adamge Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Better yet, load some crimped and some not crimped. Shoot both for groups, then decide for yourself and your rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskapopo Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Better yet, load some crimped and some not crimped. Shoot both for groups, then decide for yourself and your rig. I have done that experiment and now I no longer crimp. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPatton Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 I would like to see some empirically derived data on this subject. Will someone with a spare AR load up some ammo, push the bullets back in the brass, load the AR, tie it to a tree and let her go with a long string from behind cover. Unfortunately I don't have a spare AR. But I can tell you what will happen to a Lee Enfield 303 loaded with a full load of Red Dot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynnm45 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 For my single shot 223, no crimp; with the AR, Lee Factory Crimp Die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynnm45 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 I would like to see some empirically derived data on this subject. Will someone with a spare AR load up some ammo, push the bullets back in the brass, load the AR, tie it to a tree and let her go with a long string from behind cover. Unfortunately I don't have a spare AR. But I can tell you what will happen to a Lee Enfield 303 loaded with a full load of Red Dot. Supply me with the AR and I will send it back after the test; or what's left of the parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskapopo Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I would like to see some empirically derived data on this subject. Will someone with a spare AR load up some ammo, push the bullets back in the brass, load the AR, tie it to a tree and let her go with a long string from behind cover. Unfortunately I don't have a spare AR. But I can tell you what will happen to a Lee Enfield 303 loaded with a full load of Red Dot. Supply me with the AR and I will send it back after the test; or what's left of the parts. Yea because everyone on Enos (the majority is not crimping) is blowing up AR's with regularity. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ming the Merciless Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Or load up some no powder dummy rounds, with some crimped and some not crimped. Load several mags with the dummy rounds under 5 live rounds and fire the live rounds quickly, then eject the dummy rounds and compare the OAL with before and after. Do this several times and then decide for yourself whether you want to crimp or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thermobollocks Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Or load up some no powder dummy rounds, with some crimped and some not crimped. Load several mags with the dummy rounds under 5 live rounds and fire the live rounds quickly, then eject the dummy rounds and compare the OAL with before and after. Do this several times and then decide for yourself whether you want to crimp or not. Setback in an AR doesn't come from having rounds go off near the magazine, but the action of cycling itself. This may give you useful information in a tubegun or revolver, but not in this situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ming the Merciless Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I realize the setback is caused by cycling the action, not by recoil, that is why I said to let the rifle feed the dummy rounds several times by letting the action cycle them by firing live rounds before the dummy, rather than just dropping the bolt to feed them from the magazine, sorry I wasn't clear enough for easy understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megamind Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 It my personal preference that I crimp every thing I shoot in 3 gun. And I've never had a issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1A4ME Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I've never crimped a rifle cartridge. Not .223, .308 or .30-06. No issues so far. Been doing it the same way (did change to RCBS X-dies a couple years back) since the late 70's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauntedfuture Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 If you have proper neck tension you can't set a bullet easily back into the case. Try crimping a case without neck tension and the bullet will wiggle around. I suspect that you blew up a .303 enfield because you loaded .308 bullets in a rifle intended for .310-.311. and loaded a case of pistol powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiggerJJ Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 (edited) I use a 2 head system to load AR15/10 ammo. One head sizes and trims with a Dillon trimmer. The other loads it. I do not deburr or chamfer. I use the swage hold down rod as an expander/bell so I can seat a bullet, and close that bell with a light crimp. I hate handling brass manually, so I developed the system I use so I don't have to mess with individual cases; just process, tumble to remove lube, and load it... jj Eta; my ammo is accurate done this way, under 1moa. Edited July 28, 2016 by RiggerJJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannybot Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 I personally crimp. I have only loaded a couple thousand .223's, so my experience does no speak that much. What told me to crimp was when I first started 3gun during the lean years. I was picking up brass to sell and more than once found others' 223 rounds with the bullets pushed way way back, and seeing a fellow shoter's barrel blow up--he was alos a reloader. Since I mostly just load for the hoser stages and use factory ammo (M193 shoots ~MOA in my rifle and reaches out as far as I need) for the long range stuff, the crimp does not matter that much to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrishoesel Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 For 223 and 308 plinker rounds running through a gas gun, I always crimp so long as the bullet has a cannellure. (And they do) Heavier and more precision-oriented bullets I only adjust the crimp die to remove belling so as to not damage the chamber. Also if the bullet you use doesn't have a cannelure, don't crimp them. Just close up the neck if you're doing any belling of the case mouth. (1050 swage station will do some belling for the bullet feeder in my case) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcoz Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 I mentioned in an earlier post that I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die on all rifle rounds but I should explain that a little further. I can't really say that I apply a "crimp" in order to prevent bullet setback or otherwise grab the bullet tighter. I just have it set to very lightly put pressure around the case neck just to make sure that it's uniformly holding the bullet around it's circumference. I feel that if the seater isn't seating the bullet exactly straight, the neck might be ever so slightly distorted and just putting very slight pressure around it as a last step will even it out. I visually check runout afterwards and after using the FCD, I never detect any. I use cannelured bullets but would still do this if they weren't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reloader901 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 I started reloading 223 last year after decades of .45acp. I'm only reloading Lake City brass that I purchased as new loaded Federal XM193 or XM855. All bullets I am loading and shooting are the same with canulure. Last year I was reloading mostly on a 650, then I bought a 1050... just because I always wanted one. I'm using all Dillon dies and have not knowingly had any problems.What is so special about this Lee Factory Crimp die many of you are using? I don't compete anymore and just plink. Should I be looking at the Lee die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcoz Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 I cant really say that theres anything special about the FCD. Like many things we reloaders do, you just try something and if it does no harm and you feel it just might help, you tend to add it to your relosding process. As I mentioned in my post I feel it might just help correct any bullet runout. I don't have a runout gauge to test this but I'm satisfied with the results I've been seeing and I'm too old to learn new tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reloader901 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 LOL. I can relate to too old for new tricks, AND I'm glad you're not my surgeon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastluck13 Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 On 8/24/2016 at 7:32 AM, reloader901 said: What is so special about this Lee Factory Crimp die many of you are using? I don't compete anymore and just plink. Should I be looking at the Lee die? The lee crimp dies are very easy to adjust (pistol and rifle) and do a great job. I know quite a few guys who had mystery reliability issues that went away with he pistol FCD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustybayonet Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 On Monday, January 11, 2016 at 4:19 PM, Novock said: I am about 5k into loading 223 for next shootings season (3 gun) and a buddy told me i was nuts for not crimping my 223. I run my brass through the sizing and decapping die before trimming and actually once more after tumbling and swagging to make sure the primer hole is free of media (i know the second sizing affects case length). The neck tension is solid and i have not seen a round that had me worried. Should I be? I understand that the bolt carrier in my AR slams the round into the feed ramp and could shorten my OAL, but I have tested this and it is next to nothing after charging the weapon. I'm running a 550 with the dillon die set. It comes with the crimp die, so I have always used it. I figure it can't hurt and with 3 different AR's it never has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrishoesel Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 I crimp everything that goes into a gas gun. Everything, cannelure or not. It's not a heavy crimp, but it's enough to remove any belling that I get from the swaging backup rod, which helps my MBF feed bullets. I also use and swear by the Lee FCD. I would recommend it. Especially in 308, where recoil is strong enough to affect cartridges in the magazine. There is quite a lot of force acting on the rounds when they are fed in the firing cycle. Don't leave it to chance. Bolt rifles are good to go with only neck tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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