• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

No Lee collet necksizer for 338 lapua?

bodywerks

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 19, 2010
1,683
67
49
Tucson,Arizona
I recently started a thread about taming runout, and got a lot of recommendations for lee collet dies. And i get why, as the concept of squeezing the neck around a predetermined stem size tends to produce concentric brass with consistent neck tension, at a far better value than bushing dies, which usually require the necks to all be turned. So i google and come up with nothing for the 338 lapua cartridge?? Then i went to their website and nothing??
For such a popular cartridge, I'm surprised. It looks like one would have to do a custom order for one (which they have suspended custom orders) and it would be considered a large carriage and they'd want $150 for it anyway. Big price jump from the $40 sets they carry...
I guess I'm kinda just ranting, but also looking for advice on other good, non bushing neck sizer dies, if there is such a thing.
I am currently running a redding competition FL bushing die and having decent results. But i want to work up a single feed (longer than mag length) chamfered fired brass load for extended long range shooting.

PCR/XLR/TAC338 http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/bodywerks/IMG_20130816_111453_255_zps1b498f0d.jpg http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/bodywerks/IMG_20130816_111325_951_zps290ebdd0.jpg
 
There must be a million Mosin Nagants out there and they don't make a collet die for it either . I had one made and then discovered with a slight modification to the shell holder I could use a 308 die on the 7.62x54r brass. Its possible a different collet die would work if you can understand how they work. The case body does not touch the inner moving collet parts .The shell holder is what makes it work . Arnie
 
Like Arnie19 says, a 338 Win collet die could be used if you had someone machine a shell holder for you that was taller to account for the longer case...
 
Yep, a 338 Win collet die should work, you really don't NEED a shell holder as there is no pressure on the case to remove it from the die, you could just use a shell holder under the case to run up into the die.
You will need a bushing though to contact the bottom of the die to "activate" the collet. Will take some finagling, but you should be able to come up with something pretty easily!

Check out the "reloading tips and tricks" section of this article and try to fashion something similar yourself.
6.5 "Mystic" Barrel Block F-Classer

Good luck!