Do you crimp your 30.06 loads - Page 2

tobnpr · June 1, 2012, 05:03 PM

Quote:

i noticed more consistent pressures,

Please explain how you have any idea as to what your chamber pressures are...are you using a strain gauge, like the RSI Pressure Trace?

BIGR · June 2, 2012, 12:13 AM

No crimping for me on rifle reloads.

Hook686 · June 2, 2012, 12:41 AM

No. Though when the bullet is seated it is my understanding that a taper crimp is done at the same time.

Ethan.G · June 2, 2012, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Please explain how you have any idea as to what your chamber pressures are

the recoil and sounds was more consistent and also the carbon on the neck was more consistent.
the bullets where more also level on the target (no low or high flyers), i believe that the velocities where more consistent in order to create this trend, so therefore i can only assume that the pressers where Also more consistent can i not?

mehavey · June 2, 2012, 09:18 AM

Quote:

...assume that the pressures were aso more consistent can i not?

Honestly not. There are only two ways to determine pressure/consistency:

1. Directly: Pressure/strain gauge (or copper-crusher port) installed on the receiver

2. Indirectly: Chronograph measuring/comparing the actual resultant bullet muzzle velocities against each other and as-predicted by manuals/internal ballistics programs

Short of primers falling out and ejector slot imprints..., any sound, soot markings, primer-flattening, web-diameter measurements, etc, etc are all inconsistent black art (the improper application of which brought us low-numbered Springfields)

wncchester · June 2, 2012, 12:01 PM

The question of crimping isn't as clear-cut as some here seem to think. Obviously it isn't a matter of "need' in that the ammo will go BOOM if it's crimped or not but consistancy of powder burn WILL be affected by crimping. Therefore, pompous proclimations of what a crimp will do for anyone but ourselves is silly; if a crimp is helpful or not depends on the powder type, the volume of the charge, the primer, the weight of the bullet and how tightly it fits the bore, etc.

If a crimp is "roll" or "taper" or compression (Lee) isn't a major concern, but consistancy is. A truly consistant crimp requires a truly consistant case length but few of us are going to struggle with much of that. Roll crimpers are the MOST sensitive to case length, taper crimpers are slightly less so. Lee's rifle FCD is, by far, the most tolerant of small case length variations so it's the most popular crimper that's ever been marketed, and rightly so. However the FCD has a moving part (the crimping collet itself) that seems to baffle some users so they usually over crimp, which damages the bullets and THEY blame the die!

But, users can also destroy cases with any kind of crimper so I suppose those guys should avoid crimping of any kind!

Bottom line, if you want to know what crimping might do for you means YOU will have to try it but, either way, the difference won't be massive. No matter how many books we've read, none of us can tell you anything more useful about crimping than that.

* The average Lee die sets will load ammo as accurately as the average dies of any other conventional design, often a little better. Ditto their presses.

NESHOOTER · June 2, 2012, 12:22 PM

I also do like crimping its serves me well and the chrony verifys the fps I do see most improvement on beyond 250 yrds with the .204 32gr pills with the crimp under the 250 yrd targets I see no difference but longer shots on avg of 375 to 450 grouping is hitting the pd's better. But again thats my results.

kpbeddin · June 11, 2012, 10:18 PM

These are all great discussions, and I never was a fan of crimping until last hunting season when I removed a chambered round from my bolt action rifle and saw that the bullet had been completely pushed back into the case as a result of mutliple loading and unloading operations. I use both RCBS X dies and Lee Collet dies and this round had been sized with the Lee Collet die. To me, there is always a noticable difference in neck tension between the two dies which is always evident when seating the bullet. After that experience, I told myself that any round loaded using Lee Collet dies will be crimped before I use it in the field. My $0.02.

Sarge · June 11, 2012, 10:47 PM

I use Lee dies for a couple of rifle and pistol calibers with perfect satisfaction. I use them for 30-06. I always crimp everything.

June 2, 2012, 12:41 AM	#28
Hook686 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2005 Location: USA The Great State of California Posts: 1,828	No. Though when the bullet is seated it is my understanding that a taper crimp is done at the same time. __________________ Hook686 When the number of people in institutions reaches 51%, we change sides.

June 2, 2012, 12:01 PM	#31
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,700	The question of crimping isn't as clear-cut as some here seem to think. Obviously it isn't a matter of "need' in that the ammo will go BOOM if it's crimped or not but consistancy of powder burn WILL be affected by crimping. Therefore, pompous proclimations of what a crimp will do for anyone but ourselves is silly; if a crimp is helpful or not depends on the powder type, the volume of the charge, the primer, the weight of the bullet and how tightly it fits the bore, etc. If a crimp is "roll" or "taper" or compression (Lee) isn't a major concern, but consistancy is. A truly consistant crimp requires a truly consistant case length but few of us are going to struggle with much of that. Roll crimpers are the MOST sensitive to case length, taper crimpers are slightly less so. Lee's rifle FCD is, by far, the most tolerant of small case length variations so it's the most popular crimper that's ever been marketed, and rightly so. However the FCD has a moving part (the crimping collet itself) that seems to baffle some users so they usually over crimp, which damages the bullets and THEY blame the die! But, users can also destroy cases with any kind of crimper so I suppose those guys should avoid crimping of any kind! Bottom line, if you want to know what crimping might do for you means YOU will have to try it but, either way, the difference won't be massive. No matter how many books we've read, none of us can tell you anything more useful about crimping than that. * The average Lee die sets will load ammo as accurately as the average dies of any other conventional design, often a little better. Ditto their presses. Last edited by wncchester; June 2, 2012 at 12:44 PM.

June 11, 2012, 10:47 PM	#34
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 4,349	I use Lee dies for a couple of rifle and pistol calibers with perfect satisfaction. I use them for 30-06. I always crimp everything. __________________ Visit us at The Sixgun Journal or the archive, at http://sargesrollcall.blogspot.com/

June 2, 2012, 12:13 AM	#27
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,231	No crimping for me on rifle reloads.

June 2, 2012, 12:22 PM	#32
NESHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2009 Posts: 469	I also do like crimping its serves me well and the chrony verifys the fps I do see most improvement on beyond 250 yrds with the .204 32gr pills with the crimp under the 250 yrd targets I see no difference but longer shots on avg of 375 to 450 grouping is hitting the pd's better. But again thats my results.

June 11, 2012, 10:18 PM	#33
kpbeddin Junior Member Join Date: November 24, 2007 Location: Walhalla SC Posts: 13	These are all great discussions, and I never was a fan of crimping until last hunting season when I removed a chambered round from my bolt action rifle and saw that the bullet had been completely pushed back into the case as a result of mutliple loading and unloading operations. I use both RCBS X dies and Lee Collet dies and this round had been sized with the Lee Collet die. To me, there is always a noticable difference in neck tension between the two dies which is always evident when seating the bullet. After that experience, I told myself that any round loaded using Lee Collet dies will be crimped before I use it in the field. My $0.02.