Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 6.5-06 dies

A couple of threads got me to thinking about this. I'm building a 6.5-06 & have always loved the Lee Collet Neck Sizer. I'm thinking that I'd like to try getting one in 25-06 and putting a Swede mandrel (with the decapping pin ground off) in it. Given the .07" difference I'm thinking that'd work?

As a case sizer I'm thinking in the direction of the Redding Body Die for 25-06 or .270.

This seem like a good combo?

Thanks for all the wisdom here,

efw

I'm not so sure about the sizing surfaces of the collet fingers working out very well. The 25 cal radius on the fingers being tighter than the 264 radius on the mandrel/neck seems like a combination for wavy necks with eight pinch points.

Imagine your hand is one of the collet fingers. Grasp a 2l soda bottle with your hand conforming to the side. Next, tighten the C-shape radius of your hand. Now your finger and thumb tips are touching and the web of your hand isn't. That's a 25 cal collet finger on a 264 neck.

I hear you Mathman thanks. You think the Redding bushing neck sizer for 25-06 with a larger bushing would be better?

That seems like a better plan to me.

If you really love the collet die, just spend the ~$55 and have Lee make you a collet neck die set.

Still be cheaper than going the Redding die plus bushings.

Here's the link on the Lee website; LINK

Ed

One approach is to get the 6.5 Mouser collet die. Then use a set of washers 0.25" thick. The washer need to be of a size that the case fits in the hole and the flats of the washer contact the top of the shellholder firmly. Or as War Eagle says, just get one custom ordered.

I've used this approach to neck size 30 Gibbs cases (0.25" long neck and same OAL as an '06 case) with the '06 collet die. There are two washers on top of the shellholder in the pic below:

They're $70 now. Just had two made up - one for 35 Whelen and one for 264 Win Mag. Still a good deal IMO.

I would get a type S FL 270 collet die,buy a 6.5 spindle and carbide button .Get the titanium bushing in what ever neck size you want.Should work like a charm.My only question is that you can easily buy 6.5/06 die sets.Why not buy one?

This. They're $70 now, but include the dead length bullet seater and a shell holder, as well. I did that with a 6.5RM and the Creedmoor.

Dang...didn't realize they had gone up to $70 for these sets now (been a while since I have checked on them).

Still, checking Midway for prices, a Redding Type S (FL or Neck) sizer die is $59 and some change. Redding's steel neck bushings are ~$16 apiece and the Titanium Nitride versions are ~$27 apiece.

You would probably want to go with 2 or 3 bushing sizes to account for various neck wall thicknesses (neck turning would eliminate this if you are set up for it).

So the die, plus two steel bushings puts you at ~$91. Going with the TiNi bushings would make it ~$113. And that is for just ONE die.

The 6.5x55 collet die will work with the washers. I think it would work swapping the collet and mandrel in a longer 25-06 or .270 die body but haven't tried it.

But you are going to the expense of a custom barrel already so I wouldn't skimp on dies. A bullet seater can be cut with the chamber reamer guaranteeing a good fit. A cartridge OAL length gauge can also be cut with the chamber reamer and a section of barrel shank. If all done at the same time it is not that expensive as the reamer is already set up.

I would go the custom route for only a little more than the cost of two LEE dies. Then get a body die or FL sizer off the shelf.

Usually when I buy standard dies I end up upgrading at some point later so now try to go with what I would finally end up with from the start. Some of the wildcat dies are almost up to the cost of a custom die when you go with a competion seater and bushing dies.

In September 2015 I called up Forster and went around and around until they sent me a 25-06 Full length sizer die body honed out to a 0.292" neck.

That would make it an ideal 6.5-06 sizer die body, for $57. [double the honing charge]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I called up Lee and went around and around until they agreed to reduce a 270 mandrel from a collet neck die down to 0.262", but leave the top 1/4" alone to fit a 270 collar.

This will make it ideal for turning a 270 Lee collet neck die into a 6.5-06 die.
$20 plus shipping [quadruple the standard mandrel reduction charge]

-------------------------------------------------

At both Forster and Lee they had to go talk to the machinist to ask if it is possible.
I used to bid jobs for aerospace corporations. Any effort was thousands of dollars. Knowing what I know about overhead, Forster and Lee are losing money on my custom dies, the are just doing it to be nice.



0.2920+" pin gauge protruding from honed neck in sizer die



629 yards with 120 gr Nos Bal tip and IMR4166 in necked down RP 30-06 brass.

Dumoulin Mauser 6.5-06 with Shilen select match 8" twist ratchet rifling stainless steel barrel, Boyds pro varmint stock Sightron SIII 3.5x10 scope Harris swivel bipod. 12.5 pounds as tested.[ That big rear bag is heavy]
120 gr Nos Bal tip moly with 50.7 gr IMR4166 powder 3.34" that QL estimates at 3236 fps 65 kpsi
chronograph 3197 fps
0.87" 5 shot group at 100 yards