Hi I am new to reloading and this forum. I finally got all my lee precision equipment a few days ago. Tuesday I will get my powder primers and bullets. I am reloading 357 mag for my Ruger Blackhawk. I wanted to get a feel for every die before I filled a case with powder and got a bullet seated. I have tons of empties so I figured i could waste a few. Anyways i got Lees 3 die carbide pistol set. It has a bullet seater and roll crimper but no factory crimp die. I followed instructions in the Modern reloading book. I deprimed and sized all my cases. I checked case length and none of them needed trimmed. I chamfered the outside just in case. I took about 10 empty 357 cases after the resize and set the flare die to specs. I touched the sheel holder and backed off one turn. I measured all the case mouths on these 10 shells with a dial caliper and they were all the same. I moved my flaring die in 1/4 turn at a time until I got .001 flare on the case mouth for bullet seating. Then I flared the other 9. I then screwed in my bullet seater roll crimp die to specs. I installed a shell and maxed out my ram. Then I screwed the seating die in till it contacted the shell. I lowered my ram and turned the die in an additional 1/2 turn which according to the book, Modern Reloading, would be a light crimp. I found that none of the shells want to crimp because it feels like the flare of the mouth hits the crimp shoulder inside the die. It just feels like it hits a wall. Once in a while if I kept lowering and raising my ram it would "hit" just right and go in for the crimp. But for the most part once the case mouth hit the crimp shoulder it dead ended and wouldn't go any further to crimp unless I put enough pressure then I buckled the case on some. I tried some 38 special rds and adjusted the die with them without flaring them first and every one crimped nicely. Also some of 357 cases when I finally got them to crimp had a uneven crimp. Can anyone tell me what gives. I only screwed the flare die in until I got my very first signs of a crimp. Is my problems caused because I was doing empty practice cases. In other words if I was actually doing the loading and was seating a bullet would that change the way the die performed due to the bullet stretching the case to match the flare? I just wanted to eliminate problems like this before I got a round fully loaded and ruined it with a bad crimp then had to ruin a lead bullet removing it to scavenge the powder. I believe if I didn't flare the case the case would crimp in the die but I have to flare ever so slightly to start my bullet without shaving as I will be reloading lead.

Don't worry to much about measuring the flair, you only want enough so that you can start a bullet without shaving lead off the side (or crushing the case).
Champhering the outside took away some of the metal the die uses to make the crimp.
When I set up a seat/crimp die, I leave the S/C die high enough that it won't contact the case, than run a case with bullet all the way up with the ram. Adjusting the seating stem until I get the OAL where I want it. Now back off the seating stem 1/4 inch (or so) and adjust the die body down to get the amount of crimp you desire. With the crimped round back in the die, screw the seating stem down until it's tight on the bullet. Your now set up.
If you get a 7/8's washer that's .100 thick you won't need to re-adjust the flare and S/C dies when switching between 38spl and 357mag (use the washer when doing the mags.
One last thing, get a different manual. One without all the BS propaganda, and a lot better data.

I am going with load data for Alliants bullseye powder right off their website. Cory

I too have a set of Lee .357mag. dies that I use for loading the .38spl. as well as a set of RCBS dies for the .357mag. In both instances I get much better results by seating the bullets first, THEN adjusting the die downward to roll crimp. One must, of course, move the seating stem to its highest position or remove it entirely.

For loading information on calibers that I plan on using a lot I order the respective book from Loadbooks. They copy the information from all the major powder and bullet manufacturers for individual calibers and put them in small books. You get complete info for the caliber you need without paying for information on calibers you don't.

Good luck,
Ruger#1

You don't say what kind of Press you have. You were giveing good advice so I will not add to that. If you have a turret press with room for a crimp die do it it's the best $10.00 you can spend. If you are trying to seat and crimp in one step you must crimp at the very end of the stroke. The addvise you were give is corect 1st get your overall lenght with no crimp back out the seating steam know keep working the die down till you get desired crimp, when that is done leave ram in the up position adn turn seating stem till is tuches the bullett you are know ready to go. If you are just loading lead for practice with a fast powder you will not need much of a crimp (bulleye hp38 w231 ext.)If you are trying to make some 357 mag loads useing some slower burning powders you will need a very heavey crimp & this is were the factory crimp die is the best. Hope this helps & have fun reloading. I guess I did give some advice.