Neck die trouble shooting

Hey all, so started loading up a few rounds.
Went to use my lee neck die and all seemed fine..... until I tried a few bullets....they dropped straight in:O_O:
Strange thing is the first 16 of the 50 sized, not a problem.
Any thoughts?
Cheers.
Ps I’ve read the instructions loaded 83 with the die. It just doesn’t want to squeeze em down now.
Have backed it off and also looked for a squashed collet, burred collet wings and other internet tips.
But have yet to solve why it’s not sizing. Cases are clean and all uniform in size.

The case necks may have hardened due to multiple firings, so they spring back more after going through the neck sizer. So, anneal a few and try the neck sizer again.

Sounds like something is different or has changed after the first 16. Some possibilities
-The top threaded cap on the die come loose
- die shifted in the press (loosend)
- the brass is slightly shorter or thinner necked (different brand?)
- the shell holder isn't push the case as high

- something stopping the collet sliding inside the mandrel properly like a bit of grit

Thanks for the reply guys!

Ok so to answer a few questions:

Yes @Mauser308 it’s a lee collet die. Do you have Brand you could recommend that will neck size only and fit my lee press?

It’s new brass, once fired, fire forming loads with trail boss. So I don’t think it’s your idea @rupert but thanks.

@feratox thanks that’s a few things that I will run through and see how I get on. First it’s all the same brand of brass so that can be ticked off.
They did stick a bit the ones that did size. Then when I spotted the fault I took the die apart to see if there was grit or it had moved. Could not find any of above faults...to my eye:whut: but I’ll take it to bits again and have another look.
I have utubed it and don’t really want to go down the road of sanding the mandrel. As it was working properly.

Cheers S

Anymore ideas fix’s will be much appreciated :thumbsup:

I had similar experience with the Lee collett dies.

It worked mint in a lyman press but not in my rcbs. Ran out of adjustment with mine. I have decided to just start all over with full length sizing every time.

Might decrease accuracy a bit but for what I need it'll be perfectly fine.

does the shell holder push a little bit on the bottom of the die when its fully up

Quote:

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Originally Posted by northdude

does the shell holder push a little bit on the bottom of the die when its fully up

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@northdude how do you mean push a little? Side to side or up and down?
I did have lock up a fee times with the first 16 that did size.
Just taken it apart and noticed that there looks to be brass stuck onto the mandrel.
I found an excellent article on them on the Lee dies on an amreican site.

Lee Collet Die Adjustment
Here

I had the same problem using the Lee collet die on my 7mm rem mag. Very frustrating after sizing a heap of brass and then find most of them hadn't actually been sized enough. Changed to RCBS neck die and never looked back. Modern does will work with just any press as the thread is the same on all of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

Thanks for the reply guys!

Ok so to answer a few questions:

Yes @Mauser308 it’s a lee collet die. Do you have Brand you could recommend that will neck size only and fit my lee press?

It’s new brass, once fired, fire forming loads with trail boss. So I don’t think it’s your idea @rupert but thanks.

@feratox thanks that’s a few things that I will run through and see how I get on. First it’s all the same brand of brass so that can be ticked off.
They did stick a bit the ones that did size. Then when I spotted the fault I took the die apart to see if there was grit or it had moved. Could not find any of above faults...to my eye:whut: but I’ll take it to bits again and have another look.
I have utubed it and don’t really want to go down the road of sanding the mandrel. As it was working properly.

Cheers S

Anymore ideas fix’s will be much appreciated :thumbsup:

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Why are you fire forming with Trailboss ?. For pretty much any bottleneck case being fireformed into something else, the superior method is to neck size the cases (and trim) but not all the way down the neck, leaving a little doughnut ring at the base of the neck so that the case is held and headspaces between that ring and the case head. Just screw the neck size die down until a point is reached that the bolt closes but the case is tight - there is felt resistance not an easy bolt drop. Then just load doughnut cases with standard loads for the forming shots and go hunting

Each to there own...it’s what I’ve been taught it works for me, and this is not the issue.

Anyone else with any ideas on why the die is not working.

I took the mandrel out and gave it a sand taking off .002 still no joy. Think I’ll leave it and buy another brand:( as I need some loads done before I head off to France:D

Must be something...I’ve done as it was work well before.

Iwm pretty sure the collet or something stucks out the bottom of the die body and the case holder touches it and pushes up in it to size the neck

Funny you say that @Mauser308 I have since solved the issue by taking the mandrel out.
I then sized by feel. It worked.
But I will be looking into buying a different neck sizing die..

Buy any big name brand full length size die apart from LEE my preferred brand is Redding but Lyman RCBS Hornady are all good, the Redding neck die also lightly sizes the body of the case
handy if the chamber is a little over size, Full length dies can be setup to just bump the shoulder a thou or so, saves an extra operation, all my Redding bushing dies are full length dies
The only time I have had trouble with reloading gear it has been LEE don't touch the stuff now.

So still can’t find a solution.
I’m going to buy this The Type S – Bushing Style Dies, Competition Seating and Neck Sizing Dies. Anyone got one? How do you find them?

I used a different brand shell holder once with the Lee neck sizer and because of a slightly different thickness, the cases didn't size properly.
Went back to the Lee shell holder and everything worked just fine.

i use lee and hornady neck sizers havnt had any problems with either

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

So still can’t find a solution.
I’m going to buy this The Type S – Bushing Style Dies, Competition Seating and Neck Sizing Dies. Anyone got one? How do you find them?

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I have f/l s type die with comp seater for 6.5-284. Works great. Got the carbide bushing to go with it. I especially like the mic seating, it makes adjusting depth so easy. I don't have a concentricity gauge so couldn't say exactly how good it and my reloading are.

I use the Redding competition bushing neck die and turn necks to 14 thou to even them up then neck size for 2 thou of tension. I don’t have a concentricity gauge either but typically get single digit ES and well below MOA groups, so it’s good enough for me.

Good luck.

Push harder. And spin the case around and run it through the die a second time..again applying lots of pressure

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChrisW

Push harder. And spin the case around and run it through the die a second time..again applying lots of pressure

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Yes, also my recommendation.

I have a mixture of Redding Comp, Wilson and Whidden dies but recently I picked up a Lee Collet die to try for giggles.

It is certainly a tad different to use. However, I have found it induces equal or less runout that the flagship dies.

I think the instructions say put something like 25 pounds of force on the press handle. This is difficult to guess so what I did was set the die down in the press so that the press would just cam over. Lee recommend against doing this IIRC. As Chris says, rotate the case and press it again. The purist will not like the ridgy marks it leaves on the neck.

The amount of neck sizing can be crudely adjusted by polishing the mandrel.

You can also put too much force on the die which I did and it started to bell the bush that contracts the petals to the point it bound in the die and I had to take to it with a small file. Don't operate the die without a case, it bends the petals.

Another area this die may struggle to size is springback with crisp many times fired brass. I don't think this is the issue with the OP though.

Thanks guys!
Yep was doing the spin thing on the cases. No luck:(
Haven’t changed anything that I can see. So no on the shell holder. Also removed it to see if any grit had gotten under this...nope:(
Don’t really want to Falk out for another neck die. Also not really interested in full length. Might have to if it continues though:(

There is a real fine point at which the die / press work together, I would try with it a little more.

I have used all the name brands with bushings, and initially tried a collet die in 260 caliber .... hated it, popped the top off and stripped the ali threads. went back to a bushing die.

New rifle caliber cometh and rather than go through all the bushing drama first off I went with collet die...... excellent results, run out is in the .05 mm range typically and often at . 02.......... thats MM not thou !
No neck turning required but using good cases.

It can be worth it!

I too have my ram set to cam over, but I get no ridges ... i do do the 90' rotation. Luckily now it is set up I can leave it in the tool head and it never moves.
There is an issue with different neck thickness, when I used some w cases that are at about 12 thou the pressure wasnt enough to squeeze them, so they got the F/L treatment instead.
The Lapua cases sit at about 14 thou from memory.
So obviously there is a correlation there.