I've just started trying these out. Anyone have experience loading these, particularly in .357 and .44 mag? They have no cannelure to roll crimp to and you must taper crimp. How much taper crimp with Lee taper crimp dies?

Get a Lee factory crimp die and forget about how much taper or roll.

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RC

The factory crimp dies definitely deform this type of bullet and will put a crease in. It affects accuracy. I'm looking for someone who has actually tried the Rainiers with taper crimp dies of any type. Rainier does not recommend a "factory crimp" with their type of bullet, only a taper crimp.

I used some of their hollow points in my Springfield Armory 1911A1 .45acp. I used a taper crimp with good success as far as holding the bullets in the case. However, they would not feed reliably. I tried different seating depths to no avail. The money I thought I was saving went right out the window! I ended up hand feeding my 45 just to get rid of the things. Perhaps they will work in a revolver?

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From my cold, dead hands!
Thanks Chuck!

I've shot some as "plinker" loads in 44 before - used a roll crimp though. IIRC, the manufacturer recommends against pushing these past a certain velocity, so I went away from them in my magnum pistols...

Regards,

Kevin

We've used these for target loads in 9mm and .45ACP with excellent results. I bought some of the 300 gr. Rainiers and will load with 16 gr. of Accurate No. 9. It's not realy high velocity, but we though it would make a great target load. I'm just concerned about the type of crimp with no cannelure.

Using a separate Hornday taper crimp die in the final stage on my Dillon 550, we have had absolutely no feed problems with the Rainier RN or JHP. This is in many semi-auto's, Glocks, Smith .45's, Para P-12 and P-14, and Springfield .45's. I have not tried the flat points and expect that feed ramp problems might occur like they do with certain short, flat-nose semi-wadcutters. The wadcutters with the longer style H&G nose feed fine also.

Back to the .44 mag. Rainiers. They recommend a taper crimp, because there is no cannelure on the .44 and .357. I tried a Lee taper crimp die in the final stage, but am concerned about bullet deforming. I adjusted according to Lee, and when I pulled the bullet it definitely has a slight indentation around the bullet from the end of the case. Maybe this in normal with these soft swaged lead bullets, but I'm not sure.

I think the problem is the Lee Taper Crimp die. It does not seem to work the same as my Hornady's. I would have pruchased Hornday, but they don't make a taper crimp die in .44 mag.

Hey, maybe the Lee factory crimp die will work in the final stage, but they only recommend a taper.

Well . . . I just talked with Rainier. They said that on both the .357 and .44 to taper crimp enough so that when you pull the bullet, you do see a slight impression from the taper made by the end of the case. That is exactly what they want is for you to basically form your own cannelure into the soft bullet.

The first ones we loaded were correct. He did say that loading for semi-auto's like 9 and 45 to use a normal crimp with no bite into the bullet, just a normal good taper.

I'm going to continue to load and test 20-30 rounds at the range.

I'm very impressed with their 9mm and .45ACP plated bullets so far. Very accurate. Just make sure to get the RN at first to assure the feed ramp in your pistol will handle the round ok. I've found that the round nose and hollow point Rainiers to both feed well. I've not tried the flat points and probably won't in the semi-autos.

I've used the Rainer bullets in .45 ACP and a LEE factory crimp with no trouble whatsoever, except that I originally seated them too shallow and they wouldn't cycle. The angle on the bullet is shallower than the PMC FMJ fatory loads I started with. After adjusting seating down, perfect results, even with a "firm" crimp.

I think you're supposed to stay under 1,250 FPS. They tend to deposit a little more copper than jacketd, but other than that are as good as any other standard bullet.

Eddie