Lee Collet Die Problem

[in2anity]

Anywsy--for those who believe a crimp depends on cartridge, what are your thoughts on crimping those cases... (again--204 & 22-250)...?

I can’t speak for the 22-250, but I doubt you’ll have much trouble with the 204. To me the 204 seems easy to reload accurate loads, significantly easier than other cartridges I have. No need to consider neck tension, just collet neck size or FL, doesn’t matter, either way, south of moa. Better than I can shoot in my applications.

I never even considered crimping the 204.

I suppose if you’re having accuracy troubles you could consider doing it...

[SCJ429]

I use Lee RGB dies for the 22/250, it gives the cases a heap of neck tension. The results are so good, 1/4 MOA, that I have not bothered with bushing dies. I use 50 grain ZMax or Vmax. The COAL is set to the magizene length. The SD can be as low as five FPS.

[Zacnoel]

Hi Stix

Don’t sweat it , what you’ve done is correct and no there should be no difference in neck diameter with adjustments in pressure after you are past that 1/16 ish of a turn after the collet is engaged . On a rockchucker it should just cam over with not too much force . As said above the only way to decrease the neck diameter is to purchase a smaller mandrel or slowly polish back the mandrel you have with super fine wet and dry paper. I did this to mine and reduced the diameter by 0.0005” (half a thou ) and that works for me . If you do increase the presage too much the aluminium cap will strip its threads and need to be replaced, ask me how I know this .The cap is meant to be sacrificial to prevent damage to the rest of the die. And also make sure you don’t run the shell holder up without a cartridge inserted or the collet will close around the mandrel and either get stuck or when it closes it will not return to the the preset opening for the shell neck to enter and you will end up collapsing the necks into the cartridge , ask me how I know this. If you do do this then it is easily fixed by inserting a small bladed screwdriver into the collet grooves and opening them up slightly. Good luck dude
L

[Stix]

So...Is the length of case critical when sizing this way--(with neck collet die by just engaging it in the collet)...?

Reason i ask is i set it for a couple of shorter cases & noticed a slightly stiffer feel on the press arm when it moved on to the rest of the batch of cases...?

Also...ive sussed out that you can adjust the cap in & out slightly for that final adjustment...ive done a little sizing like this now & found the cap doesnt seem to move, so is this a problem/anyone else do this, or use the die in this manner...?.

[sungazer]

So...Is the length of case critical when sizing this way--(with neck collet die by just engaging it in the collet)...?

That is a good question Stix, I know a gunsmith who uses one and he has made his so he only resizes 3/4 of the Neck. I dont know how he has done this.
I dont think that the size of the case is going to matter as it is always going to be from the base or top of shell holder to the top of the collet. If you dont tighten up the cap the whole assembly will just move upwards it will still be from the shell holder to the top of that skwisher. I think if you watned to size less of the neck the best way would be to use a shim on top of the shell holder or the competition shell holders which essentially do this.

For the first time I ruined a couple of cases with the Neck collet die. I think the case neck got stuck on the bit that does the compressing in Not centred and it pushed the neck down into the case.

[Sergeant Hartman]

Mate I'd check your collet fingers and the compression sleeve. Lube it up as that can jam and destroy the case... similar what sungazer said