Bottleneck rifle cartridge reloading

[WilliamDahl]

For the most part, I've used a Dillon 450 for reloading all the calibers since I've started getting into reloading, but for some of the calibers that I don't reload much of, I've decided to setup a Lee 4-hole "Classic Cast Turret" press that I snagged off of someone selling it on CraigsList. As I was looking at the dies for one of the rifle calibers that I was thinking about starting to reload for, I realized something a bit different about the Lee dies for the rifle calibers than for the handgun calibers. There is no Powder Through Expanding Die included in the sets. As far as I can tell, there is not a die that expands the case mouth to make it easier for the bullet to slide into the case. I've never used the Powder Through Expanding Dies since the Dillon has it's own "powder funnel" that comes with the "caliber conversion kit" that does this for you.

So, what I'm wondering is why is this different on the Lee rifle cartridge die set? Are they assuming that rifle cartridge reloaders are using boat tail or bullets with somewhat rounded bases?

Any other hints that any of you use with this press would be appreciated.

[flounderman]

the expander is on the decapping pin. it sizes on the downstroke and deprimes and expands on the upstroke.

[WilliamDahl]

the expander is on the decapping pin. it sizes on the downstroke and deprimes and expands on the upstroke.

I don't see how that would result in a bell mouth on the brass...

Also, it seems that unless the expander is going through some sort of change as goes through the bottle neck, it would be doing the same operation on the downstroke as on the upstroke. Maybe I'm just not understanding how these things work since I've never seen an actual cutaway view of the die while it was sizing a piece of brass...

[Wayne Smith]

You are right, there is no belling in bottle neck dies. They are set up assuming condom bullets and work well for what they are intended to do. If you need belling you need either the Lyman M die or the RCBS expander die. For both you can get plugs sized for almost any caliber, lead or condom, and our own Buckshot and others will make you a custom plug if you need.

[Tom Myers]

Lee does sell a RIFLE CHARGING DIE (http://leeprecision.com/rifle-charging-die.html) that you can use with their Auto disk Powder measure.

The die is not originally designed to expand the case mouth but if you are handy with a drill press, file and emery paper, you can do what I did for my 280 Rem, 30-30 and 38-55 rifles by turning down the outside diameter of the DROP TUBE (http://leeprecision.com/drop-tube-22-cal.html) that comes with the die into a two-step expander and belling spud that works extremely well for my applications.

The setup can be used either with the powder measure or with the Screw-in funnel adaptor (http://leeprecision.com/funnel-adapter.html) that is supplied with the die.

[Shiloh]

I size and decap rifle brass on a single stage press and load only in the Dillon.

Shiloh