Crimping rifle rounds

[Walkalong]

To counteract this tendency, the semi-auto shooter is left with basically two options: applying a crimp or increasing neck tension.

A (proper) roll crimp into a cannelure will indeed help, or a collet type crimp can help, but may damage the bullet.

Auto pistol calibers is where everyone catches the heat for adding more taper crimp to "fix" poor neck tension.

A proper roll crimp into a good cannelure on a revolver cartridge can help, but over do it and it can hurt neck tension.

 

[heycods]

I crimp revolver rounds and tubular magazine rifle only.

 

[Garrobo]

Just big bores.

I crimp all my .450 Ackley, .416 Remington and .375 H&H rounds. Anything smaller, no. If I had a .338 I'd probably crimp that but I've never had the desire to own one.

 

[lightman]

I've never had the need to crimp any of the calibers that you listed. The only time I have ever crimped a rifle cartridge was for a 30-30 fired in a tubular magazine lever rifle. I would crimp any very heavy recoiling cartridges used for hunting large dangerous game.

Redding, and maybe a few others offer a taper crimp die for some military calibers used in hi-power competition. I've never had the need, myself.

As others have said, if your sizing die and expander are in spec you should have enough neck tension to not need a crimp. If not, a crimp probably won't fix the problem.

 

[Potatohead]

This is usually about time I would drop my crimping analogy (with the pants and the belt) in....but i'll spare yall today

 

[spitballer]

I don't use a crimp for my bolt action rifle. But for an autoloader, a crimp may be important for consistency and is probably worth doing well. I would note that compressed loads held with a crimp will not behave like compressed loads held by the rifling.

 

[Walkalong]

I forgot to mention, I crimp .458 win Mag.