Thread: Can The Lee FL Die Do A Shoulder Bump?

As per the title. I have access to a lee press and die setup. I've tried to bump buck the shoulder 20 thou but found the results slightly inconsistent.

I am setting the die up different to the instructions as I have a gap between the case holder and the die.

Maybe these dies only do a full length resize and I should neck resize a few times before doing another FL resize.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

If you set it up differently to the instructions it probably wont work?

If the die is sitting too high off the shell holder then you aren't even touching the shoulder.

I assume you are trying to bump the shoulder 2 thou not 20 thou?
Bumping more than .002" is unnecessarily over working the shoulder and neck.

What are you using to measure the shoulder bump? How do you know it's inconsistent?

Originally Posted by Beetroot

If the die is sitting too high off the shell holder then you aren't even touching the shoulder.

I assume you are trying to bump the shoulder 2 thou not 20 thou?
Bumping more than .002" is unnecessarily over working the shoulder and neck.

What are you using to measure the shoulder bump? How do you know it's inconsistent?

Yeah, I have to start too high and slowly adjust the die till it is 2thou ( my bad, not 20thou) less than original. I use the hornady comparator tool. There is always a slight variation.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

Might be getting a bit of spring back. Has it been annealed

Originally Posted by blip

Might be getting a bit of spring back. Has it been annealed

Thats a real possibility. I do anneal but I try to only anneal the neck.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

You need to anneal neck and just past the shoulder.

So do most of you shoulder bump or fl resize? And can it be done with a standard lee die?

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

I used to fl size now I just neck size. Seen the flavour of the month change a few times since Ive been reloading

Originally Posted by blip

I used to fl size now I just neck size. Seen the flavour of the month change a few times since Ive been reloading

Doesn't the case get too long for the chamber after 3 or 4 firings? Or the case get too hard to chamber?

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

I trim the cases. Once they get hard to chamber I anneal and fl size

I dont actually measure. Having a good feel for mechanical stuff through my job I can tell by feel when things need doing. Others will rely on measuring etc

I think I'll go to that method after all I really like using my lee loader.

Is the correct process to trim before fl resize?

Sorry for the newbie questions.

Resize and then trim to length


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lee loaders only neck size