Do you use Lee Factory Crimp Die with neck sizers?

MuthaFunk

MuthaFunk

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I'm just curious how many others do. I was planning on using the FCD only because of Lees claim that it increases uniform pressures and thus accuracy.

Lee includes the FCD with the regular full size die set but not the collet neck size sets. Why?

Being new to reloading I really have only to go on others experience and what I read.
 
I figured the folks using the collet die are bolt gun users who don't normally crimp their reloads. The folks shooting semi will normally full-length size their brass vs neck size only and crimp their reloads hence why the FCD.
 
Neck sizing is usually exclusive to bolt action guns, and a crimp is not necessary. They do sell a "deluxe" 4 die set that includes FL/NS/SEATER/FCD that isn't much more expensive.
For lever guns & semi's, FL sizing and crimping is necessary.
 
The FCD can help better align a crooked seated bullet. Its a reason pistol shooters love them because they fix chambering issues caused by bulging. Compared to sloppy roll crimping caused by inconsistent trim lengths, the FCD can produce more uniform crimping and thus start pressure. If you have inconsistent neck tension then you have other problems that the FCD is unlikely to resolve. For bolt action neck sized loads we avoid crimping because it can only induce neck tension inconsistencies. Crimping is not required and consistent brass and sizing methods is what produces accurate ammo as far as the brass is concerned.
 
I like using them for semi-auto rifle and pistol loads. I also put a light crimp on bullets that i load for hunting if i am concerned about neck tension/bullet grip on the particular setup that i am using(more so as a insurance policy that my seating depth wont change if cylcled roughly through a magazine). Probably not the "proper" way to go about it but has worked well for me.
 
I use the FCD on all of my reloads,..semi auto, lever action, and bolt action....I also use the "Consistent Crimp Tool" in conjunction with the FCD. The Consistent Crimp is an adjustable torque wrench/arm for your press to meter the amount of pressure applied when crimping,..if you are not familiar with it, here is a video link to show how it works...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntjz5v5AbIM
Do I need to use the Consistent crimp?...maybe not,...but I think it does provide a consistent neck tension on each and every round,..and I am very anal about my reloads. No I am not a bench rest shooter I am a hunter, but I want my ammo to be as accurate as I can get it,..because as we all know, not every animal is standing broad side in the open, and sometimes you have to shoot at a very small target through trees/bushes/limbs etc.
 
I would never consider crimping the loads that I neck size. Crimping is not necessary for bolt actions, and if it does improve accuracy, then it's only because your neck tension is not correct. If that is the case, you need to correct the neck tension issue rather than using a crimp as a band aid fix.
 
stubblejumper said:
I would never consider crimping the loads that I neck size. Crimping is not necessary for bolt actions, and if it does improve accuracy, then it's only because your neck tension is not correct. If that is the case, you need to correct the neck tension issue rather than using a crimp as a band aid fix.
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Agree with this. One of the reasons I like bolt actions is the fact that they make reloading so uncomplicated.
 
MuthaFunk said:
I'm just curious how many others do. I was planning on using the FCD only because of Lees claim that it increases uniform pressures and thus accuracy.

Lee includes the FCD with the regular full size die set but not the collet neck size sets. Why?

Being new to reloading I really have only to go on others experience and what I read.
Click to expand...


LCD is ok to use if your shooting a bolt gun. If you are looking for really good accuracy then you might want to buy a die that uses bushings. With bushing dies you will get an almost perfect concentric round which greatly improves accuracy , especially long range
 
Trinimon said:
I figured the folks using the collet die are bolt gun users who don't normally crimp their reloads. The folks shooting semi will normally full-length size their brass vs neck size only and crimp their reloads hence why the FCD.
Click to expand...

You can neck size for a semi as well . Once you neck size your first round , the way to check it so that it will hold the bullet during cycling is to use a weight scale and push on the scale with the loaded round till you reach 40lbs on the scale. Measure the round again and see if it moved. If not your good , if it moved then increase your neck tension. This works , I let bolts on semis slam a round in and check them to see if they moved. None did
 
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