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beginner reloading

handforgedhandforged Member Posts: 26 ✭✭
edited March 2016 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
4 of the calibers i plan on loading someday are 25/20, 32/20, 32 win spl and 30 rem. All loads will be shot in rifles with tube mags. Do i need to purchase factory crimp dies for each of these? This is what i'm understanding in some of my reading. thanks for any help.
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Comments

  • Tailgunner1954Tailgunner1954 Member Posts: 7,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Need is a slippery word in reloading. IOW if I have one, you need one [:D]. BTW, the "factory crimp" die is something I almost never use.
    Most bottle neck seating dies can be set to roll crimp into the bullet canalure (crimping groove).
    Consistent case length is the key
    Note that I feel it's better to seat and crimp in 2 steps, but the die can be set to seat/crimp at the same time.
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  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,572 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Flat or round nose bullets for tubular magazines. The Remington's with the spiral grooved magazine are suppose to work with pointed bullets. My first big game rifle as a kid was a 30 Rem in the model 141 pump. It had the groves but dad only let me load and run round nose.

    They will all need crimped to some extent. If you fill the magazine and run it out it takes less crimp, but if you like shoot 2 rounds then reload the magazine, shoot 2 more then reload ... round 3 and up need more crimp to keep the bullet in place.

    The regular roll crimp was all we used back then - there was not taper crimp die. +1 for uniform case length. I would run cast bullets in all 4, very cheap shooting. Slug your bores and add .001 or .002 to your cast bullets. Fill all the grease groves on the bullet (for pistols they don't need to be full). I like the old 50/50 beeswax and alox for the lube.

    Before you load up a bunch, make sure they fit and function in your rifle. OAL can be very important for function. Over sized bullets to fit the bore might not fit the chamber.
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  • handforgedhandforged Member Posts: 26 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I do know the seating die can be set to crimp, however they made it sound like it would not be sufficient, so that is why i asked this question. My guns seem to prefer the jacketed bullet and yes flat points. The 30 rem is a stevens highpower 425 so it too is a standard straight tube.
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  • CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,038 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    As has been mentioned, you need to be very carful seating and crimping 25-20 & 32-20 cases in one operation, your better off doing it in two operations. It is very easy to ruin the necks on both of those rounds. A little more size on your expander die is your friend on those old bottle neck rounds.
    W.D.
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  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,245 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The normal two die set for those calibers includes the bullet crimping die - the bullet seater / crimp die.
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  • SoreShoulderSoreShoulder Member Posts: 3,148 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    factory crimp dies are only truly necessary if the bullet you want to use does not have a canellure but your ammo must be crimped.

    I would guess that all bullets which are made for tube magazine guns come with a canellure.

    I looked for a 44mag factory crimp die because I wanted to try nonstandard seating depths but I never found one. I never had a problem with my 44 lever ammo though.
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  • Riomouse911Riomouse911 Member Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Like anything, you can try them or not, it's all up to you.

    I use them for .243 Win, .257 Roberts, .270 Win, etc when I load non-cannelure bullets or Barnes X bullets because the roll crimp setting seems to crunch shoulders for me. I use them in .35 Rem and .30-30 because I want a stout crimp in the tubular mags. The crimp-only dies do seem to allow for better control of the crimp and I have never crunched the cases.

    I use the standard roll crimps on straight-wall cases (handgun or .45/70) because (for me) the crimp-control is just fine and the cases are without the shoulder to ruin.
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  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,623 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I use the Lee Factory Crimp die on just about every caliber I reload. It's especially good for rounds that are used in lever action rifles and for light revolvers with heavy recoil so the bullet doesn't back out of the casing. I also use the factory crimp die on .50AE bullets that don't have a cannelure for my S&W 500 Mag. It'll make it's own cannelure in those .50AE bullets that are cheaper than regular 500 Mag bullets.
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  • handforgedhandforged Member Posts: 26 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thankyou guys for the tips. I totally agree that crimping should be a seperate function. Given the lee factory crimp dies can be bought at very reasonable cost, I plan to invest in several. I'm sure I will have other questions before I actually start my reloading.
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  • SoreShoulderSoreShoulder Member Posts: 3,148 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by handforged
    I do know the seating die can be set to crimp, however they made it sound like it would not be sufficient, so that is why i asked this question. My guns seem to prefer the jacketed bullet and yes flat points. The 30 rem is a stevens highpower 425 so it too is a standard straight tube.
    you can use the same seater to seat and crimp in separate operations only it adds another step and requires readjusting your dies.

    OTOH Lee dies are so reasonable in cost that it doesn't make sense not to try them.
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