Lee Dies are GREAT!!!!!!!!!!

chuck

Just got done loading up 12 375H&H With the Lee Collect Die and their bullet seater, The Run Out is .001 on all but 2 and they are .002, I think they are Great Die's. the cases have been loaded 3 times and only one out of 12 streched, had to trim it .004 Also noticed that all the bullets seated with the same amount of preasure.[:D][:D][:D]

JustC

the collet dies are better than their price tag, no doubt about that. I have used several sets and like them quite well. The only crappy part on them is that damn cheesy aluminum cap on the collet die. Ifin you want a bit more neck tension and push it too hard, pooooiiiiinggg the cap threads strip and it pops out the top of the die,..and NO the replacement is NOT free. Ask me how I know[;)]

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

ContacFront

Lee is what I use for all my pistol calibers.

JustC

I have a ruger 30-06 that I haaaaad to have a number of years ago at the NRA dinner, well it was a safe queen for 6yrs. I decided not to sell it and fund another rem700 project, just to have a lightweight rifle that was different. I decided to load for it with 125gr balistic tips (changing that idea after hunting with it) and so I ordered the set of LEE collet dies to save some $$. Long story short, the dies load ammo that is nearing benchrest standards on non-match prepped brass. I can expect high runout to be .002" and maybe only 1 or 2 at .003", the rest are at .001" and less. This ruger and these dies have become keepers for me, so 22-250 and 300win collet dies were added and are producing great loads for my pards rigs. .5moa and under have been quite obtainable with all rifles so far. I'll buy them in the future for factory chambered hunting rifles, they do work.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

Pinhead

JustC, you pointed out one area of Lee's dies that I wish he would change, the use of aluminmum in threaded areas. I am ham * and I too have stripped out the threads, especially the threads on the locking ring on the case trimmers.

JustC

I was unimpressed with the fact that they didn't GIVE me a cap. If you figure the pressure created by the ram on a loading press, then any mechanical engineer would immediately say,...." WTH ARE YOU USING ALUMINUM FOR????" I understand that under the "factory recomended" ram pressure, the aluminum will hold, but how can they possible know the inherent characteristic of every press out there? AND, they are fairly loose in their tolerance as far as decapping mandrals go as far as I have seen. So, when you have a thinner than usual pin, and a thinner peice of brass, then by the time you turn the die in enough to obtain sufficient neck tension, the press strips the top out. For their price and finished product, I find them well worth the tweaking time I spend on them. I always chuck up the decapping mandral and polish it, as well as the internals of the collet and the edges of the petal where the collet comes together. This seems to uniform them quite well before hand.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

chuck

I neck turned my brass, I think I got lucky on setting the die all the bullets I seat have the same tention. The 22-250 set I got I had to take the mandrell down a little to get a good bullet grip, all and all every thing went good, and for hunting rifle's, I think their Great, I almost forgot I sent my bad RCBS FL die back, got a new one and the run out is around .003. The old one made in 1974 was giving me .012 to .015 They were used when I bought them.

JustC

Chuck, I am getting up to ~.006-.008" on some of mine, and I just have a hard time accepting that. I will shoot the loads I have, remove the decapper, and see if it is the neck of the die being out of center. If it is, I'll send it back ASAP, or maybe buy a set of lee collet dies[;)]

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

chuck

Just C, When I clled RCBS on my die, they wanted me to send 5 used cases that were fired in my gun along with the Die.They sent me a new Die and the 5 cases back. Only took about 2 weeks from the time I mailed the old one to them and got the new one back. Really great service.[:D]

Pinhead

RCBS has given me great customer service. I have a .43 Spanish rolling block and many years ago brass was hard to come by for it. I wanted to make the cases I had go as far as I could. I called RCBS and asked about the possibility of getting a neck size only die made for it. I didn't know immdediately that I was talking to Mr. Huntington himself but he told me his name and that he would be glad to make me a die if I would send him 2 fired cases from my rifle and $20.00. To make a long story short-I'm a happy man. I still have the rifle and after at least 30 years I still have most of those cases, having only lost a few to attrition. I wish I had kept the invoice. It had a hand written note on it from him to the effect of "hope you enjoy the die" and signed by Fred H. himself.