Lee collet die adjustment?

[MINNESOTA DICK]

How do you guys set up your collet dies using a lee press. Do any of you do any rework on the dies?  Mine don't seem for work right. :?

[Jack Crevalle]

I got a set of Lee collet dies for a particular caliber. They crushed many perfectly good cases. I wrote Lee twice and told them what I had done based on the written instructions provided to try to solve the problem. Both times I received replies which asked if I had done the very things which I had indicated I had done in my original message to them.

I looked online and they appear to work flawlessly for some people while others seem to have to endlessly tweek them. Example: some people report chucking the mandrel from the die and reducing it's diameter with wet/dry sandpaper.

I finally figured I had nothing to lose and widened the opening in mine with the largest punch I could find. I could then "size" necks without crushing them but I found the necks were still too loose to grip bullets. I was sure that I was applying as much force or more than recommended but I applied more until I could not finger-fit a bullet into the neck. This meant repeatedly sizing and then testing each case with a bullet, applying enough force to lift up the rear of my reloading bench. Even after this exercise I found that I could still move some of the seated bullets by hand.

My advise for adjusting your Lee collet die? Adjust it into the trash can. Life's too short to have to fix something you bought new just to use it.

[jgalar]

The collets can stick from dirt, burrs from the manufactering process, or oxidation. I cleaned mine with alcohol and lubed it with some remington drilube. I haven't had the problem since.

[ajj]

I have these in several calibers. I crushed a few cases with most of them during the setup period. It was worst with the 30-30, thin brass. Lee's instructions had the die turned into the press too far. I backed them out gradually until they sized the necks without crushing the shoulder. I also take the die apart and lube the back of the collet, where it meets the die body. Once you get them set up, they're great. I use them to load HP silhouette ammo for 6.5 Swede and .260 Rem, a hundred at a time, all on a single stage press. It would be a very tedious job without the collet dies. They're worth fiddling with.

[MINNESOTA DICK]

How far down do you you screw the die into the press?

 My Lee instruction say screw the die down until it touches the ram plus 1 1/4 turns.

The collet has about an 1/8 inch slop in the die holder, do I take up this slop when screwing down or just screw down until the collet just touches the ram??

[Catfish]

The Lee collet die is probibly the best thingh that Lee makes, or at least works the best, and I still don`t like them. There is a very good reason that the Lee equipment is the lowest priced on the market, and in my never to be humble openion , it is still the most over priced on the market.

[ajj]

Dick: I'd tell you if I could remember. It's been different with each die. Keep a bullet handy and do the trial and error thing, seeing whether the bullet will slip into the case mouth. The die is working when the bullet won't go in except with the seating die. Cases from different lots or manufacturers WILL be sized to different neck tensions so if you've got a mixed batch some of them will be loose. Again, the setup takes a little patience.
It's fun to laugh at Lee stuff but when the collet die works, and all eight of mine do (6.5x55, .260 Rem, 22-250, 30-30, .303 Brit, 7mm Mauser, 8mm Mauser, .375 H&H) it's a very good thing indeed. Neck size and deprime in one stroke, no lubing and de-lubing cases, cases don't stretch in the sizing process. Load up a big batch of rifle ammo on a single stage press about as easily as you would .38 Special. The many thousands of rounds I've loaded have produced excellent accuracy.

[Daniel]

I use the Lee collet dies almost exclusively for neck sizing because they make very concentric ammo and because they simplify the reloading process due to the fact that no case lube is required. Now, with that said, I'll be the first to admit that Lee products in general are substandard and the collet die is no exception. I have always had to prep mine before they were usable. I polish the internal parts (collet, collet sleeve, etc...) and apply a little grease to the collet fingers. I have always found the tooling marks on these parts to be too excessive for this die to work properly right out of the box. I also polish the mandrel and reduce it's diameter by about .001". This gives me better bullet grip.

The process of prepping this die doesn't take a lot of time and when it's all done it works beautifully. I've got much more expensive Redding bushing dies collecting dust now because the collet dies just give me better results. I don't know when the patent expires on this die, but when it does I hope one of the companies known for making quality dies (Redding, Forster, Wilson, etc...) will pick up on it and make their own. It's a great concept, but it could be done a lot better.

[MnMike]

I just tried a few cases to get the collet die set. and it has been working fine since. Best 223 groups ever! Bought one in 220 Swift and the same result. I did have to repeat the procedure when I went to the turret press, but it only took a few minutes. I just wish Lee would make a collet die for the 7-30 Waters. I bought a Hornady neck sizing die and it is a piece of cr*p. I use my Lee die and turn it out to only neck size.

mike

[varmit_master]

Hi i use them all the time i use in the cal.
22 250
223
270
300 win
300 wby i had to send one back a 223 full len. die with the collet die it wasnt cut all the way out on the shoulder it was leaveing a mark on the brass  Lee sent me a new one and payed me for the shipping VM

[bgjohn]

Collett dies are great! I have so many sets I lost count. I even had LEE make 3 custom sets. 221 FB, 6mm TCU & 6.5 TCU. So you might need to polish and lube the internals. Big deal, I'm retired. I did have to put a mandrel in the drill press and sand it down a little.  That was for the 22 Hornet set. Now it's great. What I like best is NO CASE LUBE NEEDED.
JM :-)

[MINNESOTA DICK]

The question still is unanwsered. how do you adjusted then when mounting in the press?

sorry, but I would like to know how to adjust them when setting in the press.

[bgjohn]

I'm not familiar with your press but basicly adjust the die to about 1 1/2 turns past the point it contacts the shellholder. Follow the printed  instructions.
JM

[Javelina]

Minnesota Dick,

I feel your pain brother. . .I took my Lee Collet Die in 270 Winchester apart, tried to slick everything up, polished and lubed everything (how can such a major player in the reloading industry continually make such substandard products and stay in business?), reassembled the die, tried to set it up using Lee's instructions and then backed the die up by 1/8 turn increments until it wouldn't do anything at all to the case.  The !#@&%#! thing still ruined about ten cases before I decided that I would never donate another cent to the Lee folks.  I took great pleasure during my ceremonious deposit of the whole kit and caboodle into the trash - a Lee Collet Die will never disgrace my bench again.

I felt so much better when my Redding bushing die set was delivered. . .I also felt better when my 270 shot like a house afire when I tested my Redding 270 Winchester loads. . .

Safe and good shooting to you!  

Javelina