Hello! Just a quick question on crimping 416 rem mag bullets…. I just aquired a pile of Woodleigh 400g round nose bullets, but a handfull of them were designed for the 416 Rigby. Exactly the same bullet, but cannelure groove is in a different location. If I seat to the same depth and crimp with a Lee Collet crimp die, do you figure it will hold ok under the heavy recoil? Normally I just do a normal roll crimp into the groove, but this wont work with the Rigby bullets. Crimping into the Rigby groove will make my COAL a bit too long…. Thanks!
Crimping 416 rem mag
- Thread starter 7mag
- Start date
In my .416 Rem Mag Zastava carbine 350gr TTSX @ ~2500 fps mv my rounds don't impact magazine box under recoil neck tension adequate w/o crimp no issues but depends on your setup.
https://i.imgur.com/b7RSQJm.jpg / https://i.imgur.com/JKuVj6A.jpg / https://i.imgur.com/36lYcKJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/b7RSQJm.jpg / https://i.imgur.com/JKuVj6A.jpg / https://i.imgur.com/36lYcKJ.jpg
I’ve fine the same with other cartridges. It worked. Give it a try. Take your calipers to the range and check. Depending on how hard you push them too.
I think it will work Fine . There’s quite a bit of tension applied with the taper crimp die . I tested bullet pulls with and without crimping . RJ
Thanks for the replys so far! I figured it will be fine with a collet crimp. I had a few slip back on my old 404 Jeffery before that were just roll crimped (into groove). That was with Hornady dies though, which im not a huge fan of.. I will give it a try and bring some calipers to the range with me. Would be nice to use these Woodleigh bullets as they are no longer available, and I have a $£it load of them!
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Crimps - I have not done that much - I am pretty sure that a roll crimp needs a crimping groove or a cannelure groove, whereas the Lee Factory Crimp Die does not - by getting rammy with either system, I think you can "ostrich neck" the case, or damage the bullet?
As you likely know, the "roll crimp" seems to require pretty constant case trimmed length to get a series of consistent crimps - from instructions with the Lee Factory Crimp Die, it does not seem to be as fussy about that.
To be sure, about biggest so far is 9.3x62 - 250 grain or 286 grain - I have never crimped those. But the 416 Rem Mag is under construction, so I might have to, with that one. I have a supply of Woodleigh .416" 400 grain Weldcore RN SN for that one, and those bullets do have a cannelure groove. In other rifles, I set for the "jump" to the lands, and pretty much ignored the cannelure that is on those bullets - often way forward from the brass mouth, and still fits and feeds fine from the magazine, and circa 0.030" jump to the lands.
As you likely know, the "roll crimp" seems to require pretty constant case trimmed length to get a series of consistent crimps - from instructions with the Lee Factory Crimp Die, it does not seem to be as fussy about that.
To be sure, about biggest so far is 9.3x62 - 250 grain or 286 grain - I have never crimped those. But the 416 Rem Mag is under construction, so I might have to, with that one. I have a supply of Woodleigh .416" 400 grain Weldcore RN SN for that one, and those bullets do have a cannelure groove. In other rifles, I set for the "jump" to the lands, and pretty much ignored the cannelure that is on those bullets - often way forward from the brass mouth, and still fits and feeds fine from the magazine, and circa 0.030" jump to the lands.
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If you can’t find a taper crimp die take a few thousands of a inch off your expander on your die and try it out by putting 2 in the magazine and then after 3-4 shots measure them. I’ve done this a few times when I had to wait for a die on heavy recoil rifles.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I think that I read in a Richard Lee book that reducing the size of the expander will not make the neck hold tighter - I think he said brass will stretch like about 0.002" in diameter and stay "elastic", so has good grip on bullet. If you expand smaller than that, you go past the elastic limit of the brass - so now going to get the brass to stretch and deform - no elasticity - a "smaller" than 0.002" reduced hole is going to hold "less" snug than a 0.002" reduced hole.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Expect for a 30-30 lever action, and on some cast lead bullets, I have never crimped jacketed bullets in centre fire rifles - but I never loaded for 416 Rem Mag, yet, either. Only reason that I crimped on the 30-30 was because i was told to do that - never did try to see if neck tension was enough - I do not load it often enough to measure whether it actually holds or not.
Here’s a funny one, with my first .416 Remington. Shooting a compressed load of reloaded 15. Didn’t think I needed a crimp. Get up on the Muskwa early September. It’s warm, bullets won’t fit the Sako mag. Reseat with a hatchet, shoot my first Elk at 175 yds. Haha
