crimping 6.5 cases

[Cowboyga]

I'm waiting for my upper from Alexander

what are y'all doing about crimping your brass after seating bullets

some are crimping for AR's some are not

[Variable]

A lot of guys here don't crimp and just rely on neck tension instead. That being said.... I'm not one of those guys.

I crimp everything whether it's really necessary or not. I use the Lee factory crimp die (Lee "FCD"), and it works great in my experience.

[Rust]

I don't crimp, but I'm also in CA so the most I ever have in a mag is ten rounds, and usually just five so I'm not really worried about set back. I'm also not real interested in crimping grooves into the uncanelured bullets I'm generally shooting and hoping they still shoot straight but that may be unwarranted paranoia on my part.

[Bwild97]

I also crimp every caliber I load for. I have Hornady dies, and use the seating die to add a light taper crimp to my Grendel loads.

[stokesrj]

I've extensively tested crimping for accuracy and set back. It doesn't do anything for accuracy and also doesn't hurt accuracy if all cases are the same length so that neck tension is the same. Even on non channelured bullets, and with the case mouth driven into the diameter of the bullet, it didn't hurt accuracy. There were some seemingly beneficial effects to accuracy with some powders like Bechmark with light bullets but what I found was the same benefits came with increasing neck tension as well, so it wasn't the crimp that improved accuracy it was the tighter hold on the bullet.

All that said, I don't crimp, I just take care to insure I have .003" of neck tension. This gives me great accuracy and no set back. But just like with crimping it relies on consistency, so instead of case length being the critical dimension, case mouth thickness takes on this role for consistent neck tension. This isn't a problem if you are using Lapua or AA cases they are very consistent but if you are using Wolf or fire forming from other cases it can be a problem.

I'm aware of the Lee factory crimp die and I tried one a long time ago, maybe I had a bad one but it did degrade accuracy by misaligning the bullet causing run out.

Bob

[Drifter]

I have a Lee FCD in a Lee hand press, which I take along to the range when testing loads. I crimp a few rounds to shoot groups to compare with groups shot with uncrimped cartridges. My loads often show a preference for a light crimp.

This relatively inexpensive setup is easy to use, and allows the results to make the "crimp or no-crimp" decision for you. It also makes for efficient use of loaded rounds, as the remainder of the cartridges loaded for a range trip can be crimped if results dictate it.

To take it one step further, I'll also sometimes take along a micro-adjustable seating die in a Lee hand press, which allows me to experiment with bullet seating depth at the range. If I know that I have a recipe with good potential, I'll load up ~30 rounds uncrimped at mag length (~2.260). With the seating and FCD dies in hand presses, I have lots of options to experiment with (various COL's, both crimped and uncrimped), while avoiding have too many or too few cartridges that may or may not work well. Viewing groups through the scope allows for instant gratification of how the load responds to each tweak. I accomplish more on the range trip, in addition to being better prepared for the next one with properly tailored ammo. Each range session usually involves tweaking a load that was tested on the previous trip, and preliminary testing of a load to tweak for the next session.

I'm aware of the Lee factory crimp die and I tried one a long time ago, maybe I had a bad one but it did degrade accuracy by misaligning the bullet causing run out.

I would guess that you had a defective die. I've seen virtually no impact on runout using the Lee FCD.

That being said, I respect your experience, and would trust your handloads more than I would trust my own.

[Rust]

I'll likely break down and pick up one of those hand presses at some point. I've seen guys doing what you're talking about making adjustments to loads at the range between strings. I often enough find myself wishing I could change one variable or another while I'm there rather than trying to plan for it in my next round of reloading at home.

[stokesrj]

I've heard enough people say they have had good results with the Lee Factory Crimp die to agree it is likely I had a bad one, I still have it some where but haven't seen it for a long time. Some day I'll run across it and give it another try. I also have a hand press and do similar experiments at the range some times but less of late.
My latest bench testing is with my 6.5 Creedmoor McMillan Tubb 2K which is quite boring, I haven't found any load to group larger than .5 MOA.
Bob

[rasp65]

The problem with crimping is that there are no bullets that I know of that have a cannalure in the right place.

[fanofflyn]

The Barnes TTSX 100 and 120 grain bands (cannelures) are in the right place. But I quit crimping, it didn't do anything for me, and works my brass more.

[fkleinbu]

There might be some who don't know this, but you should not crimp a bullet anywhere but in the cannelures.. Doing so will put a pinch in the bullet (pull one of those bullets crimped without a cannelure and you will see what I mean)..

And actually, if you have the proper neck tension, only rounds loaded into tube type magazines need to be crimped..

flk k

[txgunner00]

There might be some who don't know this, but you should not crimp a bullet anywhere but in the cannelures.. Doing so will put a pinch in the bullet (pull one of those bullets crimped without a cannelure and you will see what I mean)..

And actually, if you have the proper neck tension, only rounds loaded into tube type magazines need to be crimped..

flk k

+1 on this one. My BIL crimps everything cannelure or not and despite my best efforts I can't talk him out of it. I have found it to be unnecessary for 95% of rifle reloading applications. I've even tried to make bullets set back by repeatedly slamming the bolt home on them and not once have they moved under normal circumstances.

[Bwild97]

The reason that I crimp almost every thing is; I don't believe that neck tension alone will create an even and equal start pressure among a given loading, situations where I don't crimp are: fire forming brass, load development, and seating bullets to land length.

[fkleinbu]

Beliefs are great.. They often form the basis of how we act.. Of course beliefs based on statistical data are often best.

Personally I have fired thousands of rounds over a chrono’ during load development, and have turned in more sub 3/8” groups than I can remember.. None of them crimped, and proper loads give very consistent velocities.. In fact for my most accurate rifles, not only are the cases not crimped, they aren’t even re-sized..

Still we each must go with what we believe, and that is what keeps so much variety in the world..

Flk k

[Variable]

There might be some who don't know this, but you should not crimp a bullet anywhere but in the cannelures.. Doing so will put a pinch in the bullet (pull one of those bullets crimped without a cannelure and you will see what I mean)..

And actually, if you have the proper neck tension, only rounds loaded into tube type magazines need to be crimped..

flk k

A "pinch" that doesn't actually affect anything, so what's your point???