[hawkchalk]

Hello!

I've been reloading handgun cartridges for years but reloading rifle cartridges is new to me. I just purchased a RCBS 2 die set. The instructions indicate that if it does taper crimping it should have it stamped on the die. Mine does not. My question is how can you tell if it can crimp in addition to seating and secondly does the 6.8 SPC require a crimp? I thought all 2-die sets did seating and crimping in the same die. Thanks for your time!

v/r

Hawkchalk

 

[Jamesb74]

they usually do. I have the same set in the small base ersionand I see no marks on the seater either but it will taper crimp.
As far as crimping you don't have to but it does increase theaccuracy and the consistency of your loads in the rifle.
One of the best one's is to spend $9 and get the Lee FCD for 6.8 as it is probably the best crimp IMO. I does not put pressure on the shoulder and matches factory crimping. You can find them at Midway for those prices. And read the instructions with the RCBS and it will tell yoou how to set the seater so the taper crimp doesn't engage and use the Lee.

 

[paulosantos]

It can be a pain in the but to set up the Seating die to seat and crimp at the same time. When I got my Dillon the guy from Dillon recommende that I do it separately with a second die and I agree. When it is crimped, you will notice it flattened up right at the case mouth. If you want to crimp your ammo, I'd get a LEE FCD, which will crimp cannelured and non-cannelured bullets.

Do you have to crimp? Plenty of guys will say yes and plenty will say no. For me, it depends on what type of shooting you do. If you plan on doing some fast shooting, such as 3-gun or training, I'd crimp them.

 

[hawkchalk]

Thanks gents! I have the Lee FCD wrapped up with a backorder for other components at MidSouth. I tried following the RCBS directions for setting a die with a crimp just in case it could actually crimp and seat but I was never able to get it to contact the brass before the die contacted the shell plate or so I thought. In the mean time I'll use what I have so I can shoot this rifle when I have some time!! Thanks again!!

v/r

Hawkchalk

 

[Test_User]

I have never crimped in 3 years of shooting it and never had one bullet move and if you look on this forum you will see not one post of someone having a setback issue. Now with that said if your ammo was going to take the same beatings as mil ammo does being abused and thrown around I would 100% say crimping is mandatory. One effect crimping can have especially with unpreped or less prepped cases is it will give better even neck tension but only with a light crimp (1/4 turn on the lee FCD). This can sometimes give you tighter groups becasue of this as it allows the bullet to enter the bore straighter.

As far as three gun goes according to one of the main 3 gun sites here http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.p ... l=crimping the vast majority crimps but most feel its not necessary but seems to not hurt anything so why not get the extra insurance which makes sense to me. Note all of them only do the lightest crimp possible. You can do the same thing if you have a bushing sizing die by decreasing the bushing size give .005 to .006 neck tension max which would be a .295-.296 bushing size with SSA cases. I tend to agree with Paulo its what your planned shooting is going to be. For stock piled emergency ammo I would say yes for sure. If i ever have an issue I would re-eva;ute my current way but I also match prep every single case including neck turning and reaming so crimping would hurt not help . One other thing to consider, it does decrease the number of reloads you get from the cases becasue of split necks. You still will get 7 to possibly 10.

 

[snaz567]

I haven't had any issue w/any 6.8, reloaded or factory. I have however had two bullets setback in the last year in .223 AR's. Two different rifles and two different magazines. One was w/reloaded 55fmjs and the other was w/factory Winchester 55gr BT's. Both times the rounds failed to chamber, luckily. That was enough for me to start using a Lee FCD on everything I reload. I figure an extra step and some time isn't worth me ruining a $1500 rifle and possibly me. But then again, I seem to be unlucky in most things :lol:

 

[Test_User]

It is very likely the setback was because the round did not chamber not the other way around. When a around fails to chamber it is jammed nose first into the receiver face or somewhere in the barrel extension. That force is what likely setback the bullet as it would likely have done on all but a heavy crimp. I can say without any hesitation at all if your gun does not have M4 feed ramps than I would consider crimping mandatory for sure. Then again I consider M4 ramps mandatory and would never have a rifle that did not have them or that I didn't cut them in before ever shooting it so......

 

[snaz567]

Other than neck tension, I cannot think of why it happened. Both were on different magazines, one a 30rd, one a 20rd, different guns, both have M4 ramps on both barrel and reciever as do all of my AR's. Both were in the middle of the mag and they are both the only times that either rifle has ever failed in anyway.