible to feel with compound linkage.If you cam the linkage over center you have ruined the die,not enough and the case mouth isn't resized enough and won't hold the bullet,you will need to check case mouth tension on every case before priming.

The Lee hand press works great with collet dies and fits in your back pocket,you can decap and resize anywere.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Nope Jon just the opposite in fact collet dies require very little pressure.Almost impossible to feel with compound linkage.If you cam the linkage over center you have ruined the die,not enough and the case mouth isn't resized enough and won't hold the bullet,you will need to check case mouth tension on every case before priming.

I disagree. I cam my press over the top using the lee collet dies..... however


I do three things the lee collet dies hold settings after the inital dial in on my rockchucker and require no additional attention.

1. replace the stupid O-ring locknut with a Hornady style split nut

2. check neck tension on a case and adjust down till you have .002" worth of tension

3. lock the nut into place and never touch it again

 

[broham]

I neck size my 308 brass only with the Lee collet until chambering is tight. Then I bump the shoulder back with a Redding body die. When it comes to seating I use a Forster comp seater. I love this set up, been working great so far.

 

[jon8777]

2. check neck tension on a case and adjust down till you have .002" worth of tension

Basicall your looking to take a 0.224 bullet minus the 0.002 and end up with a neck ID of 0.222" correct?

 

[Walkalong]

I have used a Lee collet die in .222 Mag, and it worked pretty well. I swittched to the Redding bushing die though.

Forster seaters work great.

 

[R.W.Dale]

2. check neck tension on a case and adjust down till you have .002" worth of tension

Basicall your looking to take a 0.224 bullet minus the 0.002 and end up with a neck ID of 0.222" correct?

precicly

 

[ranger335v]

" Does anyone used these combinations for realong?"

Certainly.

The Lee collet die works fine on any press if it's adjusted correctly. It it's not adjusted correctly it works poorly on any press.

And a lock ring is a lock ring, use it properly and they all work fine. Otherwise...

 

[R.W.Dale]

And a lock ring is a lock ring, use it properly and they all work fine. Otherwise...

except for Lee's which aren't lock rings at all and the RCBS that strips out the tiny brass set screw. Other than those two instances I completely agree

 

[bodab]

I have a lee collet die in 7 mag and I CANNOT make it work. Help please, i cannot make the neck any smaller the .284, it will not hold the bullet

 

[Walkalong]

After double checking yourself, call Lee. They may have shipped the wrong collet.

 

[ranger335v]

Hello bodab. -- "I have a lee collet die in 7 mag and I CANNOT make it work. Help please, i cannot make the neck any smaller the .284, it will not hold the bullet"

Understand there is no value in putting more than maybe 20-25 pounds of pressure on the lever. At that point the neck collet has been squeezed against the inner mandrel as far as it can go. Too much more pressure can strip threads and push the aluminum top cap out of the die.

You can make the mandrell a little smaller. First, mike the diameter of the mandrel for its exact diameter. Then chuck the thing in an electric drill, put the decap pin in the chuck. Hold sandpaper to the area where the neck is formed until you have taken off ONE thousant. No more is needed or helpfull. The die should work fine then.

Or, you could anneal the necks of your brass to make them a little softer. What happens is that newer, or softer annealed cases usually get sized down fine but older cases have been worked a few times and made harder. Harder brass tends to sping back more when you size it and then it may not hold a bullet, as you are finding. Not a fault of the die, as such, it's just a fact of life when using old, work harded brass.

 

[bodab]

I am new to this, i started in pistol ammo, 44 mag, and moved on to rifle, i just read everthing again and i might have not put enough pressure on the press, i am going to shoot a few rounds and try again.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Lee lock-less rings are just that! Sure, they'll hold their setting if you remember, every single time, to remove/install the die by turning the die, not the ring.

Even if you can remember that, every single time, once you remove the die from the press, the ring is pretty loose and easily moved simply putting the die back in the box. A lock ring should LOCK in place so that you would have to loosen a set screw or cross bolt for it to lose its setting.

Andy

 

[Walkalong]

they'll hold their setting

I'll quote Doc Holiday "I beg to diffa"

I agree Andy.

 

[BigJakeJ1s]

Jon8777,

The internals of the regular Forster BR seater are the same as the ultra (micrometer) version, just without the micrometer adjustment. They'll still load bullets every bit as straight as the Ultras.

Andy