Crimping rifle rounds

[Stinger]

The only rilfe cartridge that I load is 30'06, so I don't have much experience in this area. This information is basically just to satisfy my curiosity.

I have been trying out several different loads recently, nothing too exotic, mainly with the same powder. I differ charges, bullets, seating depths, etc.

One thing that I have never done before is crimp rifle cartridges. So I sat down with some unprimed and resized brass. I seated 3 bullets, and began testing out the crimp, using a Hornady die.

No matter how much I moved the die, I never really saw a crimp. I even screwed the die in so much I buckled a shoulder! I don't have much experience with crimping (as is certainly obvious) so I don't think I know what to look for. I load 357 magnum, and can clearly see the crimp. Is it just easier to see a crimp on a cannelure?

So I guess my question, how much do you guys crimp (if any)? How do you know how much to crimp? Please feel free to add anything else you think might be informative.

Thanks,

Stinger

 

[ocabj]

I don't crimp rifle rounds, even for my Garand. The theory behind crimping is to prevent the bullet from moving due to recoil, in cartridges that are in the magazine. If you do crimp, you need a bullet with a cannelure or you risk deforming the jacket and adversely affecting the bullet accuracy. Even then, bullets with cannelures vary where the cannelure is placed. IE: I have Hornady 150gr .308 FMJBT bullets with a cannelure and load them in .30-06 for the Garand. If I were to seat the bullet to the cannelure, they are way too deep. You can still fire the round safely, but the bullet is too deep for the throat of the M1 Garand and for general .30-06 specs. This results in too much freebore which doesn't help the accuracy.

For the most part, the neck tension should be more than enough to hold the bullet in, even with the recoil of the gun.

If you single load, it definitely is not necessary to crimp.

 

[dakotasin]

i don't crimp rifle cartridges. any of 'em. at all. ever. and i load for about 2 dozen different centerfire rifle cartridges in a couple different platforms (including an ar and a lever)...

if you want a demo of why, get your kinetic bullet puller out and pull a couple bullets. now do the same w/ a handgun cartridge. the rifle bullets are much harder to get out.

 

[ocabj]

if you want a demo of why, get your kinetic bullet puller out and pull a couple bullets. now do the same w/ a handgun cartridge. the rifle bullets are much harder to get out.

Honestly, I feel they are the same. The only round I ever had problems pulling bullets on were blue box Black Hills .223 with 69gr moly coated bullets. Some guy at the range gave me the box because he didn't have the twist for it, but I didn't want to shoot moly in my gun so I was going to pull them for the brass. Those bullets are impossible to kinetic pull. The crimp and neck tension were incredible.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I usually put a very light crimp on my mass produced .223 rounds.

All other rifle rounds do not get crimped.

A buddy of mine that reloads puts a light crimp on his 30-30 rounds as well.

 

[WayneConrad]

I crimp 7.62x39 to the cannelure, because I once had a jacketed soft-point bullet stick on the feed ramp, pushing the bullet deep into the case.

I crimp 7.62x54R to the cannelure, because the M38 recoils enough to occasionally unseat a bullet in the magazine, making the round too long to chamber without jamming the bullet into the lands.

I don't crimp 7.5 Swiss because I haven't yet had any of the problems that cause me to crimp for my other rifle cartridges.

(Added): The crimps on cannelured bullets are easy to see: You can see the case mouth dip into the groove.

 

[30Cal]

I crimp lever action ammo. Everything else (bolt action, M1, M1A) I don't crimp.

Ty