crimping

[whitehackle]

What are the pro's / con's of crimping your bullets into place?

 

Iv heard to crimp all hunting ammo but dose this affect accuracy at all?

 

thanks

[v-max]

Theres not alot to read about crimping ammo try Lee web site for a more in depth idea of it.

I personally crimp all my ammo & you shouldent crimp bullets with out a crimp groove either but i do. As by the time you seat your bullet depth your not near the bullet's crimp groove in my rifles & other bullets i use dont have but i only give a light crimp. As you stated hunting ammo should be done as recoil act's like a bullet puller to ammo in your mag.

Crimping can be very effective as it gives you an even consisstant start pressure so they clame & i have found it to be slightly more accurate in some loads compared with the non crimped rounds in the same loads.

[Harnser]

Here we go . I have been loading my own ammo for many ,many years and have always crimped both rifle and pistol ammo . The main reason being,that to crimp will give you uniform neck tension .Neck tension is one of the anomallys of home loading that can be over come by simply putting a light crimp on your bullets .

 

Over the years I have experimented with crimping and not crimping and can assure you that crimping will give you a more accurate round . Of this I am absolutely convinced . The Lee company will say that most long range acuracy records are held by shooters who crimp their bullets with a lee factory crimp die .

 

Lastly all bullets can be crimped and you dont need a crimping grove to crimp into . When a bullet leaves the barrel of a rifle or pistol after being squeezed through the barrel there is no sign of the crimping grove in the the bullet .

 

Try some crimped and some not crimped and I bet you will come back on here and agree with what I have said .

 

Harnser .

[Vince Green]

Its a very complicated subject and there are no hard and fast rules. If in doubt go for a light crimp and no more. Some rounds benefit from a strong crimp but I know no way of telling which will and which won't.

 

Some pistol rounds with slow burning powders loved a good crimp but for rifles as a general rule go for light crimping unless you know something different. After you have settled on a good load by all means experiment then.

 

Case neck tension is very closely allied to crimp and variations between cases of different makes can have more of an effect than the crimp.

 

Benchrest shooters who probably represent the cutting edge of reloading accuracy generally favour no crimp at all but they only load their rifles one round at a time.

 

I am more than willing to be shot down in flames by anyone who has a different view on this subject because its one of those subjects that the more you do it the less you realise you know about it.

 

I would love to know what others think so don't spare my feelings on the subject.

[macca]

Hi,

Crimping is very necessary in tube feed guns (winchester lever guns for example) where recoil may force the projectile into the case while in the magazine . It may be an advantage for large capacity cases with large projectiles where recoil is heavy. For a 223 243 22/250 etc not necessary at all if you have good quality well prepared brass. The neck sizing buttons in both neck and full size dies give a uniform inside neck diameter and if the neck wall thickness is consistent then neck tension should be consistent. Crimping may help poor brass perform better but on the downside may deform thin jacketed projectiles. I shoot a lot of rounds both at the range and in the field and dont crimp any of my rounds.

Cheers