Lee Collet Dies

[Strikenmike]

I use the Lee collet dies to reload my 25-06.  Never had any real problems.
However, I noticed in the manual it says you should not reload any brass that was NOT fired in your gun.
Does that mean literally what it says?  Will I harm the dies if I use bulk brass for reloading?  Not real happy about buying new ammo, then firing them just to get brass.
Please tell me this is not a huge issue.

[billy_56081]

No you will not harm the brass, the reason for neck sizing only is that each chamber is slightley defferent. When you fire a cartridge in your rifle you will have a perfectley fire formed case for your rifle. Having a case fire formed to your chamber give you 2 advantages, one the case is worked very little and give you much longer case life, and two a case fire formed to your chamber will give you better accuracy. Using cases fired in another rifle may give you ammo that will not fit your gun, or may fit your chamber very sloppily.

[Skunk]

Strikenmike,

Just full length resize the brass first. After you fire the brass inside your rifle, you can then use the collet die on them.

[Strikenmike]

My collet die set does not have a full length sizing die, so I guess I need to buy one.

[Skunk]

Yes, you should have a full length sizing die in your inventory Steve. Eventually the neck sized only cases are going to get hard to chamber because the shoulder will become blown out too far and you'll have to either use a bump die on them or full length resize them again. I usually get around 5 loads from each brass when I use just the Collet die. Then I bump the shoulder of each case back a bit with a Redding bump die. Before I bought the bump die, I just full length resized the brass with the full length sizing die that came with the Deluxe Collet die set.

[wncchester]

"Please tell me this is not a huge issue."

Okay.  It isn't a huge issue.  The caution you mention has nothing (direct) to do with your collet die, only that any neck sized cases from other rifles may not fit into your rifle.  But, your bulk (virgin) brass will be fine, at least initially.

No matter what neck sizer you use or what cases you use, you will need to FL size from time to time anyway so, yes, an FL is in your list of things to get.

[Strikenmike]

Thanks guys.  As soon as I can find some 75 grain V-Max bullets I will be sending in an order, so I will add the full length die.

By the way Skunk, I almost lost my Chili dinner watching that Packer game.  Doesn't anyone play defense anymore?

[Skunk]

It was just disgusting Mike. Neither one of those teams really deserve to advance any further into the playoffs playing zero defense. But, if a fellow was wanting an offensive shootout, that was the game to watch. That reminds me, I can take down my Packer banner now.