21 August 2003, 04:59
Richard WayneTO CRIMP OR NOT TO CRIMP
I have noticed some reloader's loading .300 RUM.s DO NOT, crimp there there bullet's, yet the Hornady reload manual say's that you should with magnum rifle's that are using slow burning powder, would like some advice on which way to go , as i am just starting to reload for my 300 rum. thank's: Rick.
21 August 2003, 05:37
krakyYou'll get a million diverse opinions on this. Some will say it helps accuracy and others will say not. I would say in general it would be a slight majority that say it helps just ever so slightly. I don't know if lee makes a factory crimp die yet for the 300 rum but if they do it will be first class and real reasonable so I'd say give it a try. Personally I reload for 300 wby and 340 wby and do not crimp nor do I feel a need to do so. Good luck
I crimp all ammo that is to be fired out of a lever action. As far as bolt guns I've had some that shot better with a crimp but if the bullet has no cannelure you'll have to taper or factory crimp as you can damage the bullet. The Lee factory crimp dies have worked very well for me. Best thing is to try both ways and see which works best for your rifle.
25 August 2003, 06:09
<Bill T>I am a firm believer in crimping. Especially since the Lee Factory Crimp Die came out. I have one in most every caliber that I reload for. They work very well, and you cannot collapse a case with one. In straight walled pistol calibers they have a Carbide resizer ring installed in them to assure all your loads will chamber in any gun. Bill T.
28 September 2003, 10:32
NotRicochetThe Lee Factory Crimp Die works just fine for uncannelured bullets or bullets not seated to the cannelure. As for bullet damage, all you're doing is creating a cannelure the same way the factory cannelures them, only a bit shallower. If this is "damage," the rifling is "damaging" them on firing, too. In my rifles they shoot very accurately. Richard Lee states in his book something to the effect that Vernon Speer put out the warning against using Speer bullets with Lee's crimper due to a personal animosity. There seems to be some bad blood between them. At any rate, I crimp into uncannelured Speer 200 grain spitzer bullets regularly in my .300 Weatherby Magnum, shoot 1" and below 100 yard groups regularly with them, and nothing bad's happened to me yet.
28 September 2003, 20:13
OddballI crimp nothing in my bolt action rifles. Lever action and semi-autos, all get crimped.
28 September 2003, 20:16
<OTTO>I crimp all handgun ammo. The bolt guns get no crimp.
29 September 2003, 10:54
artyI crimp all handgun ammo, and all cartridges for leverguns also. I have a .338WM that I seat the bullet so far out, the groove is a long way from the case mouth. I have never had any problems.
29 September 2003, 11:10
stubblejumperI find it totally unecessary to crimp any of my loads including the ultramags.My hunting rifles are all bolt actions.
[ 09-29-2003, 02:10: Message edited by: stubblejumper ]30 September 2003, 19:23
TinyI have to date never crimped any ammo that will be used in my Bolt Actions inclueding the 300 RUM.
Lever Action and Handguns do get crimped.
But I have thought about trying the Lee Crimper just to see if crimping does make a difference.
[ 09-30-2003, 10:24: Message edited by: Tiny ]01 October 2003, 05:13
GimpyActually the Lee die BODIES are not cartridge- specific, only the actuating parts. For instance, a 7 Rem Mag. case will fit in my 243 Win crimper (and neck-sizer) body. I can use the 243 Win die to crimp 6mm Rem cases by backing the die out the right amount and using a spacer I made from a nut which I drop over the 6mm case to contact the actuator on the bottom of the die. A little slower, but works fine. This also works great for me with the Lee neck-sizer in the same caliber. My guess is the '06 in a 308 Win die'd work, also, in the same manner. Not sure if the RUM's specifically would fit these dies, however, don't have one.
01 October 2003, 09:41
NotRicochetTotally unnecessary, sure. But it can work well and sometimes seems to work better than not crimping. It's another variable to experiment with.
IMO the roll crimps included in most seating dies are so variable they're worse than doing nothing, but not so with the Lee collet crimper.