223 Crimp Die ?

[Bullet]

What die do you use to crimp bullets (223 for semi-auto) without a cannelure? Taper crimp or Lee factory crimp or other?

 

[Northwest Cajun]

I use a Lee factory crimp die on my Dillon 550.

cajun

 

[Tory]

Same here

And a Dillon carbide die for sizing.

 

[ftierson]

Get a Lee Factory Crimp Die and any others you have will end up gathering dust.

 

[oscar]

I agree with the Lee.

 

[candt]

I load for my AR, and I dont crimp the bullets. Before I started loading for .223, I purchased a Lee FCD, and I havent used it yet, should probably sell it.

 

[30Cal]

I don't crimp bullets for boltguns or semi-autos.

Ty

 

[Valkman]

I'm pretty new to loading .223, but while setting up my Redding dies in my 550B I was reading the Redding instructions and they say never to crimp bullets without a cannelure. The bullets I'm using have a cannelure so I'm using a Lee FCD.

 

[Black Snowman]

+1 to what Valkman said.

 

[Reed1911]

Really, if the bullet does not have a cann. and you are not having setback when the bullet chambers, there is no reason to crimp. If you are using high end bullets (Berger for example) they would cry to hear you crimping those.
Many companies spend a lot of money and effort to ensure the jackets are the same thickness and perfectly round, crimping can reduce accuracy.
Now, crimping also changes the way in which your pressure curve runs as well. Sometimes you will find with a particular load, that crimping will increase the velocity (not much), burn cleaner, and be more accurate. This is all subject to a lot of R&D on your part, so take it as you will.

 

[Kamicosmos]

I echo the don't crimp without a cannulature. (sp)

I did play around with it, and if I remember correctly, my accuracy suffered because of it. (non-cann'ed) bullets.

That said, I do have a Lee crimp die, and when the bullet has a cann, like the sierra match kings, I'll crimp those. (But my particular gun hates those bullets, so ...)

 

[taliv]

i dunno. for matches, i definitely don't crimp. even if sierra made match bullets with a cannelure, i wouldn't crimp.

but for my normal blasting rounds, i'd crimp with or without a cannelure. as a habit, i buy imi 55g fmjbt and they have a cannelure, so it's not a problem for me.

however, for my 45acp i use hornady xtp, which don't have a cannelure, but still get a crimp.

obviously, OVERcrimping is bad, but i dont' think a little crimp will hurt for non-match stuff and if i was making rounds that i planned to shoot rapidly, i'd sure crimp them. but, really, that's an entirely different problem. i mean, i seat all these way, way far away from the throat.