The high cost of getting 6.5-06 dies from reluctant suppliers

[Clark]

I called up Forster and went around and around until they sent me a 25-06 Full length sizer die body honed out to a 0.292" neck.

That would make it an ideal 6.5-06 sizer die body, for $57. [double the honing charge]
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I called up Lee and went around and around until they agreed to reduce a 270 mandrel from a collet neck die down to 0.262", but leave the top 1/4" alone to fit a 270 collar.

This will make it ideal for turning a 270 Lee collet neck die into a 6.5-06 die.
$20 plus shipping [quadruple the reduction charge]

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In each case they had to go talk to the machinist.
I used to bid jobs for aerospace corporations. Any effort was thousands of dollars. Knowing what I know about overhead, Forster and Lee are losing money on my custom dies, the are just doing it to be nice.

 

[DaleA]

Forster and Lee are losing money on my custom dies, they are just doing it to be nice.

Sound like that plus maybe they like the swagger they can put on by showing off their skill by taking care of out of the ordinary orders.

 

[hooligan1]

I called Forster 2 years ago to order Benchrest dies for my 6.5-06, they told me they weren't tooled to make them........I thought to myself, I bet that shop would make a good place to start making custom dies.

I ended up with RCBS and their decent but Im thinking along the lines of your first paragraph Clark, only I didn't know how to tell them EXACTLY what I wanted.....if you go with the Forster die, please update information here.

 

[BumbleBug]

...I called up Lee and went around and around until they agreed to reduce a 270 mandrel from a collet neck die down to 0.262", but leave the top 1/4" alone to fit a 270 collar.

This will make it ideal for turning a 270 Lee collet neck die into a 6.5-06 die.
$20 plus shipping [quadruple the reduction charge]...

Clark, I thought with your machinist skills you would have done this yourself. But for $20, your time is worth something! I like this idea & I've often wondered why Lee doesn't offer a series of custom diameter mandrels for their popular collet neck dies.

 

[Clark]

I thought that Forster was honing them out with Hardinge collet lathes.
No, they have a Sunnen hone.

I was playing the "Five Easy Pieces" Jack Nicholson ordering toast.
But I was humble and non confrontational.


1) I can make dies from scratch, but they typically only have two usable internal features. That means I need multiple dies to do one operation. I bought another compound and will set it up in a tool holder with DRO, so I can make a more complete chamber, but not this year.
2) And 2/3 of the dies I make have unacceptable performance.
3) And they look like Homer Simpson made them.
4) I have 8 weeks until I can use my deer tags. I would like 4 weeks before that to be long range target practice.

 

[bedlamite]

I probably would have just bought a set of Redding:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/295541/redding-2-die-set-65-06-springfield

 

[Clark]

My Redding dies in other cartridges are typically 0.005" smaller than I want.
I have the 6.5-06 Hornady and RCBS FL set that are 0.284" and 0.285" respectively.
I wanted 0.292" that I could get with Forster's honing service.

Usually I don't get involved with a cartridge unless Forster FL dies and Lee collet neck dies are available....

But I fell for Noslers claims of GI ballistic coefficient of 0.712 on their new 6.5 mm 142 gr accubond long range bullet.
http://www.nosler.com/accubond-long-range-bullet/

cough cough spit spit hack puke... I realized later that was too good to be true.

 

[T. O'Heir]

Or RCBS from Midway. $61.99 and a rebate.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/204532/rcbs-2-die-set-65mm-06-a-square?cm_vc=ProductFinding

 

[Clark]

Lee delivered with the 270Win collet neck die mandrel custom reduced to 0.262", but keeping the 0.275" diameter near to the top to fit the 270 collar.

link below same as pic above

 

[F. Guffey]

I have a grinder, it makes pilots, tapered pins and shoulders then butt cuts. There are many expander dies that include the primer punch. When it comes to expanding the neck of a case there seems to be an endless supply of parts if the reloader knows where to look.

F. Guffey