Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best reloading dies?

Best is so damn subjective. I'm content with RCBS. I get sub .003" TIR and all is good, plus the average reloader can afford them and they are sold damn near everywhere. All of my local fun stores carry them. The only thing I do to upgrade them is pull the chit they call lock ring off and replace them with the Hornady lock ring. Works like a champ and you don't have to worry about stripping the hold down screw....

MM, never took it apart to check

Could be the mandrel is a bit fat. As much as I like Lee collet sizers they don't always come perfect.

It's possible that the mandrel is oversized. If that is the case,you can get a smaller (undersized) mandrel. The std mandrel should mic at 0.3055 inches. An undersized one mics at 0.3035 inches. They are available from Lee for $5.

Before you worry too much about a replacement, take it apart first. Check between the four fingers of the collet for metal bits. When they machine the parts, small metal shards can stay inside, preventing the collet from closing completely. This picture is a crimp die, but like the collet die, both have four fingers that come together to apply pressure to the case neck. You can see a metal shard that prevented the collet from closing properly.

I got one with a .257" mandrel. It didn't do that well for .257" bullets.

For large cartridges I have had good results with CH4D and RCBS, and LEE factory crimp dies, even if on custom order.

For smaller cartridges after a few issues and poor service here in Aus I would only pick Forster or maybe RCBS.

Lot to be learned from Rosco1

Here is a partial sample of the bushings for the many bushing dies I have. Collet sizers less expensive and very often produce less run out than an S sizing die. You need to play with an S Die and see if you get more or less run out with an expander ball. Often, running and expander mandrel though the neck straightens the neck out. Lee sells other mandrel sizes for around $3,and you can get .0005 size mandrels from Grainger. Mandrels are available in .0001 graduations.

I like around .001 or less run out, and often this means neck turning.

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Often, cartridges like more/less grip on a bullet, thus a smaller mandrel or bushing, and mandrels are less expensive. Changing bushings or mandrels can be like throwing on a light switch when it comes to accuracy.

You can certainly make this as complicated as you want. A standard sizer with a dry expander ball kinking your necks out of alignment .006 or more is probably not going to give you little tiny groups, but I have seen some amazing groups shot with crap for quality dies with good barrels put on by good gunsmiths.

I'm not quite sure what's up with Lee's collet die mandrels lately. Most I've gotten in the last couple of years have been too big and I've had to turn them down. The collet dies I bought years ago never seemed to have that problem.

Fortunately fixing the mandrel diameter on a collet die is very easy. Just take the die apart and chuck the mandrel in a cordless drill. I take some 400 grit sandpaper with a drop of oil wrapped around the mandrel where it sizes the neck and spin it for about 30 seconds then mic it to see how much it's been reduced. Repeat until I take .001" off then size a case with it and seat a bullet, if it's still too loose I take another .001" off. I can adjust the neck tension to where I want in about 10 minutes and it doesn't cost anything. Yeah, you shouldn't have to do it but the collet dies are too good of a design to discard over something that can be fixed so easily.

BTW, Mathman has written the best instructions on setting up and using the Lee collet neck sizer, way better than Lee’s attempt.

Do a search.

DF

I've been setting them up for years with that method. It doesn't matter how you set them up if the mandrel is too big, it can only size the neck as small as the mandrel will allow.

True.

Too easy to fix to be a problem.

DF

Most of my die sets look exactly like this. IMO it's a hard combo to beat.


Trystan

Trystan, Post some pics of your set up when you get time. I use RCBS or Redding (preferably) but I'm always willing to learn a better set up. Thanks in advance!

I'll 2nd that for FL sizing & seating.................been using them since they were "Bonanza Dies".

And they make accurate ammo if you know what you are doing.

The only time I might buy something else is for a specialty die need like a Lee collet neck sizer.

MM

IMO Forster dies are the best for the money.

If you like good and easy, just by a set of Forster dies and rock on.

Forster custom shop will open up the neck dia to your specifications for $12. Unbelievably little run out is the result. I know of a Bullet tester for Berger and 1000 yd match winner that uses this system of having Forster open up necks to the dia he likes. He looks for run out .0001-.0002 on loaded rounds.

Forster and Redding also sell the sleeves for the benchrest seaters that are blanks,gunsmtih can chamber those sleves. The forsters that I have reamed cut like butter.

Forster benchrest seater, lee collet die with various sizes of mandrels, and Redding body is going to be a hard combo to beat.

If you are shooting some longer ranges, verifying your run out with A particular pattern of reloading is a priceless part of your own QC.

I have found presses, shell holders-twice, and a host of sizing dies that went in the scrap bucket.

Whidden dies, Harrells dies are top grade custom dies that do not break the bank, however calibers are limited.

For a guy just wanting a standard set of dies, the Forster set with a neck sizer is going to be tough to beat. Few understand how the expander ball is pulled though the neck while a portion of the neck is still supported in the neck part of the die. This supported neck while the expander ball comes through the neck keeps the neck from being kinked out of alignment.

Also, using a very slight trace amount of water base lube in the neck, Lee Sizing wax will allow the expander ball to come through the neck with the slightest ease. Also, the water base lube does not contaminate the powder and cause powder to stick when you dump the powder in. The use of the lube in the neck in conjunction with the Forster dies pay big dividends in getting run out to .002 and less with LITTLE EFFORT. Remember, a trace amount on a Q tip is all that is needed. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/482023/lee-case-sizing-lube-2-oz-tube

Another method would be, Black Graphite used on the inside of case necks applied with this tool has produced great results:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/301357/forster-original-case-neck-lubricator

Using a brush to clean the insides of your necks uniforms the seating pressure needed. Necks that are full of carbon take a lot more pressure to seat bullets.

In summary, if you wanted simple life on the die purchases, then go Forster, and if your caliber is not available, then go Redding Deluxe three die set.
Then brush your neck, lube with lee sizing wax, you will have some very uniform ammo.

NOTE: standard Forster neck sizers can be used as "shoulder bump dies" because they have the cartridge shoulder angle cut in them, no other standard production die maker does this. More often than not, the shoulders need to be bumped back instead of the web being sized down.

Wash, rinse, repeat for me, at least when my goal is to make decent ammo at some semblance of speed. For fun reloading I tend to grab the old Lee "whump" dies. Making ammo with a rubber mallet serves to amuse me.

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Wash, rinse, repeat for me, at least when my goal is to make decent ammo at some semblance of speed. For fun reloading I tend to grab the old Lee "whump" dies. Making ammo with a rubber mallet serves to amuse me.[/quote]

They also can produce excellent accuracy. Not the same as Wilson arbor dies but the same in line process with the case captured at each step so it stays straighter if it started out that way or may even straighten the case out during the wack a mole process.

I am particularly fond of the Forster Competition seating dies for loading long bullets way out into the throat.

Redding is mostly what I use. RCBS second. Plenty good for my needs.