30-06 neck sizing help.

Hello all,

Started loading for my 30-06 (m1917). Bought a Lee ultimate set to reload for it. I have a neck sizing set for my .303 and that works perfectly.

This 30-06 one however, so far is not much more than a paperweight. I've deprimed/sized a few cases now and so far it does not size the neck at all, the bullet I'm using is a 150grn fmj and measures at .308". I measured the mandrel inside the die and that measured something around .304".
I'm putting plenty of force on the press so that's not the problem. Really stuck here.

I tried to use the full length sizer in the set also, but so far that's destroyed 3 cases, even though I've lubed them!

Any help would be awesome. Cheers

http://www.milsurps.com/images/impor...3/hv71iw-1.jpg

Ensure sleeve isn't upside down.
Lube collet where indicated.
Screw cap on tight.
Adjust die body up or down to produce desired degree of "squeeze".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Parashooter

http://www.milsurps.com/images/impor...3/hv71iw-1.jpg

Ensure sleeve isn't upside down.
Lube collet where indicated.
Screw cap on tight.
Adjust die body up or down to produce desired degree of "squeeze".

---

Die is assembled correctly and is lubed. Still. Same thing happens, did also try moving the body down, still not even getting a slight change in squeeze.

Thanks for your advice!

Is collet wrong size or mis-marked?
Try inserting fired case into disassembled collet. Does it enter fully?
Is collet being pushed upward by shellholder at top of ram stroke?

Lee video might show something you're missing -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WPmxtPgJUI

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Parashooter

Is collet wrong size or mis-marked?
Try inserting fired case into disassembled collet. Does it enter fully?
Is collet being pushed upward by shellholder at top of ram stroke?

Lee video might show something you're missing -
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WPmxtPgJUI[/url]

---

I've followed those instructions precisely and yes without a car inserted you can see the collet portion moving. I did put an emty case into the collet earlier today, just to see if it's going the full way into the collet. There is maybe a 1/8" gap between the case mouth and the top of the collet. Could this be my problem?

Those cases fired out of your rifle? No neck sizing only if they were not. BNIB and once fired out of another rifle will require FL resizing first. The case mouths will need chamfering too.
"...that's destroyed 3 cases..." The die is probably down too far. Move the expander/decapper up. Then set up the die so the bottom of the die just kisses the shell holder with the ram all the way up. Then adjust the expander/decapper to just pop out the primer.

Brass is from my rifle. And I set up all the dies according to the relevant instructions. Thinking it's the die set as I've never had this many problems.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Biddle1990

. . . There is maybe a 1/8" gap between the case mouth and the top of the collet. Could this be my problem?

---

No. That's normal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Biddle1990

. . . without a car inserted you can see the collet portion moving. . .

---

What about when there's a "car" inserted?

What about when there's a "car" inserted?[/QUOTE]

Opps sorry typo. With a case inserted, the collet barely moves, less than a 1/4".

The collet may be moving, but is it squeezing?
Looking at the assembly components, as shown by Parashooter, it could be that the sleeve is not pushing against the top of the collet to squeeze the jaws together. Maybe the sleeve or the top cap is too short.

Either way, it sounds as if you have a faulty set of components. An extra bushing between top cap and sleeve (i.e. effectively a sleeve extension) could fix it, but you live in the USA, so just send it back and get it exchanged.

P.S. If you ruined a couple of cases, that was probably because you screwed the die down way too low in an attempt to get the collet to squeeze. Always start with the die too high, and work your way down gradually, otherwise the collet is trying to squeeze the shoulder = crushed case. Which is why I did not like the film demonstration, which seemed to go much too far down for a first try.

When neck sizing, lubricate the neck area. If the collet is working you will see a line of squeezed lubricant formed at the bottom of the squeezed section of the neck. This line should be about 1mm/ 1/32" about the neck/shoulder transition. This tiny bit of unsized neck helps to center the resized case in the chamber. Do NOT try to get it down to zero, or you will lose this useful side-effect AND be in danger of crushing the cases.

The cases I broke a little were all done with the FL sizer. It successfully sized the case neck, however a little too much and pulled the mandrel out of the die. Tried screwing that down tight also to no avail.

Technically, the Lee full-length sizer die doesn't have a mandrel. I does have an expander/decapper rod. Trick to keep the rod from pulling out is to tighten its collet ("clamp nut") very tight using two stout wrenches and a lot of muscle. Degreasing the rod and the hole in the collet can help, as can roughening the portion of the rod that fits inside the collet.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9/4ptt2w-1.jpg

Here's advice from Lee's website -

Remove / Replace Decapping Rod
Posted on 19 January 2017 11:00 AM
To loosen the Decapper Clamp, you will need a 1/2" Box Wrench on the Clamp Nut and a 3/4" Open End Wrench on the die body. Loosen the Decapper Clamp until the Decapper is free to move. The Pin and/or Clamp should be cleaned and left to dry. The end of the Decapper Rod is to be flush with the top of the Decapper Clamp. The trick is to hold the Pin flush to the top and at the same time tighten the Clamp. Once you have the Pin aligned flush, tighten the Clamp in the die using both wrenches. Now tighten it again. It needs to be TIGHT. The pin may move back a short distance with the first case you deprime, but it should stay in that position now. You know it is tight enough when the primer pops out, the Pin did not move and the case pulls free without pulling out the Decapping Rod.

Collet die pressure exertion
Posted on 01 September 2015 04:02 PM
All of the sizing in the Collet die takes place at the very end of the stroke, when the ram/shell holder appears to bottom out against the base of the die. If you lean into the handle at this point, you will force the collet up into the die body, and cause the collet to squeeze the case neck down against the mandrel (the very end of which pops out the spent primer). About 25 lbs. of force is sufficient to resize most cases. If you are sitting in front of your press, just leaning your upper body weight into the lever is about right.

A good way to determine how much is necessary is to start the case into the die and feel the die remove the primer. Start using pressure and work up to what you think is about 25 lbs. Remove the case from the die and attempt to place the intended bullet in the case neck. If there is little or no resistance, repeat the process with slightly more pressure. When you have reached a point where there are vertical striation marks on the outside of the case neck or the intended bullet does not fit easily into the case neck, the correct amount of pressure has been achieved.

See also Collet Dies on Rockchucker Press - Powered by Kayako Help Desk Software

Well I long since gave up on Lee decapper rods staying put by friction, and simply threaded the top ends and screwed on a nut.

If you have just once had the miserable experience of a Lee decapper rod stuck in a partially sized case with the decapper pin sticking out through the bottom of the case, so that you can't get the case out of the shell holder and thus out of the press, then you will know how annoying those rods are.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

Well I long since gave up on Lee decapper rods staying put by friction

---

RCBS doesn't have those problems. Yes, tap and thread would sort it out...

I've contacted lee to see what they say about it. I've used more than enough pressure while using the collet die. As much so that I moved my table which my press is mounted! Still nothing. Bullet just falls into the case.

I wrenched down the nut on the full length resizer. Still did the same stupid thing. Hopefully lee will replace the set, otherwise I'm getting a refund and buying a Redding set.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I grew up working in a Gun and Pawn shop that was a Redding jobber/dealer in the late 70's, early 80's and learned reloading from the "gun guy" behind the counter. I never cared much for Lee reloading equipment. I bought and still buy from Redding. They are excellent folks to deal with and the quality of their equipment is top of the line. Go with the Redding and you'll never look back.

No matter how many times there's trouble with Lee stuff, no one understands they're cheap for a reason. Next post is someone swearing by them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Next post is someone swearing by them.

---

Jim, good guess on your part! - Bob

Er.... should that be swearing AT them?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

swearing AT them?

---

Ummm, yes...I could go with that. I just avoid them and let those who believe they work well to carry on. I just have too many stories of failure in them to ever go there again.

the worst part of Lee dies is when you bend a pin:banghead::banghead::sos::sos: and have to replace it. I've found a drop of red loc tight usually holds the new pin in place

Annealing your case necks will prevent spring back of the neck.
I had 2 sets of the collet neck dies. The .243 die worked fine.
I also had a set of 6mm Rem collet neck dies.
The 6mm die never worked well because the Remington brass was tapered. The case neck would never squeeze down at the case mouth.