LEE Rifle Dies: In-Depth Overview and Setup
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2024
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Full Story: bit.ly/2hwMAvw (much more info!)
In this video I give a complete overview of all of the rifle die sets that LEE Precision sells including the LEE RGB 2-die Rifle Die Set, the LEE Collet 2-die Rifle Die Set, the LEE Pacesetter 3-die and 2-die Rifle Die Sets, the LEE Ultimate 4-die Rifle Die Set, and LEE large-series die sets (50 BMG shown in this video).
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know its an old video. But for someone who just bought a Lee Classic turret set with Lee dies, and no teacher/mentor available, this video is a Godsend. Mahalo brother!
Yup . just got one and this exactly what I needed . just starting reloading to beat the new california taxes of 21% on guns and ammo
@@aceshigh4333 21%! Holy Shit!
@@Hail2DRedskins Yup we have 10% then our Dicktator here called it a sin tax like alcohol and cigarettes put another 11% on guns and ammo . so our rights are considered a sin here
Still innovative, still dependable, still solid, and still made in the USA! If I ever had any issue, I could call em and if the call did fix my problem they'd send me what I needed. Plain and simple. I will probably always use them for my reloads. Phenomenal dies and God bless the Lee's for being so good for the sport!
I started in 1975 with RCBS Dies. I now have 5 calibers in Lee Bie Sets and growing! I love them and Lee is my go to company!
Lee provides such a great value to reloaders for all their products. I wish I could thank Mr. Lee myself.
I agree. All of the big names in reloading: Lyman, RCBS, Hornady, make high quality products, and so do the smaller names. But Lee seems to be less expensive, and yet they are well made and a good value. I think this is especially true with the die sets, which include a shell holder, plastic powder scoop and a loading table, along with a nice storage case.
Have been using Lee die since my entry in to reloading for myself. Before that, my sister and I used our dad's press and he had RCBS die. Honestly, neither of us could tell the difference by the end results and we could afford our own sets of Lee die. I do have a set of RCBS that dad gifted me for .308WIN, but the Lee products have been all I have needed at about half the cost. Thank you for this video. Usually do not use the auto indexing on my Lee Classic Turret press, it adds almost no time to the process and it allows me to stop at one station I feel needs a little attention. Lee's "quality on a budget" minded philosophy has brought reloading to many of us who would otherwise have been priced out of that activity.
least expensive dies but yet the best dies in my opinion. The collet neck sizer dies are the most accurate neck sizers Ive used. And of course their crimp die
literally the best and most clear video on setting up lee dies. Wow. Thank you
Thanks Andy- that was my goal, glad you liked it!
Love my Lee dies ! Load 12 different calibers without issues ! 👍
HOORAH!!! These lee die sets are GREAT, Point blank period!!! I have used every brand know to man over the years. The lee product produces the best ammunition possible, oh, and at half the cost of some of the fancy high dollar brands. ALL AMERICAN MADE TOO!!
I started out reloading when i was young with Lee products. Lee has good stuff that works well for the cost. There is better made stuff but it costs more, sometimes much more. I still use the Lee collet neck dies and factory crimp dies in many cases.
kolt46
For a press I like the American made cast iron RCBS but for the price the lee gives it a real run for it's money.
I love my Lee Classic Turret press, however I've never liked using the auto-indexing feature for rifles because I like to check every case for length to see if it needs to be trimmed. I know it could be done with auto-index enabled (size, check and trim, and continue) but I find that reloading goes quicker if I do the sizing and trimming in batches.
I started reloading when I was 19 years old and I am now 73. The first reloading dies that I bought were Lee, 30-06, 8mm Mauser, .303 Brit, and .308 Winchester. Over the years I have bought RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, Redding, and Pacific products as well. However, when I needed ,350 legend dies I bought Lee dies. I also bought a Lee .356 sizing die to use .358/.357 bullets in the .350 Legend. I just bought Lee .360 Buckhammer dies. I reload for 23 calibers with Lee dies being the bulk of my equipment. Nuf said!
how long to dies last
I used to reload rifle and pistol...RCBS rock chucker press and equipment. Lost all equipment, dies,press,primers,powder and bench in hurricane Katrina..never did recoup and start again. Now seeing your videos I am getting a little nostalgic and desiring to reload again !
I'm sold on Lee dies and really appreciate that you've made them a subject in a couple of your videos. Keep up the good work - I really enjoy your videos. I've learned a lot. Thanks
I've Lee dies for years and love them.
So glad you used the lead cast iron turret press. Really help me understand how to set it up. I can't wait to get that powder through feature to work
Great job explaining the different Lee die set's. Nice watch looks very much like my Citizen ECO Drive.
I just ordered the ultimate set for 30-06. Will be for my Garand, my first rifle reloading. Keep up the good work!
Sweet- that will be fun!
Same here!
One of, if not the best, videos I've found that explains the different rifle dies. Now I just need to find one the same for pistol dies.
Thank you!!! Your wish is my command: th-cam.com/video/CYiE63mDRU4/w-d-xo.html
Fark I love your workshop. Would be great to see a video that shows a run around of the area
Cool idea- thanks man!
Excellent video, I do love LEE loaders and Die's. Though you didn't mention Richard Lee's truly basic "LEE loading tool". I still have my grandfathers set in 30-30 Winchester and it makes great ammunition. But not that good for auto-loaders, even though this set will also reload the old .30 Remington as long as you use the fire formed cases from the rifle your loading for since the Die only does Collet/Neck resizing.
Great overview, thanks. I've been very happy with my Lee pistol dies.
@gavintoobe. I realize this is an old video. I am almost 50 and just now getting setup to reload for the first time ever. I bought a lee classic turret press several years ago I just got it out of storage. I bought lee dies for several of my other rifles when I bought the press. I am starting with 300 PRC and see that lee has the 3 die set in 300 PRC and have been considering getting them, or one of the Hornady sets money is not an issue I just don't want to get in over my head before I get started .
Thank you, Jim
Gavin your outstanding and amazing my friend thank you some much for the full reviewing. You helped me and mnay others alot I have read your t he eads and forum you rock God Bless.
Great video. No wasted time listening to superfluous chatter or a bunch of um's and uh's. I was looking for a set up vid to send to a friend and this is it. Thanks.
Thank you SO much! Just starting out and the instructions that come with my Classic Press are not the easiest for me to understand. This is VERY helpful!
The die and shell holder are supposed to be a matched pair. Although we may only bump the shoulder back a few thousandths, the instructions say to raise the ram, screw the sizing die in until it touches the shell holder, and turn the die another 1/4 turn (IIRC). That'll work, at least most of the time, and doesn't require a comparator and bushing.
Man, I really enjoy the videos and appreciate the information you put
out there.
Thanks, feedback like this makes it all seem worth it. :)
I am a new loader to rifle calibers. I have a Dillon progressive press I use for handgun loads but this rifle business is all new to me. I am not sure if you have a video that shows from begging to end the manufacture of a rifle caliber such as 223 or 308 but it would really be helpful. It would also be good for you to explain everything in great detail as you are such an expert in this area. We appreciate your videos and they have helped me immensely in deciding what to buy and what to look forward to buying.
go check out gunblue490 channel on youtube. A very knowledgable guy and explains reloading in great detail.
another great vid, really appreciate your no nonsense approach with excellent vid quality
Best die set I bought. And there factory crimp dies are great.
I've been using Lee dies, especially there collet die, for 30 years. I usually replace the lock ring on the seating die, but other than that I love them. Still the best buy out there.
What do you replace the ring with?
Fantastic video. I have watched about a half dozen similar "die setup" videos, this was the clearest, easiest to comprehend, and thus, most useful. Earned a sub and thumbs up.
although you ( Gavin ) dont answer your comments anymore- To anyone who watches him, or is new to listening to his vids- you will learn soo much. He explains everything and understands the idea of things over whelming the new reloader. I have and continue to learn soo much, that i keep a few of his videos downloaded so i can quickly reference them. ( I use the VLC program to download his videos- I never share them or post them. @Copyright)
Very informative and it almost goes into a little "guide for complete beginners". Always been fascinated by reloading, but never quite knew how or where to start. This was a great video. It would of been great (although I understand it's not the purpose of this video...so maybe in another video?) if you would of done a few complete rounds on that Lee press with full-on explanations. Great videos!
Just got all materials to reload 6.5 Creedmoor. So this vid was a help thank you. I already load other rounds that are straight shells.
I've used Lee, RCBS and Hornaday die sets. For what ever reason, the Lee sets are nearly always priced a bit less then all the others.
BUT, do just as good a job!
In setting up the factory crimp die Gavin got it wrong. You put the cartridge up and adjust the die until it stops on the bullet take the bullet down and turn the die a bit more down until you get the crimp you want. You don't set it up to over crimp and then back off. You don't have to have a single mistake if you do it right. You can't take the crimp out once it's there, but you can increase the crimp if not enough. Common sense. I have a lot of Lee Die Sets as well as others. My favorites are the Lee Ultimate Die Sets. They are better than most others on the market unless you are getting into precision reloading with neck turned brass and use other style dies for precise neck tension. Even the Lee Collet Neck Size Die will give you that with neck turned brass, but some people prefer bumping the shoulder in their sizing for functionality. I like neck sizing, but that's me.
Lee fan too, great video, you covered a ton of data at a fair pace.
Thanks man, good stuff!
Great vid, and awesome timing! I was just loading some 30-06 tonight and spent a minute or two deciding how to get what I needed from the Lee factory crimp die.
Awesome!
great video i wish this was out when i bought a turret press
Lee should say in their instructions that the full length sizing die decapper moves up slightly to set the headspace with 308 win, other short cases.
It’s never mentioned, first time it happened to me I thought the die was faulty. Mic McPherson Hand loading expert informed me that’s what they are designed to do.
Doesn’t happen with longer cases, but it’s how they work with shorter cases.
Decapper moves up on shorter case dies? Mine all work the same whether for .300 Savage or 30-06 and all other calibers that I own. What do you mean by decapper moving up?
I got the Lee Deluxe Die Set in .270 Winchester, Lee Breech Lock Challenger Kit and the Lee Reloading Manual (2nd edition) about 4 or 5 years ago, but have not been able to set it up yet, NO Room! lol When I get the $$$ I plain on getting more equipment and more dies in the calibers/cartridges that my rifles are. Then build a Bench to set it up on. hopefully by then there will be enough room to set it up! lol Until then I am saving up my pennies! LOL
Great video!
Thanks man!
I don't use lee or have any plan to. But I am a glutton for knowledge on all things reloading. Thumbed up
I use Lee dies for all my bolt gun calibers. RCSB small base dies for semi-action rifles. Lee Factory Crimp die's for ALL calibers!
Thank you for the info I wish you would of shown a top view of the crimp die to help a newbie understand the difference in the amount of crimp applied
Thanks for the name drop, Bro!
Nice overview in an all in one w/ a quick how to.
Thanks!
Love your videos, sometime I wonder if you'd consider doing a video on reloading hornady 325 grain 45-70 rounds with the flex tip. Hard to find consistent info on reloading the cartridge due to the shorter length of the case. Keep up the great work!
Any bullet less than 400 grs. In4570 is sacrilege.
Great video, but please show a complete video of using the Lee dies, Lee classic turret loading .308. I liked the .223 video also, but I just got this press reason why lol.
Very usefull video since I cant find these instructions anywhere, even on Lee's website... Thank you!
Much better then the one I hade on board.
excellent video. I bought a lee classic turret press based on this video. It's great!
Excellent. Clear and concise.
Thanks!
... glad to see the "experts" have stopped denigrating Lee products especially the Lee Factory Crimp Die which is the best cartridge crimping die ever invented
Lee dies are a great value and perform great.
Agreed!
Just bought one and your my instruction manual…any leads on primers? Got everything else I recon..went with the Lyman sonic cleaner but had to order cleaner that looks like it comes with…Hornady dies is what I got but learned I needed the lee charge die so got those on the way..2 jugs of h4350 and gonna do 175 .308 matchkings for my first try…thanks a bushel Gavin!
Thank you for your time! Learning a lot!
Thank you Gavin!! Always enjoy your videos ( although I cant afford some of the equipment you use in your custom load development). One question, Can you advise3 how to set up Lee’s Premium die set to only bump 0.002” - 0.003” which achieving full length sizing?
Great presentation by the way. Love all your videos, they have so much information in them. So, if you are using the rifle charging die, would you remove the Collet Neck Sizer die in a 4-hole turret setup?
Thanks for the great 'refresher course' on Lee dies. I'd like your thoughts on a 'problem I'm having with my new ultimate 30-30 FL sizing die. Using first time, so I'm thinking must be doing something wrong. Setup according to Lee instructions. Using once fired brass from my Henry lever, all cleaned & prepped & LUBED. Raise the case into the die with mild pressure. The ram stops with a GAP between the shell holder & bottom of the die about the thickness of a nickel. Apply more pressure (now I know I have a problem) No movement. Apply MASSIVE pressure... I get a 'pop'. The gap is closed, but the decapper/sizing pin has slid up. Tightened up the pin collar with large wrenches. The ID of the brass neck has not changed and the outside of the neck is very shiny. So, what do you think? Thanks, Ron B.
HOW I WOULD LIKE TH-cam TO HAVE A TRANSLATOR FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND YOUR VIDEOS WELL. THE TRUTH THEY ARE EXCELLENT. ALL THE BEST. EASTERN ARGENTINA
thanks a lot!
It really helped me out to install my first rifle dies :)
Only thing I don’t care for on lee dies is the lock ring with oring. I’ve begun changing mine over to the Hornady setup with Allen wrench.
Great descriptive video. Thanks
Thanks man!
Question Gavin.... I see on your shelf different brands on dies. Do you make decisions on what dies you get based on calibur. Or is it just preferences. Me personally I only use Rcbs. Simple and on single stage press I'm not doing a lot of die swap out
I’m going to set up my Dillon 550 B So I can load 243 Winchester, Dillon does not sell a 243 set of dies so I purchase lee ultimate, Trying to figure out how to get started and it looks like I need to buy a powder dye so I can do all four stages Progressively including loading the powder, Would you know if I can purchase one of the Dillon powder dies to complete this process with the powder funnel
Or do I need to buy that extra die from Lee to input my powder charge system on that lee die, for powder
Thanks so much for your help learning all the time I’m very experienced and pistol but just beginning to learn to rifle reload, Again thank you for your help Bob in Tennessee
Also if I should buy the Dillon powder dye and funnel do you know which one
That was helpful. Thanks!
Thank you for this video - its a few years old so would you still stick to the Lee set or another brand by now? Specific for 308 and 223 (maybe some PRS fun shooting to about 1000m)
Excellent !!!
Thank you for a great informative video
Thanks for the vid. Very helpful. Reloading kept simple.
Question: I have the press and turret for pistol and looking at reloading .30-06, 308 and 303. I'll be using the auto powder charging system. Is it an either the full length deprimer or collet neck only sizer/deprimer die. Which would be the easiest for a FNG on rifle reloading. Thanks again for the breakdown....
I caution anyone from getting Lee dies for the 6.5 Grendel. I had a lot of problems with them. They were solved with switching to Hornady dies. Had good luck with other Lee dies in other calibers.
having same problems...gonna switch also.
Thanks for the video! I'm learning reloading, I needed what you showed from 8:00 on!
Gavin, great video. Dumb question - what watch are you wearing?
Great video but you didn't show how and what die(s) to use to just do a shoulder bump and neck sizing only ?
Great vid. Thanks for all the great quality intel. I have only reloaded pistol so far on my Hornady LNL AP, but am planning on getting into rifle soon. Also have all Lee dies for pistol and have had no problems. Question is, with pistol I bell the case before adding powder. Dont you have to do that with rifle also? Which of these dies are used to perform that function? Thanks in advance.
No expanding case mouth for rifle unless you're loading hard-cast lead bullets! Boat tail bullets sit the best in non-expanded necks. :) Expanders for rifle are somewhat specialty- and I know a lot of guys do cast bullets for a lot of rifle applications... More to try out I suppose!
Well explained!
Thanks for the video!
Ok, I own many LEE Die sets and just got this one.... all 4 dies. So, I have some 308 cases, mostly Win. But..I find that cleaning and measuring length... some of the cases will NOT measure right in my SAAMI gauge. I even full length and deprimed...then lowered the case and turned it in increments about 4 times... still won't seat in the gauge.... Suggestions??? and yes ..I use Imperial lube.
Thank you for another great video. One question, is it possible or feasible to get a shoulder bump and then use the collet neck sizer for the neck tension?
Some people use a Redding S die with no bushing to bump the shoulder, and then do the neck with the collet die. I'm about to give it a while, ordered a LCD today.
You screw em in, adjust em, and they disappear....WHOA!
Very good video.
Well done. Can you use their .308 die kit with the Lee hand reloader?
How do you set up the 3rd seating/crimping die where the crimp and seating is in the same step. I have searched for awhile and even the lee instructions only explain it as if I have a 4 die set. Pretty stupid to me that it's so difficult to find out how to do it
great vid thanks .... keep up the awesome work.
Thanks Francisco!
I know this is an old video but I could use some advice here he says to add a quarter turn after meeting the ram when I watched hornadys video on the topic and it didn’t include that step I have hornady dies is this just a hornady thing any advice would be appreciated I’m new to reloading and the closest thing to reloading any of my family has done is shot shell thanks in advance.
could you do 1 for reloading British .303? love the video
Newbie question i am sure- is it possible to neck size only by running the brass only part way into the sizing die, or do u need the neck sizing only die? I have a few things i will probably neck size only for- 303 Brit, A Krag, and a #1 30-06, and probably others. Thanks. Love all your videos. have learned a lot. Thank you
Yes, you can use a FL die to neck-only size, but it doesn't give you near the control you get with a proper neck-only die. That's where the 4-die sets are nice- you have both options!
gavintoobe - That was my guess. Thanks for the reply and the great content
I reload 243 win and when I full length size my brass the neck inner diameter is too tight so I have too use the neck resizing die to get a good bullet fit. Then I can crimp my bullets. There is a big difference between the inside neck diameter of the full length die and the neck sizer. Why is that?
Is it possible to bump the shoulder with the Fulll length Sizing dies, and if so, what happens to the neck??
Gavin, do you find the T-Track in your bench to be stout enough to handle reloading presses & peripheral tools? I've thought about doing the same as I'm limited on bench (like most of us are), but I'm concerned about the strength of the track for holding a reloading press.
I went with the 3/8" bolt version of the T-Track for this reason (1/4" bolt T-Track is also popular). It has held up great!
so the difference between the deluxe and ultimate sets is the ultimate trades the powder thru expander die for the collet neck sizing die?
Good video.
Gavin i love lee die sets,, but why do the 30-30 sets & the .223 sets not come with the great lee powder through neck expanding dies ?,, is there a reason for that..??
Good idea,, thanks...
About the full length sizing die; what is the top nut for? Do we have to adjust it?
Can Lee dies fit the Dillion RL550C press ? Looking to buy a Dillion but they are out of the popular rifle dies for up to 45 weeks . Thanks
if you use the full length sizer you don't have to use the collect neck sizer?
Which die on the Pacesetter set expands the case neck for bullet seating?