I just started reloading, and when I was trying to crimp the case I noticed it had bulged at the neck. It is 7mm rem mag, i measured it to 5 thousands bigger than at .315". The others i loaded were .310" I don't want the gun to blow up in my face!Experienced loaders please help!
How to tell if a crimping bulge is too much.
- Thread starter chief16
- Start date
If the shell chambers without resistance, you're OK. You've got to watch crimping, particularly with a collet die. I recently got some reloads that were heavily crimped ( no cannelure, collet die) When I pulled them apart, the Hornady A-MAX bullets were badly distorted by the crimping process, leaving a portion of the bearing surface to be oversize, and a distict crimp ring. They chambered, but did not shoot very well in a gun ( Tikka 695) that is known to shoot this bullet well.
If I had to crimp a cartridge, I'd personally use a Lee Factory Crimp Die. Cheap and efficient, much easier than crimping with a FL die.
If you want to crimp with a FL die, make sure all your cases are trimmed to the exact same lenght, or bulged cases will likely happen.
Magnum cases headspace on the belt (and, when properly sized, to the shoulder too) so if the crimped case still chambers freely, there will be no big concern. A lot of us use reformed Magnum calibers from smaller cases ((like 7mm RM or .338 WM to .358 or .308 NM) with full power loads with no effect.
If you want to crimp with a FL die, make sure all your cases are trimmed to the exact same lenght, or bulged cases will likely happen.
Magnum cases headspace on the belt (and, when properly sized, to the shoulder too) so if the crimped case still chambers freely, there will be no big concern. A lot of us use reformed Magnum calibers from smaller cases ((like 7mm RM or .338 WM to .358 or .308 NM) with full power loads with no effect.
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