October 19, 2010, 11:40 PM | #1 |
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To crimp or not to crimp?
I’m still pretty new to rifle reloading and have some questions about when to crimp and when not to crimp. So far all I’ve done is loaded some .223 and .308 for bolt rifles. I didn’t crimp any of that. I am planning on reloading some .223 for a couple of different ARs and some .45-70 for a guide gun in the near future. Here is a list of what I’ll be working on:
.308 match bullets for a bolt gun .308 hunting bullets for a bolt gun .223 match bullets for a single shot bolt gun .223 match bullets for an AR .223 FMJ bullets for an AR .45-70 hardcast for a Marlin 1895 .45-70 jacketed hollow points for a Marlin 1895 So I guess the question is which of these cartridges might benefit from crimping, which ones really need to be crimped and which ones don’t really need it? |
October 20, 2010, 12:04 AM | #2 |
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The only one I'd do it for sure with is the .45-70 ammo for the Guide Gun. It can recoil pretty persuasively, and that can cause bullets in the magazine stack to tend to pound into the cases. Crimping will prevent that. Even for a full size 1895, if you use stiff loads, you should crimp for the same reason. Bullets getting pushed too far into the cases raises pressure.
As to the rest, the best policy is to try it for all. Usually you want to crimp rifle ammo that will receive rough handling. It's often recommended for semi-autos, like the AR, because of speed of feed from the magazine, but I've never had a problem not crimping for the AR, and I don't like working the case necks unnecessarily because of the reduction in reloading life before splitting. On the other hand, crimping sometimes improves accuracy by increasing start pressure. That's the main reason for trying it in all the guns. See what it does for your guns.
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October 20, 2010, 11:13 AM | #3 |
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For sure do a crimp on the 45-70. I don't do semi-autos, so I don't really know from experience what to do on the AR. All the books say you should do it though. But what I DO know is do not overdo the crimp. A very mild roll crimp is all it takes for just about anything. Obviously you will need a cannelure to do a roll crimp, which might be a problem for .223 bullets. But a little goes a long ways.
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October 20, 2010, 01:20 PM | #4 |
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I crimp all my .223 rounds for my AR's. I use a LEE FCD in station 5 on my XL650. Before I started crimping I had a couple of rounds every range session (usually 500 rounds or so) that would get set back. I now crimp and don't have ANY issues.
I also use a LEE FCD for my 9mm rounds. The die has a "collar" that finish forms the body of the case and takes any bulge out that may have occurred earlier in the loading process.
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October 20, 2010, 02:23 PM | #5 |
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TO CRIMP or not to crimp question
I do not know if this will work on Hornady's New Domention dies.
Simply remove the decapping pin assenbly from your sizing die. Re-adjust it for crimping and you have a generic TAPER CRIMP die. Last edited by MADISON; October 21, 2010 at 01:31 PM. |
October 20, 2010, 03:16 PM | #6 |
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When in doubt, crimp. Always crimp a cast bullet. Always crimp a canelured bullet. Always crimp a revolver bullet. Always crimp a handgun bullet in general. Rifle bullet? Sure! Even when it's not canelured, a mild roll crimp will A) help prevent bullet movement from recoil, feeding, etc. and B) make sure there is even pressure from the mouth of the case all the way around the bullet after seated. When in doubt, crimp.
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