Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Lee Collet Die change

I use Lee dies pretty exclusively, especially the collet dies for neck sizing. I just started loading for an old Husky 30 06 and got a new set of dies. After the usually cleaning and polishing of the mandrel, I started resizing some fired cases. I quickly noticed the top of the neck was slightly flared out. Took the die apart and noticed the collet seemed to be a little to short causing the very to of the case mouth to not get fully resized. I spoke with Brenda at Lee and she said this was a intentional modification to "flare the case neck to allow easy and concentric seat of bullets". It was news to me!

I have always necked sized then spun the case 180 degrees and resized. Do the same thing halfway while seating; heard this helps concentricity. Not sure if it works but it's a habit now.

Anyone else seen or have a comment of this Lee 'improvement'?

I don't see a problem, exactly, but it depends on the amount of the flare. I shoot mostly boattail bullets unless I'm shooting cast, and I bell the necks to seat them. I also collet-size and seat bullets using the same method you do. Sometimes I use three or for steps, depending on a few variables.

Here's the answer I got when I asked. IDK if it helps, hurts, or neither as this was my first LCD purchase.



Here's how much it protrudes.

This is sure to help.I found out yesterday loading some Sierra Match Kings in .223. The 52 gr were boatails and no problem. The 53 gr were flat base.Sure was hard getting the flat base started into the seating dies and brass

That's cut n paste from my answer. Lee is an innovative company but you'd think they would have the sense to include that info with their die instructions!

Hey saddlesore. I sure have pinch my fingers before holding a flat based bullet on the case while raising the ram!

If you use mathman's setup instructions, you obviously need to be below the flare while measuring.

Very interesting. I am sure Lee did due diligence in researching the change. I am wondering if it will eventually cause chambering problems after a lot of firings with the same brass. Five, six....? Will the mouth get a split? How critical is having all of the brass trimmed to the same length

I don't like change without notice.

You were notified before buying any of the new design.

You'll survive this one, my friend.

Interesting thread as I recently purchased a 30-06 collet die that will not seat bullets tight enough - to the point I can move them by hand.

I've used collet dies in my 7-08, .308's and .300 WM for years with no problems and have never encountered this issue. No matter how I adjust the 30-06 collet die, it will simply not hold the bullet tightly enough. Wonder if this flare issue is somehow related? Maybe a call to Lee....

If you're not getting enough tension from the rest of the neck to hold the bullet, the bit that's not squeezed ain't going to fix that. How many times have the cases been fired without annealing? What's the diameter of the mandrel?

I would grind or polish it down to almost nothing. My thought on the collet die is to minimize any working of the brass, With a VLD type champfer tool no flair is needed.

Buckster: Either polish your mandrel down or get a smaller diameter from Lee. The flair will only aggravate the situation.

Backwards step by Lee

Yes, and thank you. I am only using vintage LCDs.... Until I don't.

Hooray for Lee! Since about 2004 I've modified all my LCD this way. I shoot a lot of cast bullets and when modified there is no need of an extra die to flair the neck and they work with jacketed just as well. Now, I won't have to grind down the collet.

Looks like a good change to me. Might just replace my old LCD's.

Or carefully grind the ones you have.

DF

Out of a half dozen different LCD's, only one standard diameter mandrel for one particular brand and lot of brass would provide enough neck tension to sufficiently hold a bullet for hunting ammo. I now have 4-5 mandrels for each LCD I own--standard, standard undersize, and ones I've sanded down to provide enough neck tension for the particular brand/lot of brass I'm using.