Does any one use this for 308. I have one but have not been using it. I was curios if it would make neck tension more uniform and make loads more consistent. I also have a rcbs seating die which i assume applies a crimp. Any advice on which one would be better for accurate loads. I am currently using a lee seating die with no crimp
Lee factory crimp die
- Thread starter bschneiderheinze
- Start date
Re: Lee factory crimp die
A lot of loaders like the Lee FCD for semi-auto applications and some use it for bolt applications. It will help hold the bullet in place, but as for neck tension, I don't believe it applies a crimp to the length of the neck, just to the mouth of the brass. Most of the time, thr FCD is used to crimp canalured bullets for semi-auto platforms.
A lot of loaders like the Lee FCD for semi-auto applications and some use it for bolt applications. It will help hold the bullet in place, but as for neck tension, I don't believe it applies a crimp to the length of the neck, just to the mouth of the brass. Most of the time, thr FCD is used to crimp canalured bullets for semi-auto platforms.
Re: Lee factory crimp die
I don't like crimping...but when I do have to...like for my AR-10 I use the Lee FCD...You can ruin too many rounds trying to get the seater dies to do a nice crimp job sometimes...so I just adjust out the crimp of the seater dies and use the FCD to place the crimp.
I don't like crimping...but when I do have to...like for my AR-10 I use the Lee FCD...You can ruin too many rounds trying to get the seater dies to do a nice crimp job sometimes...so I just adjust out the crimp of the seater dies and use the FCD to place the crimp.
Re: Lee factory crimp die
I have seen lots of guys swear by the FCD but I wouldn't use one on a bet. It is supposed to create a crimp that shoves your neck into the cannelure of a bullet, but it doesn't stop there. From Lee's own literature comes this quote - "Bullets do not need a crimp groove, as the collet is so powerful it will form one." In other words, it will crush a cannelure into whatever bullet you're using. I don't know about you, but I don't pay $50 a box (or more) for premium bullets just to have some $14.95 cut-rate tool crush dents into them. The guys at Sierra and Berger didn't spend a fortune designing and manufacturing bullets with the best flight characteristics just to have them mangled before they ever leave the bore. And that's not to mention what it does for the life of your necks. (Can you tell I don't like this tool?)
I don't use any crimp on bottleneck cases and haven't for many years. Neck tension alone is just fine for holding your bullets in place, even with semi-autos.
Many seating dies have a taper crimp built into the body of the die. If you screw the die body down far enough, this crimp will start to engage the case mouth. At that point the further you screw the body down, the more crimp you get. The problem is that if you get more than just a whisper of crimp, you can swell your case down where the shoulder starts and your rounds won't even chamber. Believe me, I had to pull 400 rounds apart back in the 80's by making this mistake. That's the last time I crimped any rifle round and I've never had a problem with bullet retention, even in the violent M1A action.
I have seen lots of guys swear by the FCD but I wouldn't use one on a bet. It is supposed to create a crimp that shoves your neck into the cannelure of a bullet, but it doesn't stop there. From Lee's own literature comes this quote - "Bullets do not need a crimp groove, as the collet is so powerful it will form one." In other words, it will crush a cannelure into whatever bullet you're using. I don't know about you, but I don't pay $50 a box (or more) for premium bullets just to have some $14.95 cut-rate tool crush dents into them. The guys at Sierra and Berger didn't spend a fortune designing and manufacturing bullets with the best flight characteristics just to have them mangled before they ever leave the bore. And that's not to mention what it does for the life of your necks. (Can you tell I don't like this tool?)
I don't use any crimp on bottleneck cases and haven't for many years. Neck tension alone is just fine for holding your bullets in place, even with semi-autos.
Many seating dies have a taper crimp built into the body of the die. If you screw the die body down far enough, this crimp will start to engage the case mouth. At that point the further you screw the body down, the more crimp you get. The problem is that if you get more than just a whisper of crimp, you can swell your case down where the shoulder starts and your rounds won't even chamber. Believe me, I had to pull 400 rounds apart back in the 80's by making this mistake. That's the last time I crimped any rifle round and I've never had a problem with bullet retention, even in the violent M1A action.
Re: Lee factory crimp die
OldTex, I'm betting that the guys swearing by the FCD aren't buying high end bullets and prepping the brass in such a detailed fashion as we do.
I would bet they are the types buying once fired Lake City brass...never annealing the necks...and after 5 or more reloads the only way they can keep the machine pulled cannalure bullets in the necks after the resizing spring back is to use the FCD.
Because that's why I use a FCD on my AR-10...when i build blasting ammo and I get lazy.
OldTex, I'm betting that the guys swearing by the FCD aren't buying high end bullets and prepping the brass in such a detailed fashion as we do.
I would bet they are the types buying once fired Lake City brass...never annealing the necks...and after 5 or more reloads the only way they can keep the machine pulled cannalure bullets in the necks after the resizing spring back is to use the FCD.
Because that's why I use a FCD on my AR-10...when i build blasting ammo and I get lazy.
Re: Lee factory crimp die
I use a Lee FCD for my AR, it can crease your bullets with ease, but it is adjustable and doesn't have to. I would not use it to attempt consistent neck tension for the purposes of accuracy in a bolt gun. My 3/4" groups at 200yds tell me it doesn't really hurt accuracy either.
I use a Lee FCD for my AR, it can crease your bullets with ease, but it is adjustable and doesn't have to. I would not use it to attempt consistent neck tension for the purposes of accuracy in a bolt gun. My 3/4" groups at 200yds tell me it doesn't really hurt accuracy either.
Re: Lee factory crimp die
I've had a Lee FCD in 7RM for over a decade and I've used it once. I'm now using bushing dies for most of my rifle carts and with the proper bushing, I don't need to crimp, even for my AR-15s.
If I'm going to crimp, I guess I'll stick with taper crimps.
If you do crimp, make sure your brass is trimmed to almost exact lengths, otherwise, you'll get varying amounts of crimp on the bullets.
Chris
I've had a Lee FCD in 7RM for over a decade and I've used it once. I'm now using bushing dies for most of my rifle carts and with the proper bushing, I don't need to crimp, even for my AR-15s.
If I'm going to crimp, I guess I'll stick with taper crimps.
If you do crimp, make sure your brass is trimmed to almost exact lengths, otherwise, you'll get varying amounts of crimp on the bullets.
Chris
Re: Lee factory crimp die
Sounds like a will sell the lee FCD to someone who thinks it is useful and keep loading the way i have been with no crimp
Sounds like a will sell the lee FCD to someone who thinks it is useful and keep loading the way i have been with no crimp
