setting up lee collet dies in rcbs single stage press

[ODAVID]

I would like experienced suggestions in setting up this neck collet die in my rcbs press. I am loading for 243 winchester and have recently bought these dies to try and achieve less runout.

I have just completed FL sizing using my RCBS dies with out the Primer puch. This has resulted in .001 runout on the neck.

Experience opinions welcome
odavid

[ODAVID]

43 views at his time and no comments??????? Is there no experience or helpful advice?????????

[boomtube]

I would suggest you set up the die according to the maker's instructions, it's a bit long to write it all out here, but the die doesn't care what brand of press we use.

You sized your cases without the primer punch; do you mean without the expander ball, without the decapping pin or without the repriming punch?

[ODAVID]

Thanks for the reply,

I first used the lee universal deprimer then sized without the expander ball and without the decapping pin using the RCBS FL die adjusted to the chamber pushing the shoulder back .003.

My concern on setting up the die is when using the RCBS press do you adjust the die to touch the shell holder then advance 1 turn or 2 turns or 2 1/2 turns. How do you know which works best???

Thanks in advance
ODAVID

[boomtube]

"How do you know which works best???"

By experimentation.

[woods]

Well if you sized the cases with a full length die without the expander ball then your neck inside diameter will be extra small and you will have to use more pressure to seat a bullet or cram the mandrel from the Lee Collet Neck Sizer into the case mouth. Shouldn't use a full length die and then a collet die. The collet die does not create runout but will not correct it either.

With the full length die without an expander all the neck variances are pushed to the inside of the case mouth and even though you have low runout after doing that, you may wind up with more runout after seating on the bullet.

But since you want advice on how to adjust the collet die I will give my 2 cents, this is the way I do it and it works for me

I adjust the lock nut all the way to the top of the threads



this will put your press lever at the most horizontal when sizing



The way the die is engineered is so that you try to put approximately 25 pounds of weight on the lever and having the lever at the highest position makes it easier for me. Don't put too much weight on the lever or you can pop the aluminum cap.

If you are worried about whether you are sizing or not since you can't feel the crunching you usually feel with a cam-over die, try to insert a bullet before and after sizing and you will see that the bullet won't go in a sized neck. Of course since you have already boogered up the process by sizing with a full length die without an expander ball first, that goes out the window.

[ODAVID]

THANK YOU I REMEMBER READING YOUR POSTINGS IN THE PAST , VERY HELPFUL.

After I use the collett adjusted like you mentioned how do I adjust the die to fit my chamber and push the shoulder back.003: is that after i fire the brass in the gun chamber on the next loading with the collet die????

I also have 500 new brass would you recommend using these only in the collet die or first use the RCBS die with the expander ball then the collet die???

THANKS
SO MUCH
ODAVID