Collet sizing dies...
- Thread starter Meroh
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I used a Lee collet on 7x57 - takes a bit of getting used to, compared to "normal" dies, to set up properly - I had a single lever press - would work better with compound leverage, I think? Had read that results are dependant on the size of the mandrel, which can be swapped out or changed as needed. This was for a Ruger No. 1 - healthy loads - did not take many re-loads before shoulder needed to be moved back a touch - since then, I have just used an RCBS Full Length Die and kept it 1/8" or so (thickness of Canadian nickel) from hitting the shell holder (partial Full Length Sizing), then much closer when shoulder needed "bumping". I was using 150 grain Nosler Partitions throughout that time.
I use the Lee as well. I looked at setting up with the Sinclair or 21st century mandrel dies, but too much $ for what I actually needed. I full length bushing size with no expander ball and then lee collet. Even for the .338 Lapua magnum. It’s my keep it simple, amateur setup.
The brass is not tight enough to hold the bullet. The ball sizer is undersized by a fair bit, and the bullets are right on; so I think my sizing die (bought it used and it looks great) must be worn. I'm using an old Lyman Turret press that looks like this one:
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So that tells me the ball sizer is too big. Couldn't you sand it down so the bullets are held tighter? Or is the outer size of the die not tight enough to get the ball to contact the neck?
Also, the lee collet dies are great!
Brassman66
CGN frequent flyer
The brass is not tight enough to hold the bullet. The ball sizer is undersized by a fair bit, and the bullets are right on; so I think my sizing die (bought it used and it looks great) must be worn. I'm using an old Lyman Turret press that looks like this one:
Not yo mention the Chiprock Screws securing the Press to the Table, Lol
Cheers
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Easiest way for OP to check your die - unscrew and remove the expander ball stem - size a case without it in there at all - should be very difficult, if even possible, to get a bullet to seat in that neck. If you jiffy marker the outside of that case neck, you will see it being scraped off by the resizing action. If not scraped off, something "afoot" - wrong die, somebody opened it up for some reason, etc. I have bought many used dies and have used some of mine, purchased new, for 35 years - not seeing such a failure - yet.. Unless you have a bushing die with incorrect size bushing?? (But then that does not use an expander, does it??)
For example - a .280 Rem die body is not going to size down a fired 270 Win neck - but going to look similar, without measuring the neck that comes out of the die??
For example - a .280 Rem die body is not going to size down a fired 270 Win neck - but going to look similar, without measuring the neck that comes out of the die??
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Stuff gets mixed up - bought a .30 M die - body was marked ".30" but nose piece miked to ".31" size. Contacted seller - he had another - body marked ".31" but nose measured for ".30" - somehow, somewhere, both had been disassembled and wrong nose got screwed into wrong body. Only identified by detailed measurements...
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Ball size for a .264" bullet - you want about .002" neck tension - you want a .262"-ish ball - a .257 is "way" too small - like for a different cartridge - no reason at all that I can think of why someone would have a .257" expander in a die for a .264 bullet?? So if FL sizing die is proper, the neck ID will be less than .262" when neck has been run in there... Also possible that your case's necks have been severely "thinned" ("uniformed") compared to SAAMI standard???
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
If someone got over-enthusiastic with a neck thinning tool, easy enough to have peeled so much off the neck that no die, except a bushing die, will be able to reach it, and that includes the Lee Collet dies - once those fingers are tight closed in the collet, that is it. SAAMI standards are available as .pdf on line - you have not identified what cartridge you are playing with - SAAMI will spec the thickness of the neck walls - that is what all the cartridge brass makers and die makers will base their sizings on - two neck walls, plus a bullet, will be very close to the size that you want to know about - FL die will size the neck smaller than that, so the expander can open it from inside to get proper neck tension on the bullet. Most makers generally know what they are doing, within tolerances...
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
Did you once fire it, or did you buy it that way?
Edit: Re-read your first post - it is a 6.5x55 that you are sorting out. RCBS dies not working, but have a .257" expanding ball (?) ...
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
So, from ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 – 2015 I looked up:
You have a 6.5x55 Swede - cartridge drawing with bullet seated is calling for .2965" neck diameter at the mouth - less .264" for bullet, leaves .0325" for two neck walls, so .01625" each - I do not find a plus / minus tolerance for that diameter on that drawing - maybe someone else can??
EDIT: re-read your initial post - you are using a 6.5x55 Swede. So, when trying to re-size that brass, with the expander ball stem completely removed, the neck at the mouth of the "re-sized" brass should be less than .2965" and the ID of that brass should be less than .264" - more like .262" or less is what you want. If you are not getting that, the RCBS die has been opened up in the neck area, or your brass have had the necks thinned.
You have a 6.5x55 Swede - cartridge drawing with bullet seated is calling for .2965" neck diameter at the mouth - less .264" for bullet, leaves .0325" for two neck walls, so .01625" each - I do not find a plus / minus tolerance for that diameter on that drawing - maybe someone else can??
EDIT: re-read your initial post - you are using a 6.5x55 Swede. So, when trying to re-size that brass, with the expander ball stem completely removed, the neck at the mouth of the "re-sized" brass should be less than .2965" and the ID of that brass should be less than .264" - more like .262" or less is what you want. If you are not getting that, the RCBS die has been opened up in the neck area, or your brass have had the necks thinned.
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I'm confused, the OP posting is titled "Collet sizing dies..." and the video link shows a Lee collet die. "BUT" he tells us he is having a problem with a set of RCBS dies.
The Lee collet die has a sizing mandril and a RCBS die has an expander ball.
Is the OP using a Lee collet die or a RCBS die??????????
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