Anyone have both the .338 and the 8x57 Lee collet neck sizing dies ?

[JWFilips]

I was wondering if any of you out there may have both the .338 and the 8x57 Lee collet neck sizing dies and if so
can you check something for me. I'm interested in knowing if the "collet sleeves" the part that holds the decap mandril are similar in dimensions (of course except the hole for the decap mandrel would be different)

Would like to know if the collet sleeve of the .338 die can be dropped into the 8x57 die and function the collet the same way.
Thanks

[texassako]

I don't have either, but I think I know what you are trying to do. It will be ~.25" shorter than the 8x57 sleeve since the .338 case is ~.25" longer, by the way. I have messed around with these dies extensively, including modifying for unavailable cartridges. The mandrel is caliber specific, and the collet and sleeve are cartridge specific. There are also 3 different bodies for small, medium, and large cases with corresponding different lengths of mandrels and combined length of collet and sleeve. Are you trying to neck a .338 length cartridge to 8mm or an 8x57 up to .338? Or just trying to keep from buying an entire die set? Mandrel, collet, and sleeve are what you would need for that. If you can provide a little more information on what you are trying to do, I can get a little more specific.

[JWFilips]

I want to turn down the .338 Decap mandrel to .330" and use it in my 8x57 die to neck size my 8mm to around .330-329" i.d. The stock .320" decap mandrel can not be made that large without extensive modification nor I did not want to drill out the collet sleeve to fit the larger mandrel

[texassako]

All you need for that is to put some washers between the sleeve and the cap that holds everything in the body to take up the excess space left from using a shorter sleeve. The mandrel will slide up and down a bit, but it doesn't affect function.