357 FMJ RNFP question

Do you have a lee factory crimp die by chance?If so you can use that without a crimp q

It depends upon what you intend to do with them. If they will be loaded into .38 cases for a full size gun you will be fine. If you're loading them at max velocity in the .357 and intend to fire them out of an airweight snub it's not going to work.

I personally would load them moderately, with as much roll crimp as I can manage without damaging anything, and I would bring a rod with me to the range in case I need to tap a bullet back into the case.

I use a taper crimp die when I have bullets like that. I load them about midrange Magnum loads and have not had any trouble with bullets not staying put.
My Redding dual ring .357 sizing die will make 50lbs plus neck tension and that is more than enough to hold the bullets still without a roll crimp.

If the loads are mid range or lower you can crimp enough to iron out the flair from the expanding die. The lee factory crimp die dose not need a crimp groove to work you could try that if other methods cause concern for you.

Waterboy3313 said:

These will be loaded into 357 and maybe some 38 cases. They will be loaded for accuracy not full power loads using Titegroup. These loads are shot from a Ruger gp100 with a 6inch barrel . I have loaded approximately 2000 38/357 mostly cast and plated bullets and some Hornady xtps using Titegroup.

I find with Titegroup most of my loads seem happy around the middle of powder min/max recommended published data. Also my crimps with this type of combo tends to be on the light side These will be used for plinking paper and steel. If I were to chase a full magnum house load I would probably switch to h110 and use a Hornady xtp bullet or something similar.

When these bullets show up in the mail I will need to do a complete work up anyway so if they don't work I guess I will either buy a different crimp die or shelf them.

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I like using Titegroup for 357 mag target loads using 158 gr. SWC. It's easy on the shooter and gun.

I ordered the same bullets as you did. I haven't got around to trying them out. My plan is using them in a 357 bolt rifle.

First try a taper crimp. If any bullets walk with your load, try roll crimping into the side of the bullet. If they are plated the plating may be cut and come off in the barrel and loss of accuracy and possibly leading will occur (but the ones on their site say "full metal brass"). I cannot see how a post crimping sizing die can do anything other than run some cast bullet loads. "There are two crimp shoulders in our pistol Bullet Seating Dies. The first shoulder applies a slight taper crimp and the second shoulder applies a full roll crimp.". This is what the Lee web site says, but my experience hasn't shown any advantage...

I've loaded many of the same bullets with titegroup in 357 cases for target loads from 686 smith. Good taper crimp is all you need.
Still good idea to check for oal changes in the unfired rounds of the cylinder during workup initially to check your crimp.

Also a good idea to pull a couple to see that you aren't cutting through the jacket with your crimp.

I don't use the Lee FCD for any cartridge. I do use the Lee collet crimp die for some bullets like you have for .357 and 44 magnum, it works the same as the Lee rifle collet crimp die.

Waterboy3313 said:

I agree. Titegroup is kind of a funny subject. People seem to love it or hate it. My first 357 loads were swc with Titegroup. Very nice easy shooting that the whole family and occasional non shooter friend can have fun with.

I saw a nice bolt action 357 rifle a couple of years back. I'm mad at myself for not buying it now.

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It seems to be great of terrible with no middle ground.
I dislike it in large volume cases. Those get titewad or 700x.
My 45acp likes it.

I've shot hundreds, if not thousands of that style of bullet through my Coonan. If there was ever a gun that would walk a bullet, it would be that Coonan, as it doesn't even start to run right until you are running a max load, especially lighter bullets. The .357 Lee FCD is a roll crimp die, not a taper crimp, for revolver cartridges (it's a taper crimp for pistols). It will crimp just fine without a cannelure. I've run plenty just using a standard die die set, and crimped with a standard RCBS crimp/seat die.....and they all ran just fine, but years ago I switched to crimping in a separate station as it just plain results in better ammo. You don't "need" to use a fcd, and those bullets will work just fine with a standard crimp/seat die....but you'll be doing yourself a favor in the long run if you grab a separate die to crimp with, and the Lee FCD is a good one. I personally prefer to buy bullets without the cannelure because I don't always want to seat them at the depth the bullet company decided I should.

In 357 mag, I use the Lee FCD for jacketed bullets with the cannelure. With cast bullets, I use the seating die for the rolled crimp, after I found out I was swaging the bullet with the FCD. With plated bullets I use a taper crimp die. The taper crimp die is what I will probably use the non-cannelure bullets from RMR.

Back a few months ago, Sierra was having a clearance sale on their .357" 170 gr. FMJ, without a cannelure. I should have ordered some of them. They would have had even more neck tension.

Waterboy3313 said:

I looked around a little bit for a 357 mag lee fcd. Nothing in stock at the places I looked. I did order a lee taper crimp die though.

I was finishing up a small batch of 45 acp this afternoon and decided I definitely need a separate crimp die for all of the cartridges I load. Hopefully what I bought will work out.

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Mixing certain brass can cause seating/crimping problems. A variation of case lengths and brass wall thickness can be a problem in that the bullet may be still seating when the crimp is done.

I wish I could like that last post about 3 times.

So @Walkalong, when is your reloading manual, complete with pictures, coming out?

tightgroup tiger said:

I wish I could like that last post about 3 times.

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This is why he's a Moderator, and we remain mere mortals.