Do you crimp rifle rounds?

D. Manley · December 23, 2008, 11:43 PM

I've seen this argued for well, forever but thought it might be interesting to see what the numbers say. Do you crimp your rifle rounds?:

1. Always

2. Never

3. Depends on Caliber

4. Depends on Magazine (tubular type or other)

croc4 · December 23, 2008, 11:53 PM

since getting the LFCD in all rifle rounds I load for. I can get really good groups with far less effort in load tunning it would seem. much more consistent overall, but it could be the placebo effect ;-/.................

croc4

DaveInPA · December 23, 2008, 11:59 PM

I only crimp rounds for the AR. Bolt guns don't get a crimp.

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · December 24, 2008, 12:33 AM

I crimp for AR and mini 14. not for bolt actions. sometimes i don't even crimp for my semi autos. if you FL size your brass and seat bullets correctly, you should be able to go without crimping in semi autos IMO. but remember not to size your neck too small to try to achieve a tighter fit...bad things can happen.

marine0341 · December 24, 2008, 01:28 AM

Yeah I am finding myself pulling my hair out trying to figure out if I should be crimping Hornady .224 55 grain Vmax(with no cannalure). See I am new to this and this topic and it caught my eye.
I am shooting a M4 bushmaster 1/9 16 inch bbl. So my first 5 rounds I ever made are probobally going in the trash and I got 500 worthless VMAX bullets because I dont own a bolt action. [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]- going back to the store and getting some good ole FMJBT hopefully I will have better luck.
My biggest fear is putting some high tech garbage in my baby ands she blows up in my face.
I am going with CRIMP

kraigwy · December 24, 2008, 09:52 AM

In rifles, I dont crimp jacketed bullets. Using cast bullets in my 45-70 and 44-90 Sharps BN, I use a crimp to keep the compressed powder from pushing the bullets back out.

Qtiphky · December 24, 2008, 10:02 AM

I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die for .223's only. I load 36 grain Barnes Varmint Grenades, which are hollow point and the crimp does fine. I shoot them out of a Bushmaster, Armalite and Mini 14. They are MOA and I couldn't be happier. The 55 grain FMJ Sierras did ok and anything heavier than that doesn't do well. Still playing with seating depth to try and figure out the sweet spot on my guns. For my .270 Win, .308 Win and 300 WSM I use Barnes Tipped TSX in 130 and 150 grains. They are all also MOA without a heavy crimp.

amamnn · December 24, 2008, 11:27 AM

For non cannelured bullets:

If you don't have the equipment to control neck tension beyond what happens in a standard sizing die, a VERY slight crimp can help to uniform start pressure. If it so happens that particular pressure creates a low vibration node in the barrel, your accuracy can be improved. A sort of poor man's bushing die/reamer or custom die/expander substitute.

With some experimentation, the experienced handloader can set up a crimping die to just provide that light crimp before camming over or reaching the end of the ram's travel. The crimp must be light enough that the bullet is not deformed. Remember that the uniforming achieved using this method will result in a higher start pressure and the more crimp the higher the pressure.

mkl · December 24, 2008, 01:42 PM

For me, the only reason I crimp is to keep the bullet from backing out during recoil.

In my case, that means I crimp my 45-70 loads, and nothing else (no crimp on 22 Hornet, 223 Rem, 243 Win, 6.5x55 Swede, 30-30, or 30-06). Why work the brass more than necessary?

Personally, I am a somewhat doubtful that crimp affects pressure in modern jacketed bullet rifle loads. Given the pressures we are talking about (40,000 psi+) I can't see how a little lip of brass in the canneluer is going to make any difference.

I only did one test years ago with the .243 Win cartridge, but in that test, a crimp versus no crimp made no difference in chronograph velocities.

Gewehr98 · December 24, 2008, 03:45 PM

I use a Lee factory crimp on all my autoloaders and tubular magazine rifles.

The single shot rifles, not so much.

Although my compressed BP loads benefit from a slight taper crimp, but that's to keep the bullet from pushing back out.

wncchester · December 24, 2008, 04:35 PM

"3. Depends on Caliber"

I assume this actually means "on Cartridge"? Meaning the tubular mag cartidges would normally be crimped? Anyway, that was my response based on that understanding of what you meant.

rn22723 · December 24, 2008, 06:18 PM

I have shot 1000's of rounds through M1A with never crimping a round. Same goes for the M1 Garand. And, except for blasting ammo in the 223 ie 55gr FMJ in the AR. All other AR ammo is not crimped.

Stealff · December 24, 2008, 09:31 PM

Generally only Crimp my 30-30 and 45-70 Rounds. because of the tubular mags. the rest is fed through either bolts or my pump.

cornbush · December 24, 2008, 11:38 PM

i crimp for my ar, and for some bolt gun loads that do better in the accuracy dept. the pressure curve is more consistent from shot to shot with a crimp because they all have the same neck tension.

Lavid2002 · December 24, 2008, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Yeah I am finding myself pulling my hair out trying to figure out if I should be crimping Hornady .224 55 grain Vmax(with no cannalure). See I am new to this and this topic and it caught my eye.
I am shooting a M4 bushmaster 1/9 16 inch bbl. So my first 5 rounds I ever made are probobally going in the trash and I got 500 worthless VMAX bullets because I dont own a bolt action. [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]- going back to the store and getting some good ole FMJBT hopefully I will have better luck.
My biggest fear is putting some high tech garbage in my baby ands she blows up in my face.
I am going with CRIMP

What? I shoot 60 grain v-maxs out of my AR all the time. Also, I NEVER crimp my AR rounds and im fine just fine. Actually. My most accurate load in .223 to date is a 60 grin vmax with some accurate powder. Why would u need a bolt action to shoot vmax I dont understand what your saying....

T. O'Heir · December 25, 2008, 02:16 AM

No. It's only required for heavy recoiling cartidges and lever actions. Forget the cannelures altogether.

FrankenMauser · December 25, 2008, 04:33 AM

I crimp for my .220 Swift to help keep pressures consistent. Everything else is .... whether or not I feel like it, for that load.

jsflagstad · December 25, 2008, 07:55 AM

I have a LFCD for everything I load....

GuateShooter · December 25, 2008, 02:06 PM

I only crimp .223 for my M-14

armedtotheteeth · December 25, 2008, 02:45 PM

I have shot probably 2000 vmax rounds out of my AR15. I have not crimped them in the past. I have always wondered what would happen if a bullet got crammed all the way down on the feed ramp on the way in the chamber. HMMMM, I wonder if that would cause a little high pressure ... ya think.
I too put a very light crimp on th Vmaxs. I hope it works out ok, I loaded about 500 the other day.

Gewehr98 · December 25, 2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

only crimp .223 for my M-14

Ahem, Mini-14.

If I try to shoot .223 out of my M-14(NM), I get a big bowl of egg foo none.

Sportdog · December 25, 2008, 03:13 PM

357 and 38 Special pistol, yes. All rifle calibers that I own, no. Not needed according to Speer reloading manual.

View Poll Results: Do you crimp your rifle rounds?
Always	6	11.32%
Never	14	26.42%
Depends on caliber	20	37.74%
Depends on magazine type (tubular fed, etc.)	13	24.53%
Voters: 53. You may not vote on this poll

December 23, 2008, 11:43 PM	#1
D. Manley Senior Member Join Date: July 13, 2008 Posts: 299	Do you crimp rifle rounds? I've seen this argued for well, forever but thought it might be interesting to see what the numbers say. Do you crimp your rifle rounds?: 1. Always 2. Never 3. Depends on Caliber 4. Depends on Magazine (tubular type or other) __________________ *"Old School" ain't all bad...*

December 23, 2008, 11:53 PM	#2
croc4 Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2006 Location: Idaho Posts: 191	+1 all since getting the LFCD in all rifle rounds I load for. I can get really good groups with far less effort in load tunning it would seem. much more consistent overall, but it could be the placebo effect ;-/................. croc4

December 24, 2008, 12:33 AM	#4
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	I crimp for AR and mini 14. not for bolt actions. sometimes i don't even crimp for my semi autos. if you FL size your brass and seat bullets correctly, you should be able to go without crimping in semi autos IMO. but remember not to size your neck too small to try to achieve a tighter fit...bad things can happen. __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

December 24, 2008, 01:28 AM	#5
marine0341 Member Join Date: December 18, 2008 Location: accurativille Posts: 44	new to this Yeah I am finding myself pulling my hair out trying to figure out if I should be crimping Hornady .224 55 grain Vmax(with no cannalure). See I am new to this and this topic and it caught my eye. I am shooting a M4 bushmaster 1/9 16 inch bbl. So my first 5 rounds I ever made are probobally going in the trash and I got 500 worthless VMAX bullets because I dont own a bolt action. [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]- going back to the store and getting some good ole FMJBT hopefully I will have better luck. My biggest fear is putting some high tech garbage in my baby ands she blows up in my face. I am going with CRIMP __________________ This is my rifle there are many like it but this one is MINE!

December 23, 2008, 11:59 PM	#3
DaveInPA Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2008 Location: Berks County, PA Posts: 1,106	I only crimp rounds for the AR. Bolt guns don't get a crimp.

December 24, 2008, 09:52 AM	#6
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	In rifles, I dont crimp jacketed bullets. Using cast bullets in my 45-70 and 44-90 Sharps BN, I use a crimp to keep the compressed powder from pushing the bullets back out. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

December 24, 2008, 10:02 AM	#7
Qtiphky Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2008 Location: Upper Michigan, above the Mackinac Bridge Posts: 568	I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die for .223's only. I load 36 grain Barnes Varmint Grenades, which are hollow point and the crimp does fine. I shoot them out of a Bushmaster, Armalite and Mini 14. They are MOA and I couldn't be happier. The 55 grain FMJ Sierras did ok and anything heavier than that doesn't do well. Still playing with seating depth to try and figure out the sweet spot on my guns. For my .270 Win, .308 Win and 300 WSM I use Barnes Tipped TSX in 130 and 150 grains. They are all also MOA without a heavy crimp.

December 24, 2008, 11:27 AM	#8
amamnn Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2006 Location: WA, the left armpit of the USA Posts: 1,323	For non cannelured bullets: If you don't have the equipment to control neck tension beyond what happens in a standard sizing die, a VERY slight crimp can help to uniform start pressure. If it so happens that particular pressure creates a low vibration node in the barrel, your accuracy can be improved. A sort of poor man's bushing die/reamer or custom die/expander substitute. With some experimentation, the experienced handloader can set up a crimping die to just provide that light crimp before camming over or reaching the end of the ram's travel. The crimp must be light enough that the bullet is not deformed. Remember that the uniforming achieved using this method will result in a higher start pressure and the more crimp the higher the pressure. __________________ "If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal

December 24, 2008, 01:42 PM	#9
mkl Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2008 Location: DFW area, Texas Posts: 494	For me, the only reason I crimp is to keep the bullet from backing out during recoil. In my case, that means I crimp my 45-70 loads, and nothing else (no crimp on 22 Hornet, 223 Rem, 243 Win, 6.5x55 Swede, 30-30, or 30-06). Why work the brass more than necessary? Personally, I am a somewhat doubtful that crimp affects pressure in modern jacketed bullet rifle loads. Given the pressures we are talking about (40,000 psi+) I can't see how a little lip of brass in the canneluer is going to make any difference. I only did one test years ago with the .243 Win cartridge, but in that test, a crimp versus no crimp made no difference in chronograph velocities.

December 24, 2008, 03:45 PM	#10
Gewehr98 Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2000 Location: Token Creek, WI Posts: 4,067	Yup. I use a Lee factory crimp on all my autoloaders and tubular magazine rifles. The single shot rifles, not so much. Although my compressed BP loads benefit from a slight taper crimp, but that's to keep the bullet from pushing back out. __________________ "Bother", said Pooh, as he chambered another round... Neural Misfires

December 24, 2008, 04:35 PM	#11
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	"3. Depends on Caliber" I assume this actually means "on Cartridge"? Meaning the tubular mag cartidges would normally be crimped? Anyway, that was my response based on that understanding of what you meant.

December 24, 2008, 06:18 PM	#12
rn22723 Junior member Join Date: December 10, 2001 Location: Burbs of Minneapolis Posts: 676	I have shot 1000's of rounds through M1A with never crimping a round. Same goes for the M1 Garand. And, except for blasting ammo in the 223 ie 55gr FMJ in the AR. All other AR ammo is not crimped.

December 24, 2008, 09:31 PM	#13
Stealff Member Join Date: October 16, 2008 Location: Port Angeles, WA Posts: 36	Generally only Crimp my 30-30 and 45-70 Rounds. because of the tubular mags. the rest is fed through either bolts or my pump.

December 24, 2008, 11:38 PM	#14
cornbush Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: The retarded place below Idaho Posts: 1,408	i crimp for my ar, and for some bolt gun loads that do better in the accuracy dept. the pressure curve is more consistent from shot to shot with a crimp because they all have the same neck tension.

December 25, 2008, 02:16 AM	#16
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	No. It's only required for heavy recoiling cartidges and lever actions. Forget the cannelures altogether. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

December 25, 2008, 04:33 AM	#17
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	I crimp for my .220 Swift to help keep pressures consistent. Everything else is .... whether or not I feel like it, for that load.

December 25, 2008, 07:55 AM	#18
jsflagstad Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Up Nort Posts: 419	I have a LFCD for everything I load.... __________________ JSF "Is your rifle interesting? -Larry Potterfield

December 25, 2008, 02:06 PM	#19
GuateShooter Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2007 Location: Guatemala Posts: 137	I only crimp .223 for my M-14

December 25, 2008, 02:45 PM	#20
armedtotheteeth Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2005 Location: podunk, Texas Posts: 1,610	I have shot probably 2000 vmax rounds out of my AR15. I have not crimped them in the past. I have always wondered what would happen if a bullet got crammed all the way down on the feed ramp on the way in the chamber. HMMMM, I wonder if that would cause a little high pressure ... ya think. I too put a very light crimp on th Vmaxs. I hope it works out ok, I loaded about 500 the other day.

December 25, 2008, 03:13 PM	#22
Sportdog Junior member Join Date: February 28, 2006 Location: Southwestern Michigan Posts: 369	357 and 38 Special pistol, yes. All rifle calibers that I own, no. Not needed according to Speer reloading manual.