Excessive crimped bullet ok to use?

Rory

Well-Known Member
I received a small number (40+) of Sierra 175gr .30 bullets that were pulled. They have a noticeable crimp that pinches the shank giving it a 'waist'. Would you use them or discard them for new?

Crimped on left, new ones on right for comparison.
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Use in the final round of the competition? No.

Plinking? Yes.

Just loading and shooting a few will provide you with invaluable empirical information if/when making similar decisions in the future.

Alan
 
Use in the final round of the competition? No.

Plinking? Yes.

Just loading and shooting a few will provide you with invaluable empirical information if/when making similar decisions in the future.

Alan
If the bullet was pulled without damaging it, I doubt it would matter much. The degree of crimp was not excessive. But we're only talking 40 bullets so I doubt Competition is in their future. ~Muir
 
Use em up mty if your seating them pin on at that point ? if so a light crimp may be needed but defo use them for you shot range plinking .
 
If the bullet was pulled without damaging it, I doubt it would matter much. The degree of crimp was not excessive. But we're only talking 40 bullets so I doubt Competition is in their future. ~Muir
Ah good point, but....this may have been a trial batch of 40 before he acquired more of the same for his Competition rounds!

Trying them first would still be the wise move before relying on them....

Alan
 
No idea! Possibly, just been having a clearout and thought I'd ask about the crimp. :thumb:

I recognise the seating stem imprint from my .308 Lee Custom Engineering (not Lee Precision) Target Model Lee Loader.

They were pulled with a kinetic hammer.
 
As long as they are not loose in the neck of the case I'd use them as normal, going up the barrel will sort such a small crimp.
 
Ah good point, but....this may have been a trial batch of 40 before he acquired more of the same for his Competition rounds!

Trying them first would still be the wise move before relying on them....

Alan
True that, Alan. I think the rifling might rub out that crimp mark eventually. :) ~Muir
 
If the rounds had been fired before the bullets were pulled, the little markings would have been on the bullets then too. The crimp lines didn't come from pulling. They came from crimping in the original case. So what's the difference if they went in a new case without being crimped? None! They'll shoot the same as they did in the loading that made the dent.
 
From memory (increasingly dangerous) Richard Lee (of Lee Reloading fame) stated that even a heavy crimp adds only a few hundred pounds in a total of c.60,000 (.308) so fire and forget. I have always crimped my loads, with or without a cannelure, again recommended by the man himself for hunting. Nuff said.
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