- Thread starter scudzuki
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Point is, even though Lee collet dies are not available for some cartridges, with some minor modifications those that are available may be adaptable to other cartridges.
Shoot me a PM if you're a fan of Lee collet dies but can't get them for one of your cartridges.
Shoot me a PM if you're a fan of Lee collet dies but can't get them for one of your cartridges.
Oh yes... and another "trick" for you. Some say that a bushing neck die is superior since you can control a partial neck size. I have created a spacer that sits on the shell holder and keeps the brass from going all the way into the collet, yet activates the collet to squeeze the brass into the mandrel. Effective for partial neck resizing with a mandrel, but maintains low (almost zero) run-out. I like your ingenuity!
To convert a .243 die to 6 x 47 I trimmed .235" off the bottom of the collet and added a .235" spacer on top of the female taper piece (the "squeezer").
Unfortunately, it is tweaking the neck out of concentricity at the moment. Necks resized in it are showing .005" T.I.R runout vs .001" for a few I've run through the Hornady FL bushing die (bumping the shoulder .001"). One of the most valuable attributes of the collet die IMHO is the work it saves as it does not require lube; wipe off the neck and resize it fresh from the range then run once through the polisher, which is why I'd prefer to use the collet die to a neck bushing die.
It's possible that I bent the collet when the parting tool broke in the lathe. If I modify any more collet dies I will make a set of jaws to hold the collet more securely without distorting it. As for this prototype, I'm trying to devise a way to straighten the collet.
Unfortunately, it is tweaking the neck out of concentricity at the moment. Necks resized in it are showing .005" T.I.R runout vs .001" for a few I've run through the Hornady FL bushing die (bumping the shoulder .001"). One of the most valuable attributes of the collet die IMHO is the work it saves as it does not require lube; wipe off the neck and resize it fresh from the range then run once through the polisher, which is why I'd prefer to use the collet die to a neck bushing die.
It's possible that I bent the collet when the parting tool broke in the lathe. If I modify any more collet dies I will make a set of jaws to hold the collet more securely without distorting it. As for this prototype, I'm trying to devise a way to straighten the collet.
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I'll look into it.
I'm pretty sure Lee will make custom collet dies if you send them a brass sample.
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For $70 plus shipping with a 2 month wait.
I paid $21 for an off the shelf .243 Winchester collet die.
Just sayin' is all.
It also wouldn't tweak the necks... not to take away from your ingenuity. Figure out where the runout out is coming from and you'll be onto something.
Yeah and I bet the first die Lee ever turned out was perfect, too.
I know where the runout is coming from.
I will fix it.
And I'll still be 7 weeks and $60 ahead of the game.
If I make any more I'll make a fixture to hold the collet without distorting it.
Thats pretty cool. I only use the collet die for my 300wm anymore.
So I spent 1/2 hour inspecting the collet and I could not measure any real deviation from jaw to jaw that would account for the runout I measured.
I ran a few cases through it, measuring the runout on the outside of the neck before and after resizing, and they came out of the collet die exactly as straight as when they came out of the rifle chamber (around .001" T.I.R.).
The collet die forms the neck bore slightly tapered, less than .001" larger at the mouth than at the shoulder, but enough to be noticeable.
As a result, the gage pin that fits all the way through is free to move around at the case mouth (it wobbles slightly) which leads to erroneous runout measurements
The bushing die does not make the neck bore perfectly cylindrical either. Depending on how the gage pin is inserted, the necks can have apparent runout (when measured over the pin rather than the neck O.D.) after being run through it as well.
Nothing wrong with my 6 x 47 Lapua collet die.
I ran a few cases through it, measuring the runout on the outside of the neck before and after resizing, and they came out of the collet die exactly as straight as when they came out of the rifle chamber (around .001" T.I.R.).
The collet die forms the neck bore slightly tapered, less than .001" larger at the mouth than at the shoulder, but enough to be noticeable.
As a result, the gage pin that fits all the way through is free to move around at the case mouth (it wobbles slightly) which leads to erroneous runout measurements
The bushing die does not make the neck bore perfectly cylindrical either. Depending on how the gage pin is inserted, the necks can have apparent runout (when measured over the pin rather than the neck O.D.) after being run through it as well.
Nothing wrong with my 6 x 47 Lapua collet die.
That one you'd have to order from Lee, it requires the large die format (1-1/4" thread) and they don't have any standard dies that I could modify to 300 NM.
i have the 338lm Lee collet die on my Lee Classic Press.
I'm modifying the die by changing the distance from the shell holder to the "jaws" that squeeze the neck down.
Converting a collet die to 300NM would require starting with a large body die originally made to size 30 caliber.
If I made the collet from scratch, I'd charge what Lee charges for a custom.
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