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Crimping Dangerous Game Ammo
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Do the folks who reload their own ammo crimp the bullets when hunting dangerous game with high recoiling rifles (416 Rigby, 458 Lott, etc.)?

I'm setting up a dummy round to be sent off to have a reamer made and there is quite a bit of difference in OAL if I seat the bullet to the crimping groove versus seating it to where the base of the bullet resides at the neck/shoulder junction. I will have plenty of room in the magazine to go either way.

The cartridge is a wildcat, 416 Lapua - a 338 Lapua simply necked up to 416 caliber. Looking to get 2400 fps with a 400 gr. bullet aka 416 Rigby but with better quality Lapua brass. Probably could push it faster if need be but don't think it's really necessary.

Thanks,
Kevin Confused
 
Posts: 212 | Location: Longmont, CO | Registered: 30 July 2005Reply With Quote
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I'm a crimper Wink


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J. Lane Easter, DVM

A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House

No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.
 
Posts: 38627 | Location: Gainesville, TX | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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I use a Lee factory crimper. tu2






 
Posts: 12415 | Registered: 01 July 2002Reply With Quote
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crimp
 
Posts: 3818 | Location: kenya, tanzania,RSA,Uganda or Ethophia depending on day of the week | Registered: 27 May 2009Reply With Quote
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Always.


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13832 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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I crimp all my ammo for my 416 Rigby.


Tom Z

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Posts: 2347 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: 07 January 2005Reply With Quote
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Crimp from 338WM up. Trim length uniformally and regular dies work fine.

Emory
 
Posts: 403 | Location: Houston | Registered: 09 November 2004Reply With Quote
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Thanks for all the quick responses.

It looks like crimping is the preferred option.

Kevin Smiler
 
Posts: 212 | Location: Longmont, CO | Registered: 30 July 2005Reply With Quote
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Crimp. Along the same lines any of you guys seal your primers or cases with lacquer? I only do it for either long term storage oor if planning on hunting in very wet areas.


Happiness is a warm gun
 
Posts: 4106 | Location: USA | Registered: 06 March 2002Reply With Quote
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Big Stick, I also crimp. My .416 Rem cartridge in the Rem 700 rifle priduces quit a bit of recoil. During recoil the rounds that are in the magazine are pounded on the nose pretty significantly as they impact the magazine wall. The end result is that the magazine bullets are seated ever further into the case with each time the gun is fired. The OAL will change with each firing of the gun. The way to avoid this is to crimp at the cannelure, making the case hold the bullet at the proper depth no matter what. Sounds like you are onto a real fine load. I think it will work well with both the 400 grain projectiles and the 350 grain. See you.


That which is not impossible is compulsory
 
Posts: 161 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: 16 May 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by shakari:
I use a Lee factory crimper. tu2


Me too!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J. Lane Easter, DVM

A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House

No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.
 
Posts: 38627 | Location: Gainesville, TX | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Crimping boomers is like putting on your pants before you go out. A must!

Mike


Michael Podwika... DRSS bigbores and hunting www.pvt.co.za " MAKE THE SHOT " 450#2 Famars
 
Posts: 6768 | Location: Wyoming, Pa. USA | Registered: 17 April 2003Reply With Quote
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.....................Crimp!


....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1
DRSS Charter member
"If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982

Hands of Old Elmer Keith

 
Posts: 14634 | Location: TEXAS | Registered: 08 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Crimp.
 
Posts: 953 | Location: Florida | Registered: 17 March 2005Reply With Quote
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Lee factory crimp die


Frank



"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953

NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite

 
Posts: 12826 | Location: Kentucky, USA | Registered: 30 December 2002Reply With Quote
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Crimp .338 and up and seal. Also color code case head.


Elton Rambin
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1/ Treat all guns as though they are loaded.
2/ Never point the muzzle at anything you do not want to shoot.
3/ Do not put your finger on trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to shoot.
4/ Be sure of your target and safe background.

 
Posts: 268 | Location: Western Arkansas/Barksdale,TX. USA | Registered: 18 February 2008Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by ledvm:
quote:
Originally posted by shakari:
I use a Lee factory crimper. tu2


Me too!


As do I...
 
Posts: 11729 | Location: Florida | Registered: 25 October 2006Reply With Quote
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Crimp, but remember you don'y have to crimp in the crimping groove.

The crimping groove is convenient but you can crimp the bullet anywhere on the shank.


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10181 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Yes


_______________________


 
Posts: 4899 | Location: Bryan, Texas | Registered: 12 January 2005Reply With Quote
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I too am a big believer in crimping and Lee crimp dies. I also use separate seaters for separate bullets. In my .458 Winchester, I do not flare to accomodate seating. I use a .50 caliber VLD inside chamfer tool with 100% success. Six twists is all I do. I also anneal my big bore brass every time I shoot it. There is a big difference in neck tension with annealed brass due to elasticity.

Regards.
 
Posts: 153 | Location: Alberta, Canada | Registered: 29 July 2007Reply With Quote
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Mike,

If I crimp at another location along the bullet's shank not in the crimping groove, how does crimping at that location hold the bullet in place?

Thanks,
Kevin
 
Posts: 212 | Location: Longmont, CO | Registered: 30 July 2005Reply With Quote
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Kevin, let me be the odd one out. I do not crimp my ammo on big guns.

I had the expander balls turned down a few thouhs, and that seems to make the whole case neck grip the bullet tighter. For the record, I have loaded my .450 Rigby up to over 2500 ft/ sec with 500gr bullets, and it seems that the bullets are not moving under recoil.


Karl Stumpfe
Ndumo Hunting Safaris www.huntingsafaris.net
karl@huntingsafaris.net
P.O. Box 1667, Katima Mulilo, Namibia
Cell: +264 81 1285 416
Fax: +264 61 254 328
Sat. phone: +88 163 166 9264
 
Posts: 1340 | Location: Namibia, Caprivi | Registered: 11 September 2005Reply With Quote
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I crimp.


Free 500grains
 
Posts: 4900 | Location: Chevy Chase, Md. | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Big Stick:
Mike,

If I crimp at another location along the bullet's shank not in the crimping groove, how does crimping at that location hold the bullet in place?

Thanks,
Kevin


I can't recall who makes it, but there is a bullet cannelure maker available. You can make a cannelure anywhere you wish to crimp.

Would work well for softs, but I would never mess with a solid for fear of introducing a weak point.

JPK


Free 500grains
 
Posts: 4900 | Location: Chevy Chase, Md. | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
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Kevin,

Crimping is simply a form of "lightly crushing" the neck against the shank.

When you don't crimp the bullet is held in place with just neck tension.

When you crimp into a groove the case "rolls" into to the cannelure.

When you crimp against the shank not in the cannelure, you are essentialy hold the bullet in place via "neck tension on steroids". The case is "crushed" against the shank but in a uniform manner.


Mike

Legistine actu quod scripsi?

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.




What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10181 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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I crimp the big stuff because there I believe the slight edge of the case mouth can adversely affect feeding 1% of the time. That is enough for me. The radiused edge of the crimped case mouth cannot help but aid and abet case feeding. I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die on all my lever gun ammo, and the big (fun) stuff.
 
Posts: 153 | Location: Alberta, Canada | Registered: 29 July 2007Reply With Quote
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I shoot all my practice ammo uncrimped, then crimp the final DG hunting loads for that last tiny bit of insurance.
If a bullet won't hold position without a crimp, then there isn't enough neck tension in the first place. Trying to fix that with a crimp is a bandaid solution.
 
Posts: 1928 | Location: Saskatchewan, Canada | Registered: 30 November 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Mike_Dettorre:
Crimp, but remember you don't have to crimp in the crimping groove.

The crimping groove is convenient but you can crimp the bullet anywhere on the shank.

This is only true if you use the Lee crimp die.
Case shoulder bulges result if it's attempted with conventional seater dies [DAMHIK]

BTW, Lee make custom Factory Crimp dies to order.


Cheers,
Doug
 
Posts: 337 | Location: Gippsland, Victoria, Australia | Registered: 02 May 2004Reply With Quote
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Yes I always crimp my .458 Lott ammunition. I do this since several years back I had bullet falling falling out of the cartridge case due to recoil and spilling the powder into the magazine... This happened with the not so very heavy recoiling
.375 H&H.
Cheers, Hans
 
Posts: 140 | Registered: 23 January 2007Reply With Quote
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I crimp all my big stuff, practice and hunting. In some guns, crimped shoots different than non-crimped. I will groove bullets in the lathe if I want a different cannelure position, usually not nessecary......Tom


SCI lifer
NRA Patron
DRSS
DSC
 
Posts: 654 | Location: Denver, Iowa | Registered: 10 June 2009Reply With Quote
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