seating and crimping

[Livefree]

In the last few weeks i have just begun to reload. I was reloading some 300 wsm today and when it came time to seat and crimp the directions for setting the die seemed contradicting. Is it better to seat and crimp in different steps or am i missing something in the directions. I have a hornady press but i am using rcbs dies.

[312shooter]

Yes, seating is best accomplished without crimping. Although dies are
designed to do both simultaneous, it often turns out to be a pain with inconsistent results.

[LDBennett]

Livefree:

Yes, it is better to seat and crimp in separate steps but not necessary.

While I am not a LEE fan (!!), they make the best crimping setup yet for rifle cartridges (the LEE pistol crimp setup works completely differently but carries the same name). It is called the LEE Factory Crimp Die. It is an extra step (you seat and don't crimp in the RCBS seating die and then crimp in the LEE Factory Crimp Die). It uses a closing collet to squeeze the case neck closed horizontally onto the bullet rather than pushing the end of the case down against the bullet. Trim length is not so critical with this LEE die (but trim length is critical in respect to the gun's chamber and should not exceed the max spec, EVER).

In actuality bolt guns do not require crimping at all. It is required for semi-autos, pump guns, and perhaps in heavy recoiling bolt guns that carry ammo in the magazine. It does not hurt to crimp and the LEE Factory Crimp is the best you can do, in my opinion (although it bothers me to be promoting LEE anything).

Good luck with your reloading experience. I think you will find it rewarding not only financially but from the fact that you just made something.

LDBennett

[myfriendis410]

I try to avoid crimping high power rifle cartridges whenever possible. The only exception might be replicating military ammo or a cartridge that requires it (think 45/70 in some loads). Your .300 wsm should not be crimped IMO. The only exception might be if you were loading some moly-coated bullets that tend to move under recoil with just neck tension.

[Waldog]

I never crimp rifle rounds. Don't even crimp my Garand rounds. Never had a problem with setback, even with the Garand.

[howlnmad]

I'm with the others on doing it in seperate stages. And with LD on the FCD. Doing it seperately reduces the risk of damaging brass and bullets. I wouldn't crimp those 300 rounds anyway. The only rifle cartridges I crimp are 30-30 and 444 because they are tube fed guns.

[Shedhorn]

I rarely crimp. Handgun rounds loaded on my AP will get a crimp as will my 405win.(mainly because of the recoil).
I have heard good things about the Lee factory crimp die, but have never used one.
Crimping in a seperate step is greatly prefered.

[LDBennett]

I repeat any semi-auto, pump, lever gun, or heavy recoiling bolt gun NEEDS to have the bullets crimped in. Recoil may reseat the bullets in the gun's magazine during firing. One of the things that may happen (probably without your knowledge) if you don't is the bullet will move into the case, decreasing the case volume, and greatly increase the pressure.

Some here have been lucky, it seems, and not had this happen. I choose not to rely on luck but common sense. I like my guns and my body they way there are now, not damaged. You may do whatever you choose. More uniform ignition is the benefit of using the LEE factory Crimp Die as the neck tension is more consistent with a crimped in bullet (especially with the LEE FCD).

LDBennett

[American Leader]

LD, glad to see you finally have embraced LEE! You know Brisk and a few others will have comments regarding this new enlightenment, but I praise it! I also agree with you regarding consistent pressure and crimp all my reloads for increased accuracy as well.

[LDBennett]

I have repeatedly said in the near and far past that the rifle LEE Factory Crimp Die (FCD) is an excellent idea.

I have and use several of these FCD's with good results. But I have also said in the past that in using theses collet action dies I have on a couple of them galled and had to be repaired by me. Maybe the later ones are better in that regard (??). They function so well (when not galled by the use of similar materials in the collet and the die body, which is a direct path to galling) that I use them anyway. Again maybe the newest ones don't gall.... i don't know.

The pistol LEE Factory Crimp Dies are not collet operated and are just regular crimp dies with a carbide ring at the base to smooth the case walls near the extractor grove. I am told that they are useful for Glock reloads which allow excessive case expansion not normally removed with regular die sets. I have no guns that do that and most certainly don't have any plastic guns.

I welcome any comments on my position on things LEE and on the LEE Factory Crimp Die (Dillon too!). I like what I like and will defend my choices based on my logic.

LDBennett

[JohnTheCalifornian]

I will agree with LD and American Leader. I treated crimping as one of the "Must Do" steps. I dont care what I'm loading for, I put a crimp on my cases.

I dont have any experience with any other crimp set ups other than the ones made by LEE and one from Dillon(357 Sig carbide). But I know that the LEE works great.

[American Leader]

I load 17 different calibers and crimp every one! And LD, I was just havin fun with you. I do that with people I like!