Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Seen this thing, a collet body die for belted cases?

A curiousity. Maybe? The link goes to a few articles about the die. I dig the Lee Collet Neck die, when working...


Link

I've got one, it works.

IF you're firing your belted brass in the same chamber, odds are you may never use it.

I first ran into the "bulge above the belt issue" when forming .350 Rem Mag from once fired 7mm RM brass I bought of a forum. About 1/3rd wouldn't chamber after being cut down and sized. the Larry Willis Die solved it. The top also is a handy gauge to verify you're "OK" after sizing.

I'm now having my 300WM re-barreled, so there's a chance I'll get to use it on that brass due to the new chamber.

I have had one for about 10 years now I'd say. I thought I needed it, ended up not having to use it. Well made and all that, just haven't had the need to use it in any of my rifles.

I could have used one a while back. A friend had a 257 Weatherby and I loaded empties from factory ammo fired in his rifle. The vanilla RCBS FL sizer didn't quite do the job near the belt. I found a work around, but it added an extra step to the process.

Just for curiosity sake, what was your workaround?

I found one of my other dies, one of the 300 mags IIRC, that was tighter just above the belt area but didn't size the 257 Wby case body beyond that area. So it acted as a "lower body die" to name it.

If you don't have a lot of cases to do...lube the case, drive it with a plastic mallet into an LE Wilson case trimmer holder, drive it out with a wood or delrin punch.

Most people don't have a need for this collet sizer but if you need it it does work. I load for 5 belted mags and only 1 has ever needed this die. That one is a 270 WBY that I picked up a bunch of once fired brass for. Problem solved. I would venture to guess that the guys that complain about this tool are the ones that didn't need it in the first place.