Are you crimping your .223?

[dispatch55126]

I've got on order (good deal) both 55gr. FMJ with a cannelure and 62gr. FMJ w/o cannelure. The 55gr. are a no brainer but do you crimp bullets w/o cannelures? I've heard both yes and no to this but running it through my AR w/o M4 feed ramps, I don't want the bullet to compress into the case during loading.

Does crimping a non-cannelure bullet affect it in any way?

 

[bullseye308]

50% do and 50% don't. Those that don't say neck tension is all that is needed and it works for them. Those that do, do it just in case and it works for them.

 

[helz_mcfugly]

I dont. buddy does. I see no need. my bud has a lee factory crimp. my rcbs doesnt crimp on the seater die.

 

[dispatch55126]

Okay. I'll try both and see what works.

 

[mallc]

No

I push the bullet against the side of the bench. If it's tight there it won't move in my ARs. I even backed off the crimp I was putting in canneluar rounds; but then, I don't shoot in a jungle, swamp, or desert now.

Scott

 

[Inspector3711]

I use cheapo winnie FMJ's with the cannelure. No crimp needed for bolt action. For an AR I would crimp just for grins.

 

[Uncle Chan]

I crimp all of them.

 

[Steve in PA]

Nope. No crimp on my M1 Garand loads either.

 

[ants]

For semi-auto...

Maybe crimp is the wrong term, I carefully adjust the Factory Crimp Die or the seater die to gently squeeze the neck against the bearing surface of the bullet. No accuracy problems, no setback problems.

I didn't crimp until last year. I seated a bullet a little too long and it jammed into the rifling. I didn't fire the round, but manually ejected it. The bullet stayed in the chamber and spilled powder into the action. I realized that the forces inside the action and the magazine are greater than my force pushing a bullet against the side of the bench.

 

[gdcpony]

I crimp for uniformity. The crimps HELP to insure that the bullets release under the same pressure. Read it somewhere and it seemed to work as I got rid of the last of my "fliers." Also if it goes into a semi auto it's just cheap insurance.

 

[243winxb]

Crimping 223 Remington Reloads

No, i don't crimp. Bullets with a cannelure , ok to crimp, But make sure all brass is trimmed to the same exact length. The trim length may not be as important using a Lee Factory Crimp die, don't know, don't crimp Bullets No Cannelure, No crimp.

 

[rfwobbly]

I have cannelure, but use no crimp.

 

[bullseye308]

Like I said, half do and half don't. For different reasons.

 

[Historian]

IMO, crimping shortens case life. The more you work the brass, the sooner it will fail. For that reason, I do not crimp even for my AR.

Historian

 

[Walkalong]

I crimp all my .223 because I want it to work, and I like that extra little added reliability. All military ammo is crimped for a reason.

When I loaded .223 for accuracy, I did not crimp, nor did I crimp .222 or .222 Mag.

 

[taliv]

i do same as walkalong.

my match ammo (mostly 69 and 80g SMK) are never crimped
my blasting m193 remfg from pulldown stuff is always crimped

 

[rcmodel]

my rcbs doesnt crimp on the seater die.

Bet it does if you adjust it down far enough!

They all do.

rc

 

[30Cal]

Never, except for leveractions and revolvers.

If your bullets are moving excessively when you chamber a round, then your case necks aren't right.

 

[Redhat]

Yes! LFCD