How to crimp .375 H&H reloads?

20 May 2002, 06:44

Ron L

I would like some advice as to how you "crimp" a reload. The recoil in my .375 H&H is such that it "sets back" the AOL of rounds that are in the magazine.

Thanks for any advice that is offered.

20 May 2002, 07:06

Bob338

Depending on the seating die you have you can probably crimp with it. Check your die instructions.

In adjusting a seating die to NOT crimp, you usually bottom the die against the shellholder and back off a turn or more. To crimp, you usually do the same thing except that you must then seat a bullet to find where the cannelure on your bullet will be so that it is at the neck of the case by adjusting the seating plug. You want the bottom of the cannelure to be right at the mouth of the brass. Then you adjust for crimp by screwing the die down a quarter of a turn at a time, testing until you get the necessary crimp into the cannelure. Most dies adjust similarly but check your own die instructions.

As a caution, don't crimp an uncannelured bullet. Also be certain all cases are trimmed to the same length.

[This message has been edited by Bob338 (edited 05-19-2002).]

20 May 2002, 10:15

Atkinson

In many cases when crimping the 375 in the crimping groove you will find the OAL too long, so you then have to trim the case back until the crimp groove of the bullet and the neck lenth all allow the rounds to fit into the magazine..Many of the German and English bolt guns have this short magazine problem, because I believe these guns were originally intended for RN bullets only. It is no biggie to fix if you realize this has to be done.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

20 May 2002, 13:12

Longbob

A Lee Factory Crimping Die will save you a whole bunch of trouble.

20 May 2002, 15:25

Russell E. Taylor

quote:
Originally posted by Longbob:
A Lee Factory Crimping Die will save you a whole bunch of trouble.

Amen, amen, and amen.

Russ

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"Out here, 'due process' is a bullet!" -- John Wayne, "The Green Berets"

21 May 2002, 02:57

<eldeguello>

If you reduce the diameter of the expander button by .002" to .003", you might not have to crimp at all. I did this with a .450 Alaskan, which has more recoil than a .375 H&H, and was able to dispense with all crimping entirely!! Otherwise, the depth of a bullet's crimping groove determines how much crimp you can apply on a jacketed bullet without bulging cases!!

21 May 2002, 03:40

Stonecreek

If your cartridges in the magazine are being shortened by recoil, then the noses must be being battered pretty severly (if they are of the spizter exposed lead variety). I agree that a tighter neck might do you more good than crimping.

If you do decide to crimp, I also highly recommend the Lee crimping die. The Lee die forces you to seat and crimp in two different operations, which you should always do with any die.

It is a big mistake to attempt to set your conventional seating die to seat to final depth and crimp at the same time. This causes the bullet to be forced deeper WHILE the crimp is being applied -- and this can't be good. The nose can be deformed due to the additional pressure required to seat the bullet deeper against an ever-tightening crimp, and the bearing surface of the bullet can be scratched or deformed as the crimp slides over it to come to rest in the cannelure.

I admit that I may be overly sensitive in this area, but if you use a conventional seating die, back it out to seat your bullet to final depth, then go back in a separate operation with the seating stem backed off (or removed) and reset your die body to give the desired crimp.

21 May 2002, 04:02

rick3foxes

I solved this problem for my 375 H&H before it ever happened to me by doing what I heard on this forum - buying a Lee factory crimp die for $8.50.

I wish all problems could be fixed this easily.

Rick.