New reloader needs some help.......

[W Turner]

OK guys, I finally was able ot get all of the necessary gear together to start reloading, but now that I have started warming up by making dummy loads, I can't get the crimp right.

Here is what I am running.....

Lee 4-hole turret press with factory Lee .45acp dies including a FCD
Lyman #55 powder measure
RCBS 5-0-5 scale
Remington 230gr. JRN bullets (mic'd at .451)
Winchester brass
CCI LP primers
Accurate No.5 powder

Resizing, decapping, priming and expanding/charging I have got down pat. Seating is not a problem either, but after I crimp and run thru the factory crimp die, the bullet can be pushed back into the casing.

Here is what I have tried....

ID of the resized brass is around .448 which should be in-spec as I understand it

the bullets are measuring .451

I have run my expander out so that I am only expanding far enough down to get the bullet started

I have set the seat and crimp die so that it closes the case mouth around the bullet and seats the bullets at 1.25"

I have cranked the FCD down to the point that is has actually damaged the case mouth (these dummy rounds are marked for disassembly for when I get a bullet puller). But up to that point the bullets would still slide down into the case when tested.

This is my first foray into reloading, and I figure that this is something pretty simple that I am overlooking, but I just cannot figure it out.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
W

 

[Jim Watson]

Wm, I have had trouble with bullets setting back, too.

The FIRST thing I would try is to back off the seating die so that it only seats; then only crimp in the CFC die. You MAY be buckling and loosening the brass with both the crimp shoulder in the seating die AND the CFC die both working on it.

If that doesn't help, the only other thing I can think of, and what I did myself to load jacketed bullets, was to get an undersize sizing die to bring the brass down a couple of thousandths smaller. Lee makes them and will sell them direct, even though not in their catalog, or you can get one from EGW.

 

[HSMITH]

Most guys 'crimp' 45 acp and that alone will cause what you are seeing. You only remove the bell, nothing more, in the crimp die.

Pull a bullet that has been loaded that you noticed setback on and measure it, I'll bet it is a ways under .451".

Put the FCD off to the side too, it isn't needed and it makes things a lot simpler to not use it while you are straightening this out. To set your crimp you need to back the die out a good 6 or 8 turns from where you have it, screw the seating stem down 5 or 6 turns and seat a bullet. Measure the OAL and dial it in to where you want it by adjusting the seating stem only. When you have the OAL right back the seating stem out 6 or 8 turns and start screwing the die body down until it hits the case. Turn it in by quarter turn increments until the case body is straight over the length of the bullet, no crimp and no bell, just straight. Lock the die body down, with the seated and crimped bullet round of the proper OAL in the press raise the ram to full extension. Screw the seating stem down until it hits the bullet. Load another one complete, you might have a 2-5 thou error in seating depth but that will be all, adjust the seating stem for the OAL you want and you are done!!