The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Hornady LNL Help in set-up

Walkalong · February 24, 2012, 12:22 PM

If you are crimping a lead bullet with a good crimp groove, as most have, or a jacketed bullet with a proper cannelure (not just marks) they can easily be seated and crimped in one step. It just takes a bit more fiddling with two things going on at once.

You can seat and crimp plated bullets with a light taper crimp in one step, but for plated bullets with a heavy taper crimp it must done in two steps. Jacketed bullets with poor cannelures are also better done in two steps, roll or taper.

All auto calibers use a very light taper crimp (Remove the bell to .001 crimp), so they can be seated and crimped in one operation if you want to.

All that said, I do much of my crimping in a 2nd step after seating.

I like to resize all my cases in the LNL. Then I prime, trim, tumble etc, to get them ready to load. Then I load them sans the sizing operation, which makes things real smooth, and frees up a station.

If you are not sizing during loading, it gives you another station to use. You could start in station #1 with an expander, or the PTX and powder measure, giving you plenty of room for a powder cop die etc., as well as crimping in a second step if you wish.

I do not use a powder cop die, I look at every single charge I seat a bullet over.

February 24, 2012, 12:22 PM	#20
Walkalong Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2007 Location: Al. Posts: 196	If you are crimping a lead bullet with a good crimp groove, as most have, or a jacketed bullet with a proper cannelure (not just marks) they can easily be seated and crimped in one step. It just takes a bit more fiddling with two things going on at once. You can seat and crimp plated bullets with a light taper crimp in one step, but for plated bullets with a heavy taper crimp it must done in two steps. Jacketed bullets with poor cannelures are also better done in two steps, roll or taper. All auto calibers use a very light taper crimp (Remove the bell to .001 crimp), so they can be seated and crimped in one operation if you want to. All that said, I do much of my crimping in a 2nd step after seating. I like to resize all my cases in the LNL. Then I prime, trim, tumble etc, to get them ready to load. Then I load them sans the sizing operation, which makes things real smooth, and frees up a station. If you are not sizing during loading, it gives you another station to use. You could start in station #1 with an expander, or the PTX and powder measure, giving you plenty of room for a powder cop die etc., as well as crimping in a second step if you wish. I do not use a powder cop die, I look at every single charge I seat a bullet over.