How does the crimp on these rounds look?

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hometheaterman

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So I had a hard time getting it to crimp as much as I thought it should. Anyway, I'm using a Lee Factory Crimp Die. Does the crimp look too good? I just want to make sure that it's not too much as I've read that too much crimp can cause pressure spikes. I couldn't get it to crimp much at all, and once I did they looked like this, which I want to make sure is safe and see if it was how I want to crimp them. Thanks.
IMG_1027.jpg
IMG_1029.jpg
IMG_1027cropped.jpg
 
Yes, I had a really hard time getting the camera to focus on these shots. I thought I'd read somewhere that over crimping a round could cause a pressure spike, but that must not have been good info.
 
Crimps look good to me, switch to the macro setting on your camera for those close ones, it will turn out a lot better.
 
I had the macro setting on the camera on, I just couldn't get it to focus well, and I'm not sure how you can manually focus the camera.

As for reading that crimping can cause pressure spikes, I'm not sure. I thought it was on here, but it might have been on a different site.
 
If the last round in the magazine come up with the bullets still where you left them , you're doing just fine.
Keep an eye on it to see that they are held firmly in place.
 
One other question about crimping, since it's something I haven't played with much. Will varying amounts of crimp change your POI? The reason I ask, is since the Lee FCD doesn't have a locking nut I have to set it up each time. So if I get slightly different amounts of crimp each time I set down to load up some rounds will I have to adjust the scope for the rounds I loaded at different settings? Or should they all be good?
 
Crimps do not cause pressure spikes.
Click to expand...

Since when?

Perhaps not a "spike" but a crimp will cause an increase in pressure. How much of an increase depends on how tight the crimp is. The brass is not strong enough to overpower the force of the bullet - it will just bend out of the way, but for the moment that it holds the bullet in place, the pressure will build slightly. The differential will be relatively small so if you are concerned about "blowing your gun up" pressure "SPIKES", that is unlikely. There will however be a differential (increase) of pressure with a tighter crimp.

BTW - crimps look good.
 
Will varying amounts of crimp change your POI?
Click to expand...

Yes. When reloading, consistency is everything when it comes to accuracy. It may not matter much to you depending on what you are trying to achieve, but any variables that you do not control will have an impact on your accuracy.

If you're crimps are a few thousandths different from one bullet to the next or one batch to the next, it may affect your POI by a half inch or .020". It depends on the gun and the other variables and how well you control them. This might be totally acceptable for the type of shooting you are doing. Or, if your trying to put bullets into the same hole, it may be the issue that drives you crazy!
 
Thanks for the help guys. It's basically a round for a hunting rifle. So I guess I just need to check a box from each setting for the poi before hunting with them, then not worry about the rest of the box.
 
Since when?

Perhaps not a "spike" but a crimp will cause an increase in pressure. How much of an increase depends on how tight the crimp is.
Click to expand...
Correct, crimps affect pressure, but they does not cause "spikes".
 
When you say that the FCD does not have a locking nut do you mean that it does not have a locking ring, like this
2152.jpg
or that it does not have a hex screw to hold the locking ring in place? If it does not have the Lee Locking ring, call them up and give them that part number to get one.

As far as your pictures, it looks like you get good ones with the flash on, so I am thinking that your focal plane is too small without your flash on and it is focusing on the paper behind it instead of the actual round. The reason it works well with the flash is that the focal plane is deeper and the round is within it. Simple fix is to always have plenty of light, flash or otherwise. Sorry I descended briefly into my photo geek days, I will stop now.
 
I would lighten up the crimp a little. You'll get more load cycles through the brass.
 
It has a locking ring like the Lee ones, but I mean it doesn't have hex screw or any way to actually lock the ring to the die so that you can just screw it in the next time until the locking ring hits. You have to adjust it each time as the ring is always going to be in a different spot.
 
Thanks for the photography tips. I just couldn't get it to focus, but with the flash on it washed the picture out some. I really need to take a photography class or something, as it's something that really interests me, but I'm not the best at it. I've got a pretty decent camera, not the best, but a decent one, but I have a hard time getting settings right. I need to get a good tripod too as I find that when I play with the settings they come out blurry if I'm just holding the camera by hand.
 
You have to adjust it each time as the ring is always going to be in a different spot.
Click to expand...
I drilled & tapped every one of those crummy Lee rings I own for 6x32 allen set-screws.
Drop a lead shot in the hole, start the screw in, and adjust the die.
Then tighten the set-screw.

Problem solved.

Or just buy real lock-rings from any other die manufacture and throw the Lee o-ring nuts in the trash where they belong.

BTW: There is no real good reason to crimp those V-Max bullets if your neck tension is correct.

rc
 
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