Anyone using a Lee Collet with a Dillon 650 ? Having some trouble...

[dvdt]

Is anyone using a Lee Collet die with their Dillon 650 ?

I'm finally starting to load my own .223. I'm using this die in position #1. It's working just fine, fixing necks and giving very consistent sizing/runout. However, I can't get a locking ring on that thing and have it still do the neck sizing job. I've tried a forster, redding and Lee.

If anyone out there is using this in their setup, which locking ring did you use ?

Is anyone using this in a position other than #1 ?

Unless I break/cut the decapping pin I don't see how it will fit in any other stage. I usually like to body size and then neck size. Any thoughts on cutting the decap pin ?

Thanks!

 

[Continuum]

Had the same problem with this die on my hornady. I was ready to grind some locks rings, I own one from every brand. Then it hit me, use the lee lock ring, upside down!

 

[dvdt]

oh snap! That's a great idea. I'll give that a shot!

 

[Continuum]

Yep, I felt like a genius as I was putting back my dremel! : )

As for the other issues, I had the same quandary. I'd really like to use the collet die to neck size after using my redding body die (which doesn't have a decaping rod). But how I do things now is running all my 223 brass through a lee decaping die, and then tumbling using the stainless wet media method, and then I don't need to worry about decapping when sizing, but...I'm not sure if the collet die's decapping pin will interfere with station #2 on the Hornady LNL, otherwise I would consider getting the dremel back out! So for now I just neck sized after the body die. The only other set-up I would consider is using a more expensive bushing neck sizer, and possibly running a Lyman M expander before bullet seating (which would also smooth out any inside neck burr. I only like those two methodologies because I abhor the idea of neck lube. I've pretty much relinquished myself to having to run all the brass through the press twice, first for sizing, and then for loading. For the LNL press it just means twisting in and out the dies, but for dillon that'd mean another tool head I guess.

 

[chariotdriver]

You guys are sharp.......very big fan of the collet die; wish they made one for 338LM.

 

[dvdt]

You guys are sharp.......very big fan of the collet die; wish they made one for 338LM.

You're not kidding! I wish I had one for my soon to be 338LM too. I'm a huge fan of the collet die. I guess I'll have to figure out the whole bushing size calculation. I think that's been discussed ad nausem on here so I hope I can figure it out. Just sucks there's not a $20 die that'll do it all for me.

 

[dvdt]

Yep, I felt like a genius as I was putting back my dremel! : )

As for the other issues, I had the same quandary. I'd really like to use the collet die to neck size after using my redding body die (which doesn't have a decaping rod). But how I do things now is running all my 223 brass through a lee decaping die, and then tumbling using the stainless wet media method, and then I don't need to worry about decapping when sizing, but...I'm not sure if the collet die's decapping pin will interfere with station #2 on the Hornady LNL, otherwise I would consider getting the dremel back out! So for now I just neck sized after the body die. The only other set-up I would consider is using a more expensive bushing neck sizer, and possibly running a Lyman M expander before bullet seating (which would also smooth out any inside neck burr. I only like those two methodologies because I abhor the idea of neck lube. I've pretty much relinquished myself to having to run all the brass through the press twice, first for sizing, and then for loading. For the LNL press it just means twisting in and out the dies, but for dillon that'd mean another tool head I guess.

You are a genius! I can't wait to try this tonight. I was seriously stressing out about this...

I'm not as familiar with the Hornady LNL. On the Dillon 650, there's only 1 station (#1) on the press that has a hole where the decapping pin can go below the case. If you put something like that in stations #2-#5, you end up bottoming out the die before the collet can do it's magic. That's probably obvious to you and your experience on the LNL too. Just typing that out in case it helps some other poor soul.

BTW - are you using the Collet die with LC brass ? My experience so far has only been non LC .308 and .260 brass. I understand the LC stuff to be a bit thicker. I don't know how well the Collet works there.

My original intent was to do:

#1 - Lee universal decapping die
#2 - body die
#3 - small base body die
#4 - Lee collet w/o decapping pin
#5 - Lee collet w/o decapping pin (on a single stage I usually size once, turn the case 180 and size again, hoping this would do the same but without my fingers touching the case)

I'd then take the brass and tumble the lube off in corn cob or walnut media. Replace the toolhead that has my decapping pin, powder measure, seater and Lee Factory Crimp Die.

I think the insert for the Collet is pretty cheap. I imagine I could cut it off where the decapping pin is and it would still work just fine.

I'll give it a shot _after_ I turn the Lee locking ring upside down.

Thanks!

 

[Continuum]

Haha thanks for the accolades. It was super annoying that Lee makes that die that way.

I just looked at my press. The 1st station is the only one that will work with a decapper. The hornady LNL rotates in 1/2 indexes. So the 2nd die, instead of being directly above the hole where the primer ram is, is offset, so therefore interfering. I may just cut that part of the mandrel off and switch those two dies around like you are doing, which is what I wanted to do before.

For my 308 I reload for bolt action. I do this on my co-ax press. I use the Lee collet die for that, and I also did the rotate 180deg thing! I ordered a custom mandrel from Lee that was 0.001in smaller diameter in order to give it a little more neck tension.

For 223 (AR) I also use the collet die but HAD been using a redding FL die w/ carbide expander button (can you tell I hate neck lube?). I noticed the neck inner diameter that the lee collet die was giving me was about 0.001 larger than the redding (that was irregardless of how much more force I used for actuate the collet die). So this time instead of calling up Lee I just put the mandrel into my cordless drill and used 400grit (I think) sandpaper to reduce the diameter of the mandrel by about 0.001. I think I used 600grit briefly after that and then some metal polish to polish it up. I used the unmodified sections of the mandrel to compare/contrast my progress while sanding. The part of the mandrel that the neck actually contacts was the only place important to me to reduce diameter.

I also polished the contact surfaces of the inner workings of the die, as you guys may have read about doing elsewhere. I also used some synthetic grease on the bearing surfaces too.

As for LC brass; For 308 I sort the brass, and keep the LC with its own kind, so if the neck tension is different then it will be more consistent at least. For 223 I only load target ammo and don't sort brass. I have had problems with low neck tension before, but not since switching to the Lee factory crimp die. Before I had been using the Redding seat/crimp die and not using enough crimp.

 

[Joey Dean]

Yep, I run my 223 brass through twice as well. Lee decapper in one and the dillon trim die in #3 with the power trimmer on top. That also FL resizes. Into the stainless and back through again for primers, powder, and seating.

 

[arnie19]

Lee will make a custom collet die for you. They made me one for a 7.62 x 54R .I have since found a 308 die will work with a washer placed on top of the shell holder .