Setting my rifle rounds and it kept going from too long to to short in the most minute turns of the die. Kept measuring and measuring using cannelure bullets and finally without me realizing it was happening I saw the bullet move when measuring. All in the cannelure, which I’ve never had a problem with before. I could push and pull it in easily which made me realize I needed a crimping die. Is that all that does is crimp or is it a reloading station. Never mind I can look it up on the phone I hold🤦♂️
Theres a general consensus that only semi and lever guns need to be crimped. But the responses are different depending on several factors including bullet type. Hell it takes a second so I crimp my 300 Win Mags but all my bullets have cannelures. If they dont I dont crimp. But thats just me. Im sure the gods who think they know everything will dispute even that point.
I got into a heated discussion with someone on this topic relating to .308 Winchester. So I called Sierra, Hornady, and Barnes. Short version: if it doesn’t have a cannelure, don’t crimp. If it does have a cannelure, a taper crimp is optional. For any tube magazine rifle (a subset of lever actions), a crimp probably is prudent.
Maybe someone can comment on this, I usually don’t crimp but when I so ( I don’t have a crimp die) I will throw my sizing die back in the press, remove the decapping pin, and run the bullet up until a barely feel the case neck start engaging the die, when I pull it down there will be that same nice little shiny ring and a nice light crimp (I think) on the mouth of the brass. Am I wrong for doing this ?
