[Jakeway]

I only bought a Lee Collet die for my 243...loading light to medium loads. Roughly how many loadings can I expect to do before I have to run them through a full-length die? (I haven't bought one for .243 yet.)

 

[leverite]

I can tell you for sure that
"it depends". Does your new brass chamber in your rifle?​

If so, you won't have to FL size to start.​

Are you shooting a bolt? If so, you may not need to FL size at all. I have some rifles that work fine w/ neck sizing only even after shooting heavy loads.​

Some might argue that you will get better accuracy if you at least partially FL size. That is, not setting the fireformed shoulder back.​

You'll just have to see how it goes.​

 

[diriel]

for 243 I would also consider neck annealing every 3rd of 4th firing. At that point FL size them too. Oh, and trim to.

Good Shooting,
Gary
P.S. I know some folks who buy a body bump die to bump the shoulder back a thousandth or two every time they load up a piece of brass.

 

[[email protected]]

I have always FL sized my hunting loads. It makes my bolt easier to close on all my M70's. My wife shoots a Rem .243 and they are FL.

I neck size only on my bench rest. BTW my bench rest die is a Lee Collet

 

[StretchNM]

I full-length size only after annealing, which is after every fifth (5th) firing in bottleneck cartridges (25&30-06, 22-250). Aside from that, I neck size only.

I suppose you could go on neck sizing until they just didn;t fit any more. Like others said, that would depend on your rifle's chamber. But..... I've never tried just neck-sizing after annealing. I don't know if they would fit or not.

 

[Jakeway]

I've handloaded for about 15 years, but only about 100 or so rounds per year, depending on if I have a new rifle or not. I've always full length sized them up to now, and my 270s are on their seventh loading with no signs of weakness yet. (They do neeed trimming each time, though, so the time is coming!)Since I just bought the 243, I thought I'd try the Lee Collet.

The other day I loaded 15 shells from the first box of factory rounds I had fired during the fall, and the rounds chamber nicely. I haven't had a chance to get to the range to fire them yet, though.