I am finally ready to switch to a Lee collet neck sizing die and will so so for 30-06 and .243. I have a choice between buying the neck sizing die only or buying a two die set, with the second die in the set apparently a bullet seating die. Any reason to buy the set over just getting the neck sizing die alone?

I have RCBS seating dies, calipers, Sinclair comparator to measure base to ogive and it has not been hard to be precise with seating depth, overall length, etc. I don't load large quantities, usually 20-40 rounds seldom more than 50.

If you're happy with the RCBS seater, just get the Lee neck sizer. When I started neck sizing for the 7mag, 7-08, and 243 my runout was drastically reduced, producing very accurate loads. No more case lube either. Win/win. Good luck!

If you already have a bullet seating die you are happy with, just get the neck sizer from Lee. The bullet seating die is nothing special, but the neck sizing die is worth its weight in gold. You can polish the pin with some superfine sand paper or emory cloth if you want a little more neck tension. Lee will do it for you but it is really easy. For some reason I needed 0.001 more with my 30-06 die, it was easy to do.

I always buy the 2 die sets... having extra components never hurt...

iin the scope of things, die sets are the cheapest investment you can purchase for reloading...

they cost as much as a box of 100 bullets in most cases, and will still be doing their job
50 years from now...

and if anything screws up, the factories will usually fix, repair of just replace them...

Several times I've had where a two die set was actually the same price or cheaper than
just buying the collet die alone...

The cost difference between the set and single die can sometimes be pretty minimal. I like playing with cast bullets in my rifles in the off-season. Instead of adjusting my primary die and having to reset it to my hunting bullets later, I just set the spare die for use with my cast bullets. No need for adjusting seating depth when I can just screw in a different die.

As Seafire points out, having spares / extras can be a good thing.

Thanks for the replies. I was mainly wondering if there was anything so special about the Lee seating die that I wouldn't want to miss it. Evidently not. But that's not a bad idea re having an extra seating die set for a particular load, at least if I can find a set for close to the single die price. Am doing some checking on price options and availability. Good info, thank you to each of you.

Just buy the collet die use the seater you have.

If I have dies I like such as Forster and Redding I just get the collet. But if I have other brands of dies I get the set as the Lee bullet seater is good for low run out and will sometimes be more accurate than standard dies. If you want to adopt the collet die changing spacers can make it work on a variety of cases of the same caliber. You can buy these separately very inexpensively or make your own if you have a lathe.

I would add that Lee makes inexpensive bullet seating plugs for their seating dies. $8 plus shipping. If you load bullets with different tips - RN, VLD, spitzer, cast - in the same rifle or several rifles chambered in the same cartridge, it might be to your advantage to pick up both dies. They are quick and easy to swap out. I have purchased several Lee plugs over the years in order to load various bullet shapes in several rifles.

Having extra seating dies is convenient. Each one can be set up for a specific bullet.

From the Lee site:

I used Lee Collet Dies quite a bit for awhile and for the most part they're as good as the regular neck sizing dies but I don't think better. Then came my experience in using one for loading a 7mm/08. Groups with the Lee Collet Die were quite a bit worse than with full length sized cases and and those sized with a regular neck sizing die.

The seater that comes with the Lee Collet Die is different from their standard seater. It is designed to roll crimp as the standard seater is. I also like to have an extra seater die.

I think you left out a word.

It happens. In reloading, as with other things in life, there is no single solution. When I have a rifle that will not shoot a specific bullet well, I try different things to correct it. Sometimes, it means choosing another bullet. As much fun as it is to experiment, sometimes it's easier just to try another bullet. That also goes if you're operating under a time constraint.

Had to fix my mistake. I think they call it a Dead Length Bullet Seating Die.

That's the name. It's good for working with compressed loads which I prefer to avoid with my competition seaters from Redding and Forster.

Here's another soft lob question for which I admit I don't know the answer. In all of the literature with and about the Lee collet dies, it stresses using only brass that has been fired in my rifle. OK, I know the dimension factor of having cases fire formed to a specific chamber, but what about using new brass cases? I assume that they mean to say not to use cases fired in another rifle but the words apply equally to not using new brass but only fired cartridges. ??

I usually work up a new load with new brass, and have always run it through a sizer die just to make sure.

As an aside, I started reloading in 1976 using a Lee Loader for sizing and an Ohaus powder scale. That process produced the most accurate 30-06 ammunition I've ever fired, shooting 165 Sierra's into a 5/8 inch group all day long. Maybe I should use my old hammer-them-in Lee neck sizer instead of buying the collet die!

I merely hunt, but have enough shooting experience to demand 1 MOA for my hunting loads mainly because I shoot better when I know the rifle/scope/ammunition will go precisely where my human aim sends the bullet.

Of course new brass is fine.

The only thing "wrong" with the hammer in neck sizer is if it's tight enough for most any brass then it's tighter than necessary for some.

Yep, new brass is no issue. It's possible that some 1x brass fired in other rifles would work, but you'd have to cycle them through the action before sizing to make sure they will chamber. Not worth the time and trouble imo.

The old hammer dies are similar to bench rest dies like Wilson. If you hone them for your rifle they produce very accurate loads as everything is inline and supported during loading.

New brass use a conventional sizer first if it is oversize. Most of it is either SAAMIE spec or undersized so the collet will work fine. For some reason 300 Winchester brass always seems to be on the short side so needs fire forming.

To a ridiculous degree IMO.