Loaded up my first batch of .416 Rigby yesterday and noticed that the crimping operation pushes the shoulder back a little. I'm sure this ammo will fire just fine but is it better to do the seating and crimping operations separately with this caliber? The crimp was fairly minimal...
Any other suggestions? This is the first cartridge I've ever loaded with such a sharp shoulder... I used a Hornady 400 gr RN and 96 grains of R22...

I have also had the same problem. Try backing the die off slighty (lessen the amount of crimp) and see if that does the trick. The only other option is to trim the cases to a longer length, so the mouth hits in the die before the shoulder.

I had the same problem with the Rigby in my No.1. It was bulging the base of the shoulder so bad even with a mild crimp that some shells after crimping would not chamber freely (I tried crimping in a separate step and went from no crimp, which chambered fine to just turning in the die 1/8th turn which casued some rounds to bind, to 1/4 turn which called all to bind). The problem was totally solved, even with HEAVY 1/2 turn crimps by getting a Lee Factory Crimp die ($25). It will be the best $25 you'll ever spend.

The Lee is the right answer. I wonder how many customs they'll sell topeople on this forum before it becomes a standard product?

(My 416 Rem is a standard product, but it won't crimp the Rigby.)

Don

Big Bore...Why do you need to crimp for a single shot? I think that's the attraction of the #1...no need to crimp (I have one in .416 Rem Mag)

Good observation. Actually, I left a lot out of my previous post. The bullets had a crimp groove so I wanted to put the case mouth into the groove really just to close the gap that was left there. When I seated the bullet to where I wanted it (.050" off the lands, Barnes X bullets), it alligned with the crimp groove and left quite a large gap between the case mouth and the bullet. Barnes cuts their crimp groove quite deeply and I was concerned dirt could get in the space and cause a scratched bore. Crimping in this case was purely for cosmetic reasons, and as you noticed, you sure do not need to crimp for recoil reasons on a single shot. However, last year I got a M77 in 416 Rigby also and have been using the Crimp die for it for the obvious reasons, and it has been working just as well.

I am having the same problem with my Rigby mys shoulders are getting pushed back, they are still chambering and fireing however can this damage your gun shooting bullets with shoulders set back??.

I live in Australia and want to get one of those lee crimp dies and am wondering if you can order one on line somewhere??

Regards PC

Any help appreciated

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PC
You cannot order on line. You must send one or two loaded dummy cartridges for them to custom make the die. I cannot remember if it is one or two rounds you have to send in but they tell you that somewhere on their web page I think. It takes about 4 or 5 weeks to get the die back stateside, but expect it to take longer since you are down under. In my rifle's case I was not really setting the shoulder back which would create a headspace problem, which could be moderately dangerous, but rather bulging the bottom of the shoulder so the round would not chamber easily any more, and some not at all.

Big Bore do you send your crimped ones or uncrimped, I think I am bulging the bottom of my shoulder as well, I am not sure, but they look different to my first lot of uncrimped rounds.

Regards PC.

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Ihad the same problem with the bulged shoulder,so what I did was seat my bullets to a little past center on the cannelure, back out my seating stem , run the die down 2 full turns,run the cartridge in to the die untill it stops on the rim of the case. I then apply even preasure till I feel the case mouth give way till it stops. It gives me a firm solid crimp every time and no buldged shoulder.

PaulK