For several years, I have reloaded Hornady bullets in my rifle. Always more than pleased with the results. Recently, a friend was checking my rounds, and noticed that I don't crimp on the interlock ring. He thought that was odd and it got me to thinking...should I crimp on that ring or not? I seat the bullet deeper in the case so that I don't even see that ring. Thanks in advance for any and all opinions. 139 gr. Hornady SST in 7mm STW. Primarily hunting whitetails.

I don't crimp for bolt guns I do crimp for tubular magazine lever guns.

If it’s worked for several years, what do you hope to gain by changing it?

If it was a heavy rifle, or as mentioned, a tubular magazine, then crimping might gain you something.

I’d leave it be. The cannulure is not a must crimp here thing.

With an SST I presume you use a bolt action rifle. Crimping is unecessary so long as neck tension sufficiently holds the bullet in it's seated position. If heavy recoil was making the bullet seat deeper into the neck ( i.e. cartridges in the magazine under recoil ) then crimping might help. But in 99% of situations that won't be happening anyway. If everything so far has been hunky dory just carry on as usual.

no need to crimp except with tubular magazines,pistols, double rifles, but if recoil is seating your bullets back your better off getting a smaller expnder ball in your reloading die to get another thousands or two to snug up the neck tension on the bullet..Another good trick is to use a powder that causes some compaction, usually powder that will fill half way up the neck will work. Too much compaction isn't recommended...

You should strive to seat a bullet one caliber deep in the case if your magazine and throat allow it otherwise seat deep enough to work thru your magazine and throat..seating bullets beyond the cannalure is never a good idea..

Ive found HOrnady Interlocks to be about as good a bullet as one can use, Ive used them on most African and NA game at one time or another, short of Elephant, Hippo, and of course Rhino if one gets the opertunity, I never have, nor do I care to.

I wouldn’t crimp the cannelure anyways. I would buy a Lee Reloading Factory Crimp die in your chosen caliber.

The cannelure is NOT the interlock ring. The interlock ring is actually down much closer to the base. And no, you dont have to crimp.

Check with the benchrest boys to see how many of them crimp their case mouths. That will tell you something about the effect of crimping on accuracy.

When you do find a situation (tubular magazine, extra heavy recoil, whatever) that indicates crimping is needed NEVER EVER do the bullet seating and crimping in one operation with a conventional seating die. Think about it. If you set the crimping ring to engage the case mouth as the bullet is seated then you are necessarily both crimping and pushing the bullet deeper at the same time. This cannot help but scar the bullet.

The proper method is to back the die off so that you first seat the bullet to the desired depth, then raise or remove the seating stem, reset the die to provide the desired amount of crimp, then run the cartridge back through the die to execute the crimp. This way the bullet isn't forced to move as it is being squeezed by the crimping ring.

Or, you can do two operations with a separate seating die and a dedicated crimping die like the Lee product.

quote:

double rifles

Not according to Graham Wright. Regardless, I crimp everything with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. At least it gives me the impression of uniform neck tension..There was a study here on AR (might still be there) on the effects of crimping and accuracy and the test showed a slight increase in accuracy with crimped bullets.

I started crimping for a 444 Marlin I was using with the Beartooth Hard Cast, using the LEE FCD. I then crimped the Barnes I was using in other rifles, and I liked the results. Then, just for grins, I thought I would crimp "everything", ha and I have no complaints! Admittedly, I haven't really shot for accuracy past 600 yds, but I was fine up to there in several calibers. When I started handloading, I used to trim all my cases every time and use the FL Die crimp method, crimping in the cannelure. Then I went decades crimping only for the big ones, as mentioned, but the Beartooths liked being a certain distance from the lands on that Marlin. The owner suggested the FCD and I have been "happy" ever since, ha.

Crimping is an option, Not a bad idea to try it both ways on every gun one uses..sometimes it works like a charm giving you better accuracy, sometimes not..There is no yes or no with such questions...most that do not crimp, just accepted the fact that its just no good, but have no bases of fact, and it works both ways..

Try it and see how you like it, mostly accuracy wise, if you get better or the same then crimp, never hurt a thing.

I seldom crimp, but I always finish up accuracy testing with a three crimped rounds to see what happens..

I use a crimp on the big bore rounds as a rule. 458 and up, that's going to Africa or Alaska for bear..thats about it as a rule.

I do like the Lee taper crimp die, if you can talk them in to making you one for your big bores.