[Bax*]

Given Al's crummy experience with his AR blowing up (see here: http://utahwildlife.net/forum/18-firearms-reloading/173633-my-ar-blew-up-2-a.html) I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread on how to properly crimp bullets for those that are starting to reload.

Here is an ok video that helps explain how to crimp:

Feel free to throw up any other information that you think would be helpful.

 

[wyogoob]

...............................................

Feel free to throw up any other information that you think would be helpful.

OK

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/18-firearms-reloading/167370-crimping-rifle-bullets.html

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[DallanC]

http://www.accuratereloading.com/crimping.html

Their test showed crimped bullets are more accurate. They tested 223, 243 and 308 calibers with bullets that do not have a crimp.

-DallanC

 

[Al Hansen]

Good job guys. Be safe everyone.

 

[Bax*]

Goob, did you feel left out? :high5:

 

[wyogoob]

Goob, did you feel left out? :high5:

Actually I was thinking about the ass-eating one-eye got for redundant threads.

.

 

[Bax*]

Lol. Very vivid description Goob.

 

[DallanC]

Actually I was thinking about the ass-eating one-eye got for redundant threads.

.

Please tell me that is a typo. -O,-

-DallanC

 

[wyogoob]

http://www.accuratereloading.com/crimping.html

Their test showed crimped bullets are more accurate. They tested 223, 243 and 308 calibers with bullets that do not have a crimp.

-DallanC

Yeah, SS put that up in another thread on crimping rifle bullets a little while ago. see: http://utahwildlife.net/forum/18-firearms-reloading/167370-crimping-rifle-bullets.html

As stated in that thread I've duplicated some bolt action reloads that I have some good chrono data, but added a crimp with a Lee factory crimp die this time. My eyesight is giving me fits so comparing "before and after crimp" targets is not valid, but I can compare chrono readings. (And I was shooting with my eyes closed back then. Now I'm shooting with my eyes open.) I'm going to do 250 Savage, 308, and 25-06 in that order. Just haven't taken the time to do so.

There's not much spread in chronograph readings on factory ammo, crimped factory ammo of course. Most all non-monolithic factory ammo is crimped by the way. I have a hard time getting my non-crimped load chrono readings as consistent as the factory crimped rounds. And yes I'm doing all the reloading things down to 6 decimal points, so please don't go there. So I'm crimping some bolt action reloads to see if I can narrow the fps spread.

I grew up in the part of the country, and at a time, where pump and semi-autos rifles were the norm. All factory ammo was crimped and those that reloaded crimped everything. Course we were a bunch a hillbillies; ate liver, whole birds, roots n berries.

.

 

[wyogoob]

I don't think we can have too many land grab threads.

Please tell me that is a typo. -O,-

-DallanC

No, go to the locked-up land-grab threads.

My crimping thread had over 4000 hits, like 19 pages, but only cause Karl was knee-deep in it. Then Karl left and my crimping thread died. I was going to revive it after I shot the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of newly crimped bullets, destined for bolt-action rifles.

I crimp a lot because I have semi-autos, tubular magazine rifles, big revolvers, and a brain. So I have a lot of stories to share about what can go wrong by not crimping ammo for certain weapons. All anecdotal, but it's not the story, it's how you tell it that sells. :grin: Anyway, things are slow around here after the HUGE immigration of disgruntled UWN members to MM so I was gonna put up some near-death lack-of-crimping stories that no one would read. Then along comes my ole buddy Al Hansen and rooins it. Geezus, he pushes an un-crimped bullet into the case, blows up his receiver. Gawd, then he posts pictures of it. I can't compete with that, pictures are just not fair.

Outside of sharpening lawn mower blades there's nothing more personally fulfilling than reloading. So if it takes a little longer to reload that's all the better. Slow down for Kriste's sake; roll crimp, taper crimp, factory crimp, or crimp just to piss off someone on an outdoor forum.

.

 

[wyogoob]

Is crimping bad? see: http://utahwildlife.net/forum/18-firearms-reloading/167370-cri

Let me warn ya, guys are gonna get on here and....uh....waitaminute, what crimping thread am I on? Mine or Bax*s? oh....Bax*'s, OK.

Let me tell ya, guys are gonna come on here and say that crimping is going to ruin yer brass. Well they're right, you'll prolly only get 6 loadings out of it instead of 12. That's with a roll crimp though. :smile:

I have to admit factory crimps are segmented and don't "iron out" so well when resizing. That's OK on factory ammo cause it usually needs to be trimmed after the first firing anyway, but not so OK when using a Lee factory crimp die on brass that's already been trimmed.

ooh, top of the page!

.

 

[wyogoob]

No, go to the locked-up land-grab threads.

My crimping thread had over 4000 hits, like 19 pages, but only cause Karl was knee-deep in it. Then Karl left and my crimping thread died. I was going to revive it after I shot the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of newly crimped bullets, destined for bolt-action rifles.

I crimp a lot because I have semi-autos, tubular magazine rifles, big revolvers, and a brain. So I have a lot of stories to share about what can go wrong by not crimping ammo for certain weapons. All anecdotal, but it's not the story, it's how you tell it that sells. :grin: Anyway, things are slow around here after the HUGE immigration of disgruntled UWN members to MM so I was gonna put up some near-death lack-of-crimping stories that no one would read. Then along comes my ole buddy Al Hansen and rooins it. Geezus, he pushes an un-crimped bullet into the case, blows up his receiver. Gawd, then he posts pictures of it. I can't compete with that, pictures are just not fair.

Outside of sharpening lawn mower blades there's nothing more personally fulfilling than reloading. So if it takes a little longer to reload that's all the better. Slow down for Kriste's sake; roll crimp, taper crimp, factory crimp, or crimp just to piss off someone on an outdoor forum.

.

Speaking of factory crimp dies, Lee Precision cannot make a custom factory crimp die for the 256 Winchester Magnum. "The case is too short"

.

 

[reb8600]

I have never crimped for any rifles including my AR's and have put thousands of rounds through them. Pistol I do. On rifle it might get a very slight one at the time the bullet is seated but nothing else.

 

[Al Hansen]

I have never crimped for any rifles including my AR's and have put thousands of rounds through them. Pistol I do. On rifle it might get a very slight one at the time the bullet is seated but nothing else.

Me to reb. I have owned this rifle since 2008. Shot thousands of my uncrimped reloads through it. I have owned Colts also. Same deal , no crimp. It only took one to change my mind. No AR is warrantied if your shooting reloads. Your rifle, your choice .

 

[reb8600]

Understand completely that it can happen. Who knows maybe I will start playing with it.

 

[.45]

I used to crimp...:smile:

 

[KineKilla]

Let me tell ya, guys are gonna come on here and say that crimping is going to ruin yer brass. Well they're right, you'll prolly only get 6 loadings out of it instead of 12. That's with a roll crimp though. :smile:

.

6 Loadings !? I'm lucky to get 4 shots before my cases start to show signs of case-head separation. In fact, I mark all my cases now with a number so I know to throw them in the garbage brass bucket after the 4th shot.

This has been a factor in my .270's more than my 7mm but I don't like to take chances. I neck size the 270 brass now after the first firing but still don't go past 4 shots.

I crimp my pistol and .223/5.56 loads but none of the others. I don't like the though of roll crimping my rifle rounds, but may look into a taper crimp or factory crimp die for those in the future.

 

[Bax*]

6 Loadings !? I'm lucky to get 4 shots before my cases start to show signs of case-head separation. In fact, I mark all my cases now with a number so I know to throw them in the garbage brass bucket after the 4th shot.

This has been a factor in my .270's more than my 7mm but I don't like to take chances. I neck size the 270 brass now after the first firing but still don't go past 4 shots.

I crimp my pistol and .223/5.56 loads but none of the others. I don't like the though of roll crimping my rifle rounds, but may look into a taper crimp or factory crimp die for those in the future.

Most .223 brass that I load seems to get about 4 as well. But I also full length size the brass for my AR. Beyond 4 loads and odds are that I will get cracked necks.

The primer pockets seem to give up pretty quick in .223 as well.

 

[wyogoob]

closet crimpers are coming out

6 Loadings !? I'm lucky to get 4 shots before my cases start to show signs of case-head separation. In fact, I mark all my cases now with a number so I know to throw them in the garbage brass bucket after the 4th shot.

This has been a factor in my .270's more than my 7mm but I don't like to take chances. I neck size the 270 brass now after the first firing but still don't go past 4 shots.

I crimp my pistol and .223/5.56 loads but none of the others. I don't like the though of roll crimping my rifle rounds, but may look into a taper crimp or factory crimp die for those in the future.

A closet crimper? :smile:

I was kinda being sarcastic about getting the 12 re-loadings. That's tough to do if you full length size and I'm assuming most of those here FL size. I neck size a lot and normally get more loadings out of my brass than if full length sizing.

Roll crimping can be a pain. I do a lot of revolvers so I'm use to it. A collet-type crimp, like made with the Lee Factory Crimp Die, is easy, more goof-proof, but it's tough on the last 0.005" to 0.010" of the cartridge mouth.

Interesting that you bring up the 270. I'll never use all the 30-yr old un-crimped 130 gr Core-Lokts 270 reloads I have, good grief. They're all FL sized, not any longer than the recommended COL. They cycle well whether in my bolt action or pump. FL sized 270s can be a little "stretchy" so later I went to neck sizing, and for bolt actions went to moving the bullet out closer to the hole some. But pump rifles can be troublesome to stroke sometimes so cartridges for pumps work best if they're FL sized and not too much longer than the recommended max length.

Using flat base projectiles like the old Rem Core-Lokts, Partitions, or others popular back in my "era", puts a lot of the bullet in the long-necked 270 brass. There's plenty of neck tension there so I don't crimp pointy 270 bullets like for most other pump rifles.

I do crimp the 270 round nose bullets though; force of habit I guess. A round nose bullet doesn't go up the ramp on a pump as freely as a pointy bullet does. If you're excited and jam a cartridge a lot of bad things can happen to an un-crimped bullet when you're trying to dislodge it from the receiver....uh...don't ask me how I know that.

I'll shut up, prolly not many on the UWN using round nose bullets in their 270. :smile:

I'm putting some feelers out for my next reloading thread; neck sizing vs full length sizing. It's gonna be a goodun', I can feel it. I'm talking 30 pages, 45 pages if Bax* duplicates my thread.

.

 

[DallanC]

I'll shut up, prolly not many on the UWN using round nose bullets in their 270. :smile:

.

I think I have a box of 180gr Barnes "Original" bullets in .277 cal kicking around somewhere. Bought them when I was a teenager and thought they'd be cool.

Ugliest bullets ever made. Probably should crimp them with vice grips.

-DallanC