What 338 lapua dies?

[hafejd30]

Getting in the 338 lapua game. Been reloading a good number of years but looking for some advice on this one. I always use lee collet dies and competition seaters (redding/forester) with great results. Will be using a forester micrometer competition seater for this rifle.

I want to neck size. What sizing die do you recommend? I wanted lee collet but it appears they do not make one for this clambering. Should I try the custom collet die route or go with redding bushing dies?

Never used a bushing die but read about people getting "doughnuts" from using them which worries me...

Thank You in advance for the advice

Rifle will be a factory 110 ba

[LongRange]

if you can get a custom collet thats the route id go...or a forster full length die and have the neck honed to fit your loaded neck closer and a few custom E-10 expander balls to adjust neck tension...if they have one in 338L.

i just checked and forster does make a 338L die.

[hafejd30]

Did some research, according to lee the 338 lapua can be made custom but is on a larger die and not a standard one. It's built on a housing that can go up to a 50 bmg. Only threads into certain presses made for these dies. Lee makes a press as well as others but the press I have would not work. So redding it is.

Any tips for bushing dies so I don't mess up my lapua casings?

[Balljoint]

The RCBS Rock Crusher press will work with larger dies if the nut at the top is removed

[hafejd30]

Thanks for the advice. I ordered the redding already. I wouldn't feel comfortable removing that part of the press each time I switch from 338 to other rounds. That would lead to inconsistency if it is not threaded back in the same every time as the die sits on that nut. Might only be a little bit but with a collet die an 1/8 of a turn is the difference between enough bullet tension or not as mine is set to toggle over on my rcbs

[LongRange]

The collet die will only size as much as the mandrel will allow it to it dont matter how deep you screw it in.....your over cam at the bottom should be VERY minimal if your over camming a lot you will blow the head off the die.

[hafejd30]

My press is set at minimal overcam. It would be more effected by not tightening enough in my situation.

Honestly it would probably work fine removing the nut, I'm just very finicky about consistency and don't want a chance that it may cause issues