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Old 03-06-2017, 11:19 AM
mazer mazer is offline
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Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!  
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Default Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!

I normally have no issue with Lee dies, they work are a decent price and I've never had any issues with the way they function....until now. I bought a S&W XVR in 460 and where the sizer works fine, everything else is an issue. If you try to expand the brass (and with these die I HAVE to) to fit a bullet so it doesn't crush the brass trying to seat the bullet it won't fit into the bullet seater die. Okay, no problem, purchased a Lyman M die to see if the Lee expander die was not doing it's job properly...and no dice.
If I reduce the bell so that the brass fits up inside the bullet seater die, it either crushes, the brass, crushes the gummi tip (Hornady 200gr FTX) or pops the seater itself.
Now, I know how this is supposed to work, it just seems that the bullet seater die doesn't have enough threads to handle the long brass, especially if you go by what is in the directions (which I do read! ) even though I've done this a hundred times reloading for over 20 calibers (if you count the sub calibers I load for like .357 and .38spl).
So, after buying the M die, destroying 6 pieces of brass, ruining about that many bullets, I'm done with Lee with this particular caliber. Ordered the RCBS die set instead, plus, the RCBS dies are carbide!
So, this is just a heads up, in case you are looking to reload this particular caliber and using Lee dies to do it! I am kind of curious to find out if anyone else has had this issue loading 460 S&W with these dies.
Oh well, overall pleased with Lee reloading dies in the past....just this one time I'm having an issue.
Let me know if anyone here has had the same sort of issue with their 460 Lee dies!
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Old 03-06-2017, 12:31 PM
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Rule3 Rule3 is offline
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Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!  
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Don't know what to tell you but mine (in 460) worked just fine like all the others. They are carbide

Perhaps call or e mail LEE.?
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Old 03-06-2017, 09:02 PM
mazer mazer is offline
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Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!  
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I'm beginning to think it is the fact that mine are steel dies, don't know, think i will contact Lee and see what's up. Might be they just don't like loading the Gummi tip bullets.
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Old 03-07-2017, 12:12 AM
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Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mazer View Post
I'm beginning to think it is the fact that mine are steel dies, don't know, think i will contact Lee and see what's up. Might be they just don't like loading the Gummi tip bullets.
All Lee handgun dies are carbide sizer. They do make some cheaper steel rifle dies.

Sounds like you need to readjust your dies.

Not sure with the handgun but brass for the Revolver but brass for rifles needs to be trimmed to a shorter trim to length when loading the FTX bullet..
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  #5  
Old 03-07-2017, 04:26 AM
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Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!  
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As I understand you, if you bell-mouth the case enough to accept the bullet it catches on the mouth of the seating die ?
(I don't understand why you think the seating die doesn't have enough threads though.)

I have Lee dies for almost all the cartridges I reload for, except 357, 460 & 500.

I've, on occasion, had a similar issue when I accidentally (way) over expanded a case and tried to seat the bullet anyway. If I ran that case mouth into the Lee FCD it's sizer ring would reduce the flare enough to allow it to insert into the seating die normally.

Have you looked closely at the seating die's mouth to see if it has the necessary bevel cut into it? That may be where the problem lies.

(With the 460, using the 225gr FTX bullet does not require the brass to be shorthened like with the 357 & 44 Mag FTX.)

.
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  #6  
Old 03-07-2017, 01:20 PM
Road_Clam Road_Clam is offline
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Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue! Lee 460 S&W dies guess I was due for an issue!  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mazer View Post
I normally have no issue with Lee dies, they work are a decent price and I've never had any issues with the way they function....until now. I bought a S&W XVR in 460 and where the sizer works fine, everything else is an issue. If you try to expand the brass (and with these die I HAVE to) to fit a bullet so it doesn't crush the brass trying to seat the bullet it won't fit into the bullet seater die. Okay, no problem, purchased a Lyman M die to see if the Lee expander die was not doing it's job properly...and no dice.
If I reduce the bell so that the brass fits up inside the bullet seater die, it either crushes, the brass, crushes the gummi tip (Hornady 200gr FTX) or pops the seater itself.
Now, I know how this is supposed to work, it just seems that the bullet seater die doesn't have enough threads to handle the long brass, especially if you go by what is in the directions (which I do read! ) even though I've done this a hundred times reloading for over 20 calibers (if you count the sub calibers I load for like .357 and .38spl).
So, after buying the M die, destroying 6 pieces of brass, ruining about that many bullets, I'm done with Lee with this particular caliber. Ordered the RCBS die set instead, plus, the RCBS dies are carbide!
So, this is just a heads up, in case you are looking to reload this particular caliber and using Lee dies to do it! I am kind of curious to find out if anyone else has had this issue loading 460 S&W with these dies.
Oh well, overall pleased with Lee reloading dies in the past....just this one time I'm having an issue.
Let me know if anyone here has had the same sort of issue with their 460 Lee dies!
Well, I'm at a total loss as to why you are having so many issues. I have the same LEE 460 mag (the size die IS carbide BTW) and I have loaded hundreds of the 200 gr FTX without any issues. I've also loaded the 300 XTP mag, and Elmer keith hard cast again without issues. When I was first learning to load for the 460 I did ruin a few 200 FTX bullets by not having enough of a case mouth bell and the casing would shave off the copper jacket. Many people rag on Lee dies, but I have no problems with them and I actually prefer the Lee's straight wall seater/crimp dies as they work excellent.
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