Crimp

[Jody Waring]

Had some issues recently, and had some set-back of the bullet with a ftf. I am new to reloading .40 and am wondering how much crimp I should have. I use LEE dies and dont flare much which is what I also do when reloading 9mm which seems to work well for holding the bullet securely but alas here I am with a bad lot of ammo.I've read the stories of case separation in .40 so this has me worried. Thanks for you help!

[kalaur]

Crimp is not ment to prevent bullet setback, crimp is only used to remove flare from the case mouth. If you're having issues with bullet setback with your particular bullets, you may want to look at an undersizing die, or try expanding your cases less (note: EXPANDING less, I don't mean FLARE less)

You mentioned you're using Lee brand dies, but what brand bullet are you using? And how much bullet setback were you experiencing?

[Jody Waring]

I am going to look into an undersize die. I am using a plated bullet similar to Frontiers- 180gr. Is the EGW die the only option?

[kalaur]

Generally the Lee die is a mix between rcbs/dillon and the egw U die, so its interesting you're still getting setback. You mentioned its 'similar' to the Frontier bullet, which brand is it specifically? Any chance you or a friend has a Micrometer (not a caliper) you can use to check bullet diameter?

[Dis-1-Shooter]

Just a thought....when I was loading 40 s&w, I found that bullet set back was occurring more frequently with RP brass. It seems that RP brass is a little thinner. I was using a Lee resizing die, but have gone to a U-Die from EGW.

[Postal Bob]

Yes, usually R-P cases have the least resistance when seating a bullet, which means they are the thinnest. I find that S&B and CBC cases are the tightest or thickest.