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Crimp Die

Onoko

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 21, 2012
189
1
California
Hello all,

I'm going to start reloading and I was wondering people like to use a crimp die on their precision round. I read that for a bolt action rifle it is not needed but for a semi auto it should be used. I was just wondering if you guys use it in your rounds and does it make it better or worst?
 
I use the lee factory crimp die on all my 308. I crimp lightly just barely enough to see a whiteness mark.
 
I put a light crimp on 77 gr SMK .223 loads for my AR, but I don't crimp any rounds I load for my bolt gun. Nothing wrong with using a light crimp if you want to, but it's an extra step. Remington's match loads are crimped and they shoot great out of my rifle.
 
No crimp on bolt gun ammo and Lee Factory Crimp die used on autos. I don't like to crimp if I don't have to, it works the brass more. I had a few 5.56 rounds push back in an AR with a Dillon die no matter how hard I crimped it. I would say 2 out of 1000. The Lee die solved it for me.
 
I do a light crimp on my semiautos as well. I've had a couple bullets get pushed back when they were entering the chamber. On my bolts i anneal all the brass and have them sorted per times fired to keep neck tension as similar as i can.
 
No crimping is needed for precision rounds for a bolt action, correct neck tension will do everything you need there. The only exception I'll make to that would be if I was loading hunting rounds, I'd put a light crimp on.
 
Don't be too quick to "not crimp", you did not say what round(s) you were asking about, in a heavy recoiling rifle, 300WM for example, the recoil can and does effect the bullet seating of those rounds in the magazine, in the same way an inertia bullet puller works. A shift in bullet seating depth not only effects accuracy, but more importantly it can cause Dangerous Pressure problems. The light recoiling rounds 223(for example) are not exempt, the "slaping into battery" of a gas gun can and does effect bullet seating depth, first from the bullets impact with loading ramp, and then with sudden stoppage in the chamber. Load a few rounds, mark them for easy ID, and take to range, along with a set of dial calipers, do some measurements, you can learn a lot about what is happening when you do this. You can do the same thing at the bench-minus powder and primer-by allowing the bolt to slam home with a round you've "loaded", the effect will be greater with powder and primer as the weight is higher, but nonetheless there is a pretty good chance you'll me able to measure the difference, and if so, crimp. The lightest crimp that "holds" everything in place is all you need. Remember, bullet pull effects accuracy, keep good notes on the crimp etc, so once you've found a great load, you can easily duplicate it!
 
Hello all,

I'm going to start reloading and I was wondering people like to use a crimp die on their precision round. I read that for a bolt action rifle it is not needed but for a semi auto it should be used. I was just wondering if you guys use it in your rounds and does it make it better or worst?
The only thing I crimp is magnum pistol cartridges, you're wasting your time crimping rifle rounds, unless it's for a tubular magazines.
 
The only thing I crimp is magnum pistol cartridges, you're wasting your time crimping rifle rounds, unless it's for a tubular magazines.

jgorski, you don't think crimping rounds in rifles such as AR10/AR15/M1A/BAR etc has any value? I take it by your post, you only crimp Magnum pistol catridges, how about standard pistol cartridges? No crimp for 45ACP or 9mm? All factory rifle rounds have a crimp, lee's factory crimp die "duplicates" this step.
 
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jgorski, you don't think crimping rounds in rifles such as AR10/AR15/M1A/BAR etc has any value? I take it by your post, you only crimp Magnum pistol cartridges, how about standard pistol cartridges? No crimp for 45ACP or 9mm? All factory rifle rounds have a crimp, lee's factory crimp die "duplicates" this step.

No, I dont believe there's a need for crimping rounds for ARs, or autos for that matter, I didnt do it for my son's Colt or RR carbine after 2k rounds, or when I had a 7400 Rem in 6mmREM and my dads 742 in 6mmREM, never had any issues in rifles I load for, as long as you have good neck tension. I do crimp 44magnum with light loads, heavy loads I use the Redding profile crimp, the 357Magnum I use a roll crimp, 45acp I give them a slight taper crimp if I notice the brass has a slight bell to it after expanding the mouth operation, though it's not really a bell, more like a expansion over the rest of the round, I taper crimp them just to make the case mouth snug against the bullet. Here's a pic of my crimped 44s.
<a href="http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/JGorski80/media/2011-11-22-73903.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/JGorski80/2011-11-22-73903.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2011-11-22-73903.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/JGorski80/media/240XTPwprofilecrimp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/JGorski80/240XTPwprofilecrimp.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 240XTPwprofilecrimp.jpg"/></a>

Here's one of my 30-06 shells and how it shoots, no crimp. 300yds.
<a href="http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/JGorski80/media/168AMAX50grsRE15300yds.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/JGorski80/168AMAX50grsRE15300yds.jpg" border="0" alt="50grs RE15/168AMAX, 300yds photo 168AMAX50grsRE15300yds.jpg"/></a>
 
I'm with Jgorski on this. I don't and have never used a crimp on anything I reload and have never had an issue.
 
Thanks for the reply guys. So what I gather is that the sizing die combined with the proper bullet depth and seating will be enough for a .308 bolt action precision round. A light crimp would not hurt but does put more strain on the casing.
 
Thanks for the reply guys. So what I gather is that the sizing die combined with the proper bullet depth and seating will be enough for a .308 bolt action precision round. A light crimp would not hurt but does put more strain on the casing.

I shot this group at 300yds, well I just pulled the trigger, the rifle did all the work, no crimp, give that crimp die to someone that really thinks they work. Oh, the Win brass I used for this group was neck sized with a .331 neck bushing, the correct bushing size for Win brass in the 308. And the rifle that did all the work.
<a href="http://s1113.photobucket.com/user/JGorski80/media/IMG_0446-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/JGorski80/IMG_0446-1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0446-1.jpg"/></a>
TSudSm6.jpg
 
2 to 3 thou neck tension is all you need. Never had a bullet move in my ar 15s and my m1 garands. I crimp all my handgun rounds and i do crimp my 375 holland and holland.