Greetings all,
I am brand new to the world of pistol caliber reloading, however I have loaded .223 in the past with great success. All the steps of loading my rounds were straightforward and familiar. However, the world of roll crimps is new to me and its rather, well, subjective! So I'd like some advice.
I am reloading .357 magnum rounds for a Smith and Wesson 586 with a 4" barrel.
This is my first load and it as follows(a mid-level load, no where near max):
Starline .357 magnum brass (all trimmed to the minium trim length for uniformity)
Winchester SPP
Unique 4.0 gr
Hornady 158gr LSWC (no crimp groove or cannelure)
After a great deal of reading, I was convinced to get a Redding Profile Crimp die. I used it for the first time last night. While, I feel I have a good crimp on rounds, I want a little advice to make sure I am doing it right. Ultimately, I know that if they hold up during the shooting process, than I have done it right (for the most part). Having no experience, its hard to say if I applied too much or too little crimp.
Here are some pictures of my crimps:
Click pictures for larger images.
So, any suggestions? Did I do it right? Too much? Too little? Obviously, with a cannelure it would be a bit easier, but that's coming up with my load of rounds. I know I will have to experiment a bit with this, but I just want an overall feel if I am on the right track.
I am brand new to the world of pistol caliber reloading, however I have loaded .223 in the past with great success. All the steps of loading my rounds were straightforward and familiar. However, the world of roll crimps is new to me and its rather, well, subjective! So I'd like some advice.
I am reloading .357 magnum rounds for a Smith and Wesson 586 with a 4" barrel.
This is my first load and it as follows(a mid-level load, no where near max):
Starline .357 magnum brass (all trimmed to the minium trim length for uniformity)
Winchester SPP
Unique 4.0 gr
Hornady 158gr LSWC (no crimp groove or cannelure)
After a great deal of reading, I was convinced to get a Redding Profile Crimp die. I used it for the first time last night. While, I feel I have a good crimp on rounds, I want a little advice to make sure I am doing it right. Ultimately, I know that if they hold up during the shooting process, than I have done it right (for the most part). Having no experience, its hard to say if I applied too much or too little crimp.
Here are some pictures of my crimps:
Click pictures for larger images.
So, any suggestions? Did I do it right? Too much? Too little? Obviously, with a cannelure it would be a bit easier, but that's coming up with my load of rounds. I know I will have to experiment a bit with this, but I just want an overall feel if I am on the right track.
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