Lee Collet Die 223

[Fox Red]

For the 223, I still load with the original FL Hornady dies I bought secondhand about 10 years ago.

Since getting a custom barrel fitted, I’m thinking upgrading the dies might be a good idea to help get more consistent, smaller groups. I’m also toying with the idea of getting a cheap annealer.

On the dies, I’m wondering whether I could remove the decapping pin from the Hornady die (and just use it to bump the shoulder back) and then run the cases through a Lee Collet Die to improve concentricity and provide a consistent neck tension.

Any views on this? Should I just buy a goood quality FL die instead (I don’t mind the extra processing)? Any general advice on what to do to get the best out of my reloads would be appreciated.

Note: I always use Lapua brass Sierra 77gr bullets which is what the 25” 1/8 twist custom barrel was chambered for, and Vhit powder.

Thanks in advance

 

[Len the dog]

Assuming you’re not using brass fired in someone else’s rifle, and you’re not reloading for anyone else, your cases will be perfectly fire formed to your chamber. Why resize them to something different only for your rifle to resize them again to its chamber?
I just neck size and they fit my chamber perfectly and they are all to exactly the same dimensions as each other.

 

[25 Sharps]

For the 223, I still load with the original FL Hornady dies I bought secondhand about 10 years ago.

Since getting a custom barrel fitted, I’m thinking upgrading the dies might be a good idea to help get more consistent, smaller groups. I’m also toying with the idea of getting a cheap annealer.

On the dies, I’m wondering whether I could remove the decapping pin from the Hornady die (and just use it to bump the shoulder back) and then run the cases through a Lee Collet Die to improve concentricity and provide a consistent neck tension.

Any views on this? Should I just buy a goood quality FL die instead (I don’t mind the extra processing)? Any general advice on what to do to get the best out of my reloads would be appreciated.

Note: I always use Lapua brass Sierra 77gr bullets which is what the 25” 1/8 twist custom barrel was chambered for, and Vhit powder.

Thanks in advance

You don’t need to bump the shoulder back every time, every 3rd or 4th firing.

Collet dies work fine…..

 

[kenbro]

I run cases through a neck die sans the decapping pin/ button etc. then use a mandrel to expand the neck to the required neck tension I want.
If, and it seldom happens, the shoulder need moving back, I put the cases through a FL die, again with the guts removed, then mandrel to size neck for tension.
I also have body dies so if I get any loaded rounds that won’t chamber they can be run through the body die as is.
I used to have a Tikka 243 that the bolt wouldn’t close on PPU factory ammo unless it was put through the body die.
Ken.

 

[User00044]

Removing the expander ball will result in excessive neck tension as the neck will still be O/D sized . The final neck tension would be set by the expander , rendering a collet die useless . Though a mandrel may help !
A correctly set up full length die should give the results you're looking for , the elite US F-class shooters appear to bump size , if Cortina and Glasscock are to be believed .