Is Taper Crimp Necessary on 223 for AR-15 Target Use?

[johnw63]

If I have the RCBS Competition seating die, it does not crimp, should I get a taper crimp die for 223 rounds that will be shot through my AR-15 for target practice?

[riverwalker76]

I Lee Factory Crimp all of my 223. It's an old habit, and it never affects pressures or accuracy. Contrary to what some might comment on .... the Lee Factory Crimp Die does not affect accuracy, pressures, and it DOES NOT damage the bullet like a standard roll or taper crimp might.

Sierra did a test not too long ago with the Lee Factory Crimp and without it. They found that some .223 bullets w/o the crimp were backset by as much as .2" in the chamber due to loading. This was remedied by the Factory Crimp.

[wncchester]

" Necessary" is a strong word. No type of crimp is an automatic necessity and crimping may or may not help anything so it's a personal decision, not a law.

I too prefer the Lee FCD to all others. Like anything else with moving part it can be over done and that confuses some folks. It won't if you pay attention to what the results of using it are.

[Slamfire]

I Lee Factory Crimp all of my 223. It's an old habit, and it never affects pressures or accuracy. Contrary to what some might comment on .... the Lee Factory Crimp Die does not affect accuracy, pressures, and it DOES NOT damage the bullet like a standard roll or taper crimp might.

This is what the Lee Factory Crimp Die will do to 6.5 mm SMK bullets. While I would agree that the crimp was excessive, you will get similar results and not even know it.

I purchased a Lee Factory Crimp die in 308, believed the ballyhoo about improved accuracy, followed the instructions, and crimped a bunch of 168 SMK bullets. The crimp was so slight that there were no marks on the case necks. Later I pulled some bullets and found each and every bullet was swaged in the middle, to a lesser extent than the pictured 6.5 SMK’s.

Even if there is no obvious swaging on the outside that does not mean that you are not swaging the soft lead core on the inside.

We have the best match bullets ever made. Nothing you can do with a crimp die will improve their center of gravity, concentricity, or balance. Why pay 75 cents a bullet to, in effect, pound them flat on the pavement with a hammer?


As for the claim about accuracy improvements. No serious Highpower Competitor I have ever been squadded with, and I have pulled targets with the Worlds Best at Camp Perry, crimps their match bullets. That includes the USMC Rifle team, the AMU, no one. If there was the slightest, tiniest improvement in accuracy, everyone would crimp their bullets.

They rely on neck tension.

Sierra did a test not too long ago with the Lee Factory Crimp and without it. They found that some .223 bullets w/o the crimp were backset by as much as .2" in the chamber due to loading. This was remedied by the Factory Crimp

But they say crimping degrades accuracy.

http://www.exteriorballistics.com/re...sgunreload.cfm

To counteract this tendency, the semi-auto shooter is left with basically two options: applying a crimp or increasing neck tension. The first option, crimping, brings up some other issues that can be troublesome. In general, crimping degrades accuracy. Most match bullets are not cannelured (which also seriously damages accuracy potential), a requirement for correct application of most crimps. Still, there are taper crimp dies available from most of the major manufacturers. Lee offers their “Factory Crimp” die as an alternative, which seems to be one of the better options for those bullets without a cannelure. That having been said, crimping is still, at best, an occasionally necessary evil. Avoid it if at all possible.

I do not crimp for my .223 Match rifles, neck tension only gives me HM scores. The things that will improve my accuracy are paying attention to my position, consistent sight alignment, better wind reading at long range. Maybe a bit of luck tossed in.

You cannot compensate for poor shooting skills with gadgets.

[ForneyRider]

I don't taper crimp my .223 for AR 15 shooting.

However, Redding is offering a match die set with taper crimp die.

Controlling neck tension is very important with accurate ammo. Running a taper crimp is one method to tune your loads. I use a Redding F/L bushing die to control my neck tension and have no issues with bullet slippage. I use the Lee F/L die from time to time, and had no issues with it either.

[firewrench044]

for pistol ammo -- crimp
for tube magazines -- crimp
others -- do not crimp

AR15- 223- no crimp ( is not needed, neck tension of the case will
hold the bullet)( crimping just adds an other variable, and is
what you are trying to eliminate in competion reloading)

I do not crimp 223

none of the other competetors I have talked to crimp 223

[riverwalker76]

There should be a rule about digging up posts that are 5 days old!

[Scorch]

Is Taper Crimp Necessary on 223 for AR-15 Target Use?

No. Crimping is not necessary in rifles used strictly for match shooting, and can actually be detrimental.

There should be a rule about digging up posts that are 5 days old!

Five days???? People dig up posts that are 5 years old quite regularly, and recently there was one that was almost 10 years old!