So what would you do? (reloading conundrum)

[bewsher500]

#1 because it is probably a technique fault that you can fix.

plenty of those, not sure about the fixing bit!

Youve got a load that will do what you want it to do ie red deer, leave it alone, pick One an go shoot, stop playing get out stalking.Stuart

I know!
​should have stuck with the "whack it" Lee technology and I would never have started all the measuring crap!

 

[swarovski]

You know what you are doing bewsher,am sure you know which one was best

 

[Muir]

Ha
I do as you guessed
all crimped
lightly

Figures! Crimp heavier. Not a lot of case neck length in a 300 WM. It may help.~Muir

 

[bewsher500]

Figures! Crimp heavier. Not a lot of case neck length in a 300 WM. It may help.~Muir

so there is another question!

I am self taught crimper!
I trim to length and crimp so the feel of each crimp is the same (case neck thickness inconsistencies show up in this IMO)
adjusting the length of the die to get same pressure


The crimps on my .222 are just visible as the case starts to curl in slightly at the edge of the neck

like thiswind forward to 8:08min





the ones on the 300WM are visible but look much more like factory edge marks without a discernable deformation

do you have any pictures of your cases before and after ?

 

[Muir]

Sorry Amigo, but the puter is hanging on in Safe Mode and I can't watch vids. Do you use a Lee Factory Crimp Die, or the one in the seating die? If so, seat and crimp in separate operations. In any event, I would set for a heavier crimp and leave it for all the cases til you're done.~Muir

 

[bewsher500]

Sorry Amigo, but the puter is hanging on in Safe Mode and I can't watch vids. Do you use a Lee Factory Crimp Die, or the one in the seating die? If so, seat and crimp in separate operations. In any event, I would set for a heavier crimp and leave it for all the cases til you're done.~Muir

FCD
I found locking it would give a variation in pressure between case to case, some would contact a lot earlier in the press arm stroke
By keeping the die loose and dialling to each case I can keep the contact point for each case at exactly the same point in the press stroke

will dial it up though and see if a heavier crimp helps

 

[Brithunter]

Surely the lee factory Crimp should be set to apply the crimp with the ram camming over.

 

[Muir]

FCD
I found locking it would give a variation in pressure between case to case, some would contact a lot earlier in the press arm stroke
By keeping the die loose and dialling to each case I can keep the contact point for each case at exactly the same point in the press stroke

will dial it up though and see if a heavier crimp helps

If your brass is that variable, I would get some fresh. I don't have that problem at all even with military brass. Load up 20 rounds and crimp them without adjusting for each cartridge, then put them over a Chronograph to determine the SD. That is the only way to tell. Fifty shots would be a better sample, but.....~Muir

 

[bewsher500]

Surely the lee factory Crimp should be set to apply the crimp with the ram camming over.

yes it does
but the amount of crimp is set by the pressure applied between the point it makes contact and camming over.
Camming over just sets a point where no more pressure is being applied
neck thickness variation will give a differing contact point when the collet first comes up against resistance
my idea was set the contact point at a set point of arm stroke and standardise the distance between contact and cam over therefore standardises the crimp

If your brass is that variable, I would get some fresh.

agreed
no doubt some of this brass I have inherited is close to its lifespan

 

[Brithunter]

I can honestly say that I have never had this problem. That brass must some real rubbishy stuff.

 

[phaedra]

Of course there's always the "Consistent Crimp" option to use with the Lee factory crimp die ............

Lee Reloading Supplies | Reloading Equipment Lee Precision | Discount Reloading Supplies by Lee | Titan Reloading

Haven't needed it yet but next trip to the US it may end up on my shopping list

 

[Muir]

I have found that if the brass is consistent and from the same LOT (which our good Bewsh5C has admitted his might not be....) any crimp you obtain from a given setting with the FCD will be pretty consistent. I don't measure the ft/lbs of crimp but that might be interesting. I do have radial marks on the top of my press which allows me to tighten the die to the same spot each time. Works like a charm.~Muir

 

[bewsher500]

Or you could just weld an old socket on the handle and use an existing torque wrench

Of course there's always the "Consistent Crimp" option to use with the Lee factory crimp die ............

Lee Reloading Supplies | Reloading Equipment Lee Precision | Discount Reloading Supplies by Lee | Titan Reloading

Haven't needed it yet but next trip to the US it may end up on my shopping list

 

[Hornet]

Pick one and shoot. If you don't already, get a crimp die and see what happens.~Muir

+1 on that, go and enjoy, leave all the messing to others.

 

[The Burpster]

If you shoot targets with your 300WM then play some more or develop another round for target. If purely stalking in reality anything sub MOA is good enough unless you are intending to shoot out beyond 250yds (I never have).

shot placement and taking the shot that cull swiftly and hopefully cleanly is way more important than worrying about a fraction of MOA on a stalk.

As I shoot target and cull with my 6.5x55 I have developed two loads. One for hunting one for target. Simpuls!!
​

 

[bewsher500]

If you shoot targets with your 300WM then play some more or develop another round for target. If purely stalking in reality anything sub MOA is good enough unless you are intending to shoot out beyond 250yds (I never have).

shot placement and taking the shot that cull swiftly and hopefully cleanly is way more important than worrying about a fraction of MOA on a stalk.

As I shoot target and cull with my 6.5x55 I have developed two loads. One for hunting one for target. Simpuls!!
​

Well this is a 208gr AMax load so I am planning on using it on plinking at a gong "over there somewhere"

​have a load for stalking already

 

[The Burpster]

If you are going for ultimate accuracy then everything comes into play. Neck concentricity,neck wall thickness, neck length, bump gap, difference in the metplats and bullet weight. Different makes of powder and the ambient I atmospherics when you are reloading.

Both my .22-250 and 6.5x55 will shoot around 1/2MOA and with that I am very happy as these are commercially available barrels. If I wanted more accurate than I am currently getting then only one solution remains.
Go to Dolphin rifles and have a new rifle built form the ground up. That being said my .22-250 is already in a Dolphin stock.

 

[User00003]

If you are going for ultimate accuracy then everything comes into play. Neck concentricity,neck wall thickness, neck length, bump gap, difference in the metplats and bullet weight. Different makes of powder and the ambient I atmospherics when you are reloading.

Both my .22-250 and 6.5x55 will shoot around 1/2MOA and with that I am very happy as these are commercially available barrels. If I wanted more accurate than I am currently getting then only one solution remains.
Go to Dolphin rifles and have a new rifle built form the ground up. That being said my .22-250 is already in a Dolphin stock.

I must've been pretty lucky with my factory sako 75 and my lee classic loader with powder dippers shooting 1/4" moa with mixed brass then! LOL...

 

[The Burpster]

I had one 75 that would shoot that nicely too, I also had a .270Win 75 that I had to accept would only shoot just under 1MOA with reloads. So some factory barrels are really really good, others are not.