357 seating/crimp check

[Walkalong]

I’ll kindly suggest you order up a box of Extreme or similar plated or coated .358 SWC and load them over HP-38, Unique or AA# 5 for your mid-range loads. (You don’t want to mega-crimp plated bullets

Good advise, and I also agree on being very careful with the crimp.
I taper crimp all plated bullets, usually lightly, but sometimes heavier.

Light taper crimp on a light .357 Mag with an X-Treme plated SWC.


Light taper crimp on a lightly loaded Berrys 148 Gr HBWC, .38 Spl.


Heavy taper crimp on a full power load with a Powerbond 125 gr HP.


Be sure to test heavy taper crimps on plated, those passed.

 

[Pat Riot]

When I tested 240 and 158 Gr XTPs,

14.5 Grs of 2400 was the sweet spot

I use WST or Competition (Whichever is available, slightly prefer WST, happy with either) for light .357 Mag plinkers, BE-86 for midrange loads, and 240 for full power .357 Mag loads.

Did you mean 2400, not 240?

 

[joneb]

When you say “Lee collet die” do you mean the Factory Crimp Die?

No, this die only applies a collet crimp. https://leeprecision.com/357-magnum-custom-collet-style-crimp-die.html

 

[runner3264]

Looks very good, but if I am to nit pic, seat them a hair deeper, we want the case mouth in the middle/deepest part of the canellure. You have a lot of bearing surface in the case helping the crimp out, which is good, so assuming neck tension is good, you don't need a bear crimp with 2400.

The proper OAL is with the bullet seated as posted, no matter what the book said. Seat to the center of the cannelure and that's the proper OAL with that bullet, and your cases trimmed to whatever length you use.

.32 Mag (Modified roll crimp)
View attachment 1046757

.357 Mag (Roll crimp)
View attachment 1046756
Yep, they look very similar, the cannelure or crimp groove has a lot to do with how a crimp turns out.
The case mouth wants to follow the indention.


.38 Spl (Roll crimp)
View attachment 1046758

.44 Mag
View attachment 1046759

.44 Mag. See how the case mouth took the form of the crimp groove.
View attachment 1046760

Very Nice crimping!!

 

[mdi]

I have seated revolver bullets to the crimp groove or cannalure since I started with a Lee Loader in '69. This was waaay pre web so I didn't have any "internet wisdom" to "guide" me. I figgered the bullet designer knew what he was doing and located the crimp groove/cannelure correctly, and the handload OAL didn't always match the book OAL, so I disregarded the book OAL. I have seated bullets this way for thousands of rounds in 5 calibers with zero problems and variations.

I too would seat the bullets in the pic a little deeper. I like to get the case mouth just a few thousandths below the upper edge of the groove/cannelure so the lip can curl into the groov/cannelure (but some things I'm anal with). I've done some metal forming and am a lifelong machinist/mechanic so I figger this method best achieves the correct function of a crimp groove or cannelure...

 

[Bazoo]

You mentioned what starline states the length as... What does your brass actually measure? New brass often is short. When sized, it will grow slightly. All the starline brass I've used has been just short of or right on their minimum measurement.

My 44 special starline was all short, I ended up trimming it to 1.145 for consistency, compared to the 1.150 I wanted to use. Really, I'd rather trim revolver brass at max or .005 below, but it's rarely that long in my experience.

If you're not trimming, measure about ten, and use the longest piece to set your crimp die.

I aim for 3/4 of the crimp groove. Or maybe 7/8 of it, when setting my seating depth.

 

[.38 Special]

I have seated revolver bullets to the crimp groove or cannalure since I started with a Lee Loader in '69. This was waaay pre web so I didn't have any "internet wisdom" to "guide" me. I figgered the bullet designer knew what he was doing and located the crimp groove/cannelure correctly, and the handload OAL didn't always match the book OAL, so I disregarded the book OAL. I have seated bullets this way for thousands of rounds in 5 calibers with zero problems and variations.

I too would seat the bullets in the pic a little deeper. I like to get the case mouth just a few thousandths below the upper edge of the groove/cannelure so the lip can curl into the groov/cannelure (but some things I'm anal with). I've done some metal forming and am a lifelong machinist/mechanic so I figger this method best achieves the correct function of a crimp groove or cannelure...

I have often written that I am glad I started handloading before the advent of the internet. I think I would have been so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I "had" to know that I wouldn't have even tried.

I honestly can't recall the last time I measured OAL of a revolver round...

 

[Walkalong]

This was waaay pre web so I didn't have any "internet wisdom" to "guide" me. I figgered the bullet designer knew what he was doing and located the crimp groove/cannelure correctly

Yep and yep. I eyeballed factory rounds to get an idea of how a crimp should look.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Get yourself a jeweler's loupe for a close up look at your crimps. Makes life so much easier.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Enforcer is very slow based on most burn rate charts and would do well with a heavy crimp. #9 sure benifits.

I have 30 loaded. Can I seat run them into the seater / crimp die again? Pushing them from the beginning to the middle of the cannelure and giving a heavier crimp?

 

[Walkalong]

Get yourself a jeweler's loupe for a close up look at your crimps. Makes life so much easier.

 

[Bazoo]

I have 30 loaded. Can I seat run them into the seater / crimp die again? Pushing them from the beginning to the middle of the cannelure and giving a heavier crimp?

Maybe, most of the time you can but it's possible you'll buckle the case. Try one and see.

I do it all the time when tweaking the crimp/seating depth using cast bullets. Cast with a beveled crimp groove is pretty forgiving though.

 

[Pat Riot]

No, this die only applies a collet crimp. https://leeprecision.com/357-magnum-custom-collet-style-crimp-die.html

Thank you.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Maybe, most of the time you can but it's possible you'll buckle the case. Try one and see.

I do it all the time when tweaking the crimp/seating depth using cast bullets. Cast with a beveled crimp groove is pretty forgiving though.

Okay, thanks.

 

[joneb]

Dang. I need to seat mine a little deeper.

I think the OP's crimp looks pretty good. I shoot for hiding 60% of the cannalure with a roll only crimp. I like to seat and crimp in separate steps with a heavy roll crimp to minimize bullet nose deformation.

I have 30 loaded. Can I seat run them into the seater / crimp die again?

It will depend on the bullet, with a exposed lead HP you may deform the bullet nose resulting in inconsistent COLs
When a revolver is fired it acts like a inertia bullet puller to the remaining rounds in the cylinder, when testing new reloads I have calipers with me to see if the bullets are staying where I seated them.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

These guys have you covered.

I am now reloading .357 magnums.

Trim to same length is important for consistent results.

My 158 grain cast loads ended up at 1.590 " and 1.580" for the 158 grain XTP's, (+ or- ) all because of the cannelure.

You're there, you'll be good...

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

Did you mean 2400, not 240?

I bet he did.......

I ran out of H240 a couple of years ago. Just sayin'

No wait! I just remembered I have a one pound unopened can with a paper label. Should use that someday.........

and now back to our regularly scheduled program.

 

[Shivahasagun]

These guys have you covered.

I am now reloading .357 magnums.

Trim to same length is important for consistent results.

My 158 grain cast loads ended up at 1.590 " and 1.580" for the 158 grain XTP's, (+ or- ) all because of the cannelure.

You're there, you'll be good...

Same here, once I push them down about .05" more.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Let me save you some trouble and share a great load I stole from @tightgroup tiger, 7.3 Grs BE-86 under a 158 Gr SWC. Save 2400 for full power loads, at which iy is excellent!

Work up of course, but just sayin'.......

This is indeed a very good load! ^^^ Mine is actually 7.2 BE-86 with 158gr lrnfp coated. Another good load you may like is: 6.0gr Universal under same bullet. Merry Christmas!