Taper Crimp or Factory Roll Crimp

[Shipster]

What are you using and why?  I've been using my Dillon 550 for my all of my auto's because of the number of round I reload, but for my wife’s 357 shooting 38's I've been using my single stage press for the simple fact that 500 round has been lasting her six months, but she has been thinking about competing with here revolver.  Well any way I've never reloaded for a revolver on the Dillon and I have a couple of sets of RCBS and Lee dies both with the factory roll crimp.  Will I need or do I want a taper crimp die?

[benos]

If the bullet you will be using (for revolvers) has a roll crimp groove, then I'd roll crimp it for sure.

be

[Bill]

I've been loading my revolver ammo on a Dillon 550 with a Lee factory crimp die. I use West Coast plated bullets. I have fewer rejects with the Lee die.

Bill Nesbitt

[George D]

I have done some experimentation on this alternative with lead projectiles. I use a taper crimp for mid-range target velocities of aound 750-800 fps. The taper crimp minimises the effect of any difference in case length, whereas the degree of roll crimp varies with case length.

When the velocites gets to around 900 fps+ the projectiles start backing out of the cases under recoil unless a large amount of taper crimp is applied. I tested this by micrometering the remaining rounds after each shot and they became progressively longer. If a heavy taper crimp is applied then the relative size relationship between projectile diameter and inside-diameter of the case becomes a factor in regard to bullet deformation and the whole thing becomes way too complicated. So, I use a roll crimp for loads over 800 fps.

[Bill]

My loads are all 900 fps or less.

Bill Nesbitt

[Patrick Sweeney]

I use taper crimp for all of them, including the .357 180's @ 1150 fps for pins.  I haven't had any bullet pull due to recoil.  I would probably use a roll crimp in one circumstance:

.41 Mag or larger, heaviest bullet available, pumped right to the redline for hunting or as a bear gun.  I'd trim all cases to make sure the roll crimp was even, consistent and regular.  100-200 of those should last quite a few years.

[Shipster]

Just the information I needed, thanks a lot guys.

[Intel6]

I load for and shoot lots of revolvers and have found the Redding Profile Crimp to be the best way to crimp a revolver round.  The PC gives the round a regular roll crimp but it also gives a slight taper crimp to the round.  Roll crimps rely on case length and if you don't have cases with a consistent length you get varrying degrees of crimp/bullet pull/powder combustion. What the PC does is to give the round a taper crimp aslo resulting in a more consistent crimp.  I have done lots of load testing out of my revolvers in different caliber's and have found that the ammo loaded with a PC have been more consistent and more accurate.  

I use the PC crimp for loading .32 S&WL/.32 Mag/.38 SPL/.357 MAG/.357 MAX/.41 MAG/.44 SPL/.44 MAG/.45 ACP (for use in my revolvers)/.45 AR/.45 Colt

As I understand it, Dillon liked the design and uses it in their revolver dies.  That is why they sell Redding dies for the caliber's they don't make.

[Shipster]

More good information thanks Intel6.

[Ted Murphy]

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Quote: from BILL on 8:15 pm on Dec. 9, 2002

I've been loading my revolver ammo on a Dillon 550 with a Lee factory crimp die. I use West Coast plated bullets. I have fewer rejects with the Lee die.

Bill Nesbitt

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What powder are you using Bill?  Got a box of the 158 grain west coasts on my reloading bench and was wondering what to feed it.

Thanks,

Ted

[Bill]

Ted,

I've been using Bullseye in everything. If it was good enough 100 years ago then it's good enough for me.

Bill Nesbitt

[Ted Murphy]

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Quote: from BILL on 8:05 pm on Dec. 23, 2002

Ted,

I've been using Bullseye in everything. If it was good enough 100 years ago then it's good enough for me.

Bill Nesbitt

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I usually use bullesye too, feels good not to be the only one  (though 231 also seems to work pretty well).   Though I did do a powder magazine clean out this weekend.   I loaded 2,000 rounds of .38's using Red Dot and Unique .  I had the powder, no sense letting it go to waste.    

I have some AA35 I won at the 1999 nats, I'll probably use that next as I have some data for it.  I also have an 8# keg of clays, but it seems like that isn't too great a .38 special powder.  

After that I'll most likely go back to the bullseye.

Had some fun with the unique powder though.  2 of my reloading manuals listed 4.7 gr as the starting charge for a 158gr jacketed bullet.  Alliant's web page has data for a 160gr JSP and listed 4.2 as the <b>max</b> load.  

Ted

[phara]

I have been using a bullet (158 gran LRN with a pf of 128) with cannalure and a roll crimp now for about three years.  Just the other day I made some rounds with a non-cannalured bullet I didn't change anything on the reloader (I used a roll crimp on these non-cannalured bullets).  I went to the slow fire range and shot both types of bullets and noticed no difference in accuracy.

Could it be this taper versus roll crimp thing is over rated?  Or am I missing something here?

Thanks,

Paul