To Crimp or Not to Crimp?

[JohnHenry]

I think this is a good topic for discussion. Do you crimp your cases when using jacketed bullets or not? My own experience is I don't find any difference in accuracy in the .30-30 crimping or not crimping. In the .32-20, I always crimp because the case is so thin-walled the bullet can easily be pushed into the case.

Let's talk about it.

Jim

[Bob259]

I crimp mine with a taper crimp die.

[richard]

I shoot both calibers and do not crimp. I have checked and checked and the bullets have never moved in the case from magazine pressure. The 32/20 shoots only cast bullets but I have used both cast and jacketed bullets in the 30/30.

[glen ring]

Jim
I LIGHTLY crimp everything. I always load several hundred rounds at a time to make sure they are all crimped the same. There may be a good argument for not crimping if you don't measure and trim cases...but I like a light crimp.

[boats]

I give them a light crimp, just cause I always have when Tube Magazines are used. Single shots same calibers never crimp. Might be you could get away without crimping. Not much about a crimp that's going to improve accuracy. Strong crimp will make slow powders burn better with light bullets. Use the right powder thats not an issue.

Use a Lee Colet crimp die. It gives a consistent crimp no matter what the case length. You can trim all to the same length and get good crimps with the seating die. Get somebody else's case off the ground thats a bit longer in your brass the seating die crimp is going to bulge the neck. And probably find out about it during a match. Extra step using the Colet crimp die but worth it.

Boats

[glen ring]

Jim
I also only load my 30-30 brass three or four times and then discard it . I keep it separated and the brass loaded for the last time receives and X on the base with a marker so I will be reminded to trash that brass after firing.

[boats]

Glenn

I look at it the other way, brass I have used is probably more consistent than something new and untested. Might be missing something though what's your reason for discarding ?

Have some 38/55 brass thats been loaded dozens of times and doing very well. 7mm08 Silhouette rifle well over 10 loadings before the primer pocket gets loose and I discard Don't have an accurate measure on my 30/30 brass but never rejected one. I shoot the 30/30 lot less than either the 38/55 or 7 08

Boats

[glen ring]

Boats
It's just a personal choice. I load a factory type load for my 30-30 and it produces more pressure. I have always discarded the cases after four loads. I have a 38-55 and I shoot a very mild load of trail boss, so I load them many times also.

[PaulG]

Not directly on point, but I bought 350 pieces (7 bags) of new Winchester .30-30 brass, and it has the most neck tension variation I have ever encountered in my 40+ years of handloading - bar none! I never use the stock pull-through expander button, but always a Lyman M die or custom equivalent. In the case of this batch, all have been expanded with two passes, after FL sizing.

I wondered about variation in annealing, but it is hard to believe that an automated mass production process could vary that much. Home annealing, sure.

I just hope it evens out after firing.

Paul

[boats]

I can see it.

Guy that shoots our matches just got a new lot of brass, about 1 out of 5 he could not seat a primer. He was in the brass and copper business knows the process and said the presses that draw cases are turrets, so multiple dies form the case. One can be bad or out of spec while the others are fine. He figured the primer pocket punch was out of spec one of the tool holders.

He uniformed all the pockets and now they work fine

Boats

[Daveb43]

Does anyone use the Lee Factory Crimp die? Seems to me a uniform crimp is important. I also have a Profile crimp die by Redding but haven't decided which one does a better job. My scores don't seem to improve no matter which one I use. (?)

[Jason]

I use a Lee Factory Crimp Die on my 30-30 loads for cowboy lever silhouette, and all my other 30-30 loads, too. Works great, and fairly cheap, too.