625 Crimp

[MWP]

Ok crew, I'm having some issues with bullet pull in the 625.

Current setup: Hornady ap press, Hornady dies, Lee factory taper crimp in the last station. I've been shooting xtreme 230 plated (had to at the price I got them)seated at 1.230.

Bullet pull by number 4 is noticeable, by number 6 its ridiculous. At 25 the group continues to grow as I run through the cylinder. The load was a hurry up and find something that works, and makes power factor, and I've just dealt with it.

In the quest to work up loads for the 627, I'm reworking the 625. I have fresh sample packs of Montana Gold 230s, Precision Delta 230s, Berry's 230s, and plenty of Xtremes. I also have a Redding profile (roll) crimp die coming tomorrow.

Ok guys, let me hear some theories.

[BearbaitinNM]

I run my 625 PC with lots of 230 plated, and a heavier 255's. No problems with mine.

I find that neck tension with a full and complete resize is important. When I flare, I do so so that it is just enough to get the bullet started. Too much, and you lose the neck tension from the sizing. As to crimping, going mondo can actually wreck your neck tension.

Craig

[Shadowrider]

I never did figure it out. Hornady taper crimp and Redding profile crimp.

One thing I did try was dropping down to 200 grain RNs. The Magma Engineering molds have a slight shoulder, so I came up with the bright idea to seat them way deep past that shoulder and heavily roll crimp over it with the profile crimp die. No more bullet pull and the guy at MCC asked me what kind of powder I was running. 2 rounds at the same exact velocity and the 3rd round was 3 FPS different. Same EXACT thing at Area 4. They don't reload in the gun as good though even with the monster roll crimp so I ditched that idea.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Shadowrider

[pskys2]

I noticed the same thing and even went to a roll crimp die from a Lee 45 auto rim set, which did help. Haven't had a plating separation issue, but the issue is there. But that issue is there even if you taper crimp heavily.

Edited March 29, 2014 by pskys2

[MWP]

Well I'm stumped. Expander die is almost useless, I can't see it being that. Heavy taper, light taper, no crimp, it doesn't seem to matter, it pulls no matter what.

The plated bullets are all I've ever fed it. They are shiny, and compared to everything else seem very slippery. Hence ordering the jacketed, and Berry's seems to have a softer plate. Maybe the roll crimp can dig in and hold better?

[Shadowrider]

I don't think it's possible to stop it completely unless you crimp into a cannelure or over a shoulder. Major .45 just recoils too much for those heavy 230 slugs not to pull some. Remember there is ZERO mechanical stuff going on to cushion anything, the case slams right up against the recoil shield and stops solid right there.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Shadowrider

[pskys2]

Actually a crimp groove is still not 100%. I noticed while practicing reloads with my m29 and 44 russians with 240 lrn and a heavy roll crimp into the crimping groove on the dummy rounds that after several dozen reloads the bullets were pulling out of the case. They did seem to stop at a certain point and that is an extreme case and I haven't noticed it with lighter dummy rounds in the 45 acp.

I also never noticed any accuracy or severe velocity issues when the bullets pulled out a bit. So it probably is being overly concerned for no reason.

Edited March 29, 2014 by pskys2

[Tom E]

Well I'm stumped. Expander die is almost useless, I can't see it being that. Heavy taper, light taper, no crimp, it doesn't seem to matter, it pulls no matter what.

The plated bullets are all I've ever fed it. They are shiny, and compared to everything else seem very slippery. Hence ordering the jacketed, and Berry's seems to have a softer plate. Maybe the roll crimp can dig in and hold better?

Don't use the Lee Factory Crimp Die with the sizing ring in it's base unless you absolutely have to because of a case bulge you need to iron out. It can squeeze the bullet down while the brass rebounds and screw up your case neck tension.

Simple version, try a different crimp die that doesn't have the sizing ring... Also put all of the bullets straight wall plus maybe .060" in the case so the crimp rolls or tapers over the beginning of the ogive.

[MWP]

Well I made 300 rounds to test, from 4 different bullets and 4 different powders tonight.

I gave my standard load an extremely heavy taper, which brought the load down from barely on paper to 5-7" range at 25.

The plated bullets, ran through a lee factory crimp die, with taper crimp removed, so basically just a check, then given a roll crimp from the redding, gave 1.5 inches at 25 yards.

The jacketed actually did worse than plated in my gun than the plated, but still the best for standard deviation and accuracy with roll crimp vs just using a taper.

Lightly crimped original load: started at 1.230 pulled #6 to 1.27-.28

Heavy taper: 1.250-1.260 from 1.230

Roll crimp:1.240 from 1.230

Accuracy from numbers 5 and 6 still landed in the middle of the groups.