Is that too much crimp ? (PIC)

[bobpel]

I'm reloading a 180 grain bullet in 30-06 caliber. I'm trying to adjust the Lee factory crimp die and i request your experience. Looking at the picture, is that too much crimp ? Measured with my caliper, it gives 0.304 in the groove formed by the crimp instead of 0.307 on each edges.

Thanks for your feeback
Robert

 

[Ganderite]

Do not see the picture at the link. If it will chamber, it is ok.

In 45+ yeasr of loading, I have never crimped a 30-06. It will make life easier if you just seat the bullet to the depth you want and back off the seating die so it does not crimp.

 

[H4831]

You will have to post a picture, so we can see what you are talking about.
Otherwise, just as Ganderite said, no need whatsoever, to crimp your 30-06. Just seat the bullet so there is no crimp.

 

[bobpel]

You will have to post a picture, so we can see what you are talking about.
Otherwise, just as Ganderite said, no need whatsoever, to crimp your 30-06. Just seat the bullet so there is no crimp.

Link fixed.

I thought that crimping improves grouping, but i'm a beginner. Which reload should require crimping ?

Thanks for sharing ypur knowledge.
Robert

 

[hk33ka1]

I cannot see the picture either? Do you have to log into the hosting site to see the pictures?

 

[tjhaile]

Link fixed.

I thought that crimping improves grouping, but i'm a beginner. Which reload should require crimping ?

Thanks for sharing ypur knowledge.
Robert

Crimping for rifle cartridges is required for:

-Semiautomatic rifles
-Tube magazines
-Rifles with very heavy recoil, e.g. .458 Lott

Otherwise, neck tension alone is sufficient to retain the bullet.

 

[acrashb]

I'm trying to adjust the Lee factory crimp die and i request your experience. Looking at the picture, is that too much crimp

I can't see the picture, but the FCD can't be adjusted to give too much crimp. If you turn it down too far other things might happen (like operating the press gets difficult), but not too much crimp. It's self-limiting.

Having said that - as others have mentioned, you don't need to crimp with a bolt and Lee's claims of better groups are questionable.

 

[snomad]

I wonder whether with some bullet styles and with the poor feeding ramps on some bolt actions whether crimping is not a bad idea, especially in a hunting situation. At the range where you can take your sweet time chambering rounds neck tension alone should suffice. That Lee Factory Crimp die is a separate die, not part of a seater die. It is easy to set and as you can see from the pictures it is able to put a good crimp on a bullet without a cannelure. I use it for my semi with SST's that have the cannelure.

 

[JasonS]

I see the picture and I think you are ok. I love the LEE Factory Crimp Die. I experimented with a 7mm Rem mag. In the end I had the crimp die in far enough that it crimped maximum and put a deep ring into the Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets I was using in the experiment. The deepest crimped ones grouped as good as the light and medium crimped ones. The medium depth crimped bullets grouped better than the uncrimped ones. Note that all bullets were loaded long enough to barely touch the rifling.

I like the crimped bullets because I knew that no matter how rough they got handled in the field they were as perdictable as factory ammo. Bench shooting and hunting situations can be very different at times!

 

[JasonS]

I wonder whether with some bullet styles and with the poor feeding ramps on some bolt actions whether crimping is not a bad idea, especially in a hunting situation. At the range where you can take your sweet time chambering rounds neck tension alone should suffice. That Lee Factory Crimp die is a separate die, not part of a seater die. It is easy to set and as you can see from the pictures it is able to put a good crimp on a bullet without a cannelure. I use it for my semi with SST's that have the cannelure.

What liked best about the LEE die is it didn't need any cannelure as it made it's own crimping ring in the bullet. I had some great 7mm loads with the Hornady 139 BTSP bullet. Seated to touch the rifling left the factory cannelure outside the case neck. No problem. Crimp in a new groove. Killed some song-dogs at very long range with that load and accuracy was great on paper too.

 

[beltfed]

...you don't need to crimp with a bolt and Lee's claims of better groups are questionable.

I've experimented with this notion with pretty much every rifle I own and while it was inconclusive for some, others have shown drastic improvement. In all it decreased the velocity spread; something that may not show on paper for some distance.




It's a little tough to tell, but that crimp grove in the photo looks about what I give to mine.

 

[COREY]

I have found that using the Lee FCD fro my 375 H&H loads for mu Ruger #1 did help the group. I did not experiment like JasonS did, but it definitely made a difference. That veing said, that is the only cartridge I do it for.

 

[JasonS]

I've experimented with this notion with pretty much every rifle I own and while it was inconclusive for some, others have shown drastic improvement. In all it decreased the velocity spread; something that may not show on paper for some distance.




It's a little tough to tell, but that crimp grove in the photo looks about what I give to mine.

Thanks for mentioning that beltfed. I forgot to mention that the SD from shot to shot got down to very nice small numbers.