bye-bye 223 Moving on to another caliber.
- Thread starter Mitty38
- Start date
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
I actually love lee dies for pistol.
Will be getting with you.
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Meh, I was not pressed. Got one coming now anyways.
I got this scattered brain thing going on myself especially after that last bought with illness.
hporter
Active Member
Mitty,
For some reason I can't find the accompanying factory crimp die. I didn't even have one on my Dillon 650 toolhead to steal from, so I have no idea where they might be. They weren't in my crimp die container box though.
I wasn't sure which dipper was supposed to go with the kit, but the paper instructions referenced a .5 and .7 dipper - so I threw one of each in.
Got your address, so I will get this out today - maybe it will get there before Christmas?
Anyway - Merry Christmas to you and your son. I hope you enjoy your new 1911.
Harold
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Ok thanks. Sure appreciate this.
Made my Christmas. My Boy is going to appreciate it too.
So you guys think I should just order a taper crimp die, and which one, to get the bevel out of the throat.
I can get the Lee taper crimp for 11 bucks. Which is cheaper then shipping.
Or a Reading standard crimp die.
I might just try and see if I can use the bevel crimp die for Bushmaster to take out the bell in the end .Before I do that.
Made my Christmas. My Boy is going to appreciate it too.
So you guys think I should just order a taper crimp die, and which one, to get the bevel out of the throat.
I can get the Lee taper crimp for 11 bucks. Which is cheaper then shipping.
Or a Reading standard crimp die.
I might just try and see if I can use the bevel crimp die for Bushmaster to take out the bell in the end .Before I do that.
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CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
Yea you want a taper crimp and the LEE will be fine.
Ian
Notorious member
The Lee taper-crimp only die is by far the best one out there right now, in fact the only one that has the correct geometry. The crimp shoulder in the standard seating die is sufficient, though, you'll just have to back off the stem and crimp in a separate operation. Mark the stem adjuster and die body with a permanent marker or paint pen/nail polish/whatever and count turns to save setup time.
CWLONGSHOT
Well-Known Member
I dis like those LEE lock/rubber Rings too.
But dont mind them if the die stays locked down in a block.
CW
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Ye, I make a dummy round for every successful load. Works pretty quick.
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I have changed also all of my dies to Lee "O" rings. But I have a Harrell's turret press and five spare turrets for the most common reloading I do. So they are never changed in or out.
Ian
Notorious member
I did an informal lock-ring test a few years back to satisfy my curiosity. Setup was an ordinary resizing die with a large, flat base and a known good shellholder, both checked for tolerance stacking in the press by orienting each part in 90 degree increments and checking daylight at the contact point of the shellholder and die face under light pressure. An average was taken using .001" shim stock and the various lock rings tried under various force levels. There is enough flex in the system to force full contact but misalignment is obvious under light pressure. Press was a Lee Classic Cast turret press with the big ram, and every brand and era of lock ring I could find. I absolutely hate the RCBS rings because they stick hard against the turret plate and require a wrench to undo what was installed two-finger-tight. Also, I've had the damned things consistently back off during a long run of resizing to a precise datum dimension which is beyond frustrating when you realize it moved somewhere in the last 200 cases and you can never, ever, re-bump them exactly the same due to springback. The set screws in RCBS, Lyman, and Pacific dies invariably cock the ring catty-whompus and load on one edge which in turn loads the die threads in the press or turret crooked. The only locking ring worth a damn is the Forster split ring with the cross-screw because it actually draws up the threads to full mesh and stays square (as squarely as the ring threads are cut with the faces, anyway, which isn't perfect by the way but can be better one orientation than the other and can be blued and lapped true if you like). Unfortunately the Forster rings are too large to fit on a Lee four hole turret so they immediately go in the spare parts box or on things that I use in my single stage press like sizing dies and primer pocket swagers.
Back to the test. They all sucked in one way or another, some more than others, except the Lee locking rings. I got the least misalignment both initial and under load with the Lees. I know they're consistent because I size my .308 brass to exactly two thousandths longer then minimum headspace (2.331 at the datum, IIRC, sized to 2.333") and it's consistent to a tenth or two...and straight, even pressure.
I also discovered that sometimes Lee doesn't get their turret holes bored straight, either. Sometimes the crooked is egregious and clearly visible to the naked eye, something Lee fanbois need to keep an eye on.
Lee has a new design lock ring that takes a special tool they make out of plastic. The new tool reaches into the tight turret configuration easily but is flimsy junk. I plan to make an aluminum spanner with two steel pins that does the same thing. Usually finger-tight is enough but over time the o-rings creep into imperfections in the metal and stick enough to need a wrench to loosen.
Back to the test. They all sucked in one way or another, some more than others, except the Lee locking rings. I got the least misalignment both initial and under load with the Lees. I know they're consistent because I size my .308 brass to exactly two thousandths longer then minimum headspace (2.331 at the datum, IIRC, sized to 2.333") and it's consistent to a tenth or two...and straight, even pressure.
I also discovered that sometimes Lee doesn't get their turret holes bored straight, either. Sometimes the crooked is egregious and clearly visible to the naked eye, something Lee fanbois need to keep an eye on.
Lee has a new design lock ring that takes a special tool they make out of plastic. The new tool reaches into the tight turret configuration easily but is flimsy junk. I plan to make an aluminum spanner with two steel pins that does the same thing. Usually finger-tight is enough but over time the o-rings creep into imperfections in the metal and stick enough to need a wrench to loosen.
fiver
Well-Known Member
nobody quite gets their ram to hole bored exactly square.
some come pretty darn close, but most ain't.
i set my dies.
break them free
turn the whole thing and loosen the lock, then re-tighten it not against the press.
then turn them back so they are just bumping the press but have the thread slop to move around.
that's for sizing.
i do the same for seating.
but when i first 'set' the bullet, the die is backed out about 1/8 turn and i work the bullet and case together turning the case between steps.
the final bump is with the die touching the press top, then the case is turned again for one final bump.
everything floats, but is set to the same depth.
i've reduced the run out considerably by letting the case neck set the die and by letting the bullet find it's own center.
if the rifles chamber is cut straight the case is straight and i don't want to be making it go elsewhere.
if it's crooked or oversize, the best ammo on the planet ain't gonna make it shoot no better.
some come pretty darn close, but most ain't.
i set my dies.
break them free
turn the whole thing and loosen the lock, then re-tighten it not against the press.
then turn them back so they are just bumping the press but have the thread slop to move around.
that's for sizing.
i do the same for seating.
but when i first 'set' the bullet, the die is backed out about 1/8 turn and i work the bullet and case together turning the case between steps.
the final bump is with the die touching the press top, then the case is turned again for one final bump.
everything floats, but is set to the same depth.
i've reduced the run out considerably by letting the case neck set the die and by letting the bullet find it's own center.
if the rifles chamber is cut straight the case is straight and i don't want to be making it go elsewhere.
if it's crooked or oversize, the best ammo on the planet ain't gonna make it shoot no better.