Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best sizer Die to pair with a Lee Collet Die?

Looking to get a re-sizer die to go with the Lee Collet die.
Should I get a body die or a full length die? Redding has both for the 6.5x55. The goal is to work the brass the least I can and minimize run out.

There's no sense in pairing a FL die with the collet die, as it will resize the neck, which is the Lee's job. The Redding body dies work great.

I bought my first Lee collet die last year (for a 270 Win) and use a Redding body die and Forster seating die with it. I like the combination so much that it will be my first choice for any new guns I get.

That's a pretty good combo right there cept I use Redding neck dies with bushings when I can.....
Forster seating dies rock...they're all I use....

Lee Collet neck sizer/Redding Body die is a hard combo to beat and a good value for the money.

DF

Should have mentioned in my post they are great value for the money.

Fieldgrade, I'm really enjoying that Forster seating die a lot.

Almost all of my die sets are Lee collet - Redding body die - Redding competition seater, but the last one I put together used the Forster seater and I'm thinking I will go that route in the future. It does the same thing as the Redding comp seater for considerably less money.

Only drawback is that it doesn't fit neatly with the other dies in the Redding die boxes...

This was one of those forehead smacking "DOE!" comments for me.

I've always kept a standard FLS die around for all my cartridges, but never had to bump shoulders in my 30-06 or 257 AI which both have brass that has been cycled through >8x.

If avoiding runout is your goal the body die/LCNS pair is perfect.

The only downside there is that when (if??) you do have to bump shoulders you'll have an extra step vs. the FLS which can do it all in one stroke.

MD: I understand the redundancy of the Collet and FL sizer. The collet will be the mainstay and sizer only when any significant expansion occurs. Or am I still out in left field?

Sounds like the body die will do as a bump die. I was concerned that their might be an area untouched by either at the base of the neck right in doughnut land.

Will try to limit the body die use to every 3rd to 5th or more loading but it will depend on the chamber and how hard I lean on it. I will reserve it until I get resistance in chambering. Otherwise neck size with the Lee only.

So Forester Seater, Lee Collet, and Redding Body die it is.

The problem there is nine times out of ten the FL die will work the neck more than necessary.

Why not just get a 4 die Lee set ?

Collet, FL, Crimp and seat ? 48 bucks.

Work just as well in my 308 Match rifle as anything until you get into Redding Competition Bushing Neck Die set @ $440 w/bump die and carbide kit. The Lee comes with a shellholder and load data.

Even then the differences are in 10ths of an inch.

What kind of match rifle?

Lee dies are great for the price and can load some consistent ammo. But I am the type that would second guess if they were the best and end up adding Forster or Redding dies later so there would go any cost savings.

Maybe not as good as a Redding Body Die, but I made a body die out of a Lee FL die that wasn't doing right. I ground out the neck with a Dremel so the only contact with the case is body and shoulder. Seems to work OK.

You only have to use the body die when bolt closure starts getting a bit hard. I get several reloads with the Lee Collet neck sizer before needing to use the body die.

DF

Df: That will work.

No question I am over thinking this. Now my mental debate is whether to just get a type S FL die and use it without he bushings or expander as a body die. Then test to see if it will do better than the Lee Collet Die alone.

Only problem is the Forbes rifle as a platform and me as the shooter resulting in no conclusive results.

I guess the main point is not to order every die out there in the hopes it will make me a better shooter. A consistent 1-1.5" shooter can take a lot of game.

The price of the loading equipment doesn't always equate with producing the most concentric ammo. I like to go simple and get the most performance for the buck, as I reload for a number of rounds.

The Lee Collet neck sizer/body die combo is about the best value for producing concentric ammo.

Good seaters like the Wilson, Bonanza BR, Hornady, RCBS Competition, etc. that keep the bullet aligned, are an asset.

And a Sinclair or similar concentricity tool to see what you're doing.

Add a TruAngle tool to tweak runout and your're headed in the right direction without breaking the bank.

DF

Yea...they're great....especially if you reload any of the 17's....

Based on my Hornady concentricity (?) tester, the Lee crimp die does a lot to reduce runout.

Pretty much sums up most of my reloading....

but instead of a ton of REdding Body Dies, I pull the spindle out of a larger bore die based on the same case...

for instance a 260 die, makes a good 243 body die...

the 30/06 die makes a great 270 body die... and so on...

When you consider the cost of a set of dies can cost the price of one or two boxes of bullets, or 50 pieces of brass, they really are some of the cheapest investments with the greatest return on your dollar of about anything else involved with reloading...

why skimp? I have several sets of dies for each caliber I load for, different brands as one might have a feature that is a little better than the other...