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Reloading 30.06

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  • CodyK

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    Sep 5, 2019
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    I’m new to reloading rifle rounds, and I had a question about crimping. I’ve heard that yes you should crimp if you are using a bolt action or semi auto rifle so the bullet isn’t seated deeper from the recoil of the rifle or when you chamber a round , and I’ve also read that you should only crimp just enough to straighten the case mouth back after seating. I don’t worry a whole lot when I’m loading some little 115 grain 9mm to plink with at the range, but with a 30.06, that I’m counting on to hit and drop what I’m shooting at, I wanna make sure I’m doing everything right. Bullets I’m using are Hornady 150 grain SP and they do have a canellure.


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    Axxe55

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    Dec 15, 2019
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    For a hunting or target rifle, as long as you have proper neck tension, crimping isn't always necessary.

    As general rule, I crimp all pistol rounds, and any magazine fed rifles that get bumped and jostled around.

    Lots of schools of thoughts on crimping. To crimp or not to crimp. That is the question!
     

    Coyote9

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    Jan 13, 2020
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    I don't crimp unless it's a heavy recoiling magnum or tube fed round.
    An .06 with heavy bullets and a full house load needs crimping for best accuracy- 150 gr. to 175 probably not . I have fired thousands of rounds 172 gr with no crimp some even loaded into the chamber scheutzen style. the crimping is only an issue with magazine stored rounds (internal or external where the recoil elongates the round if not crimped)
     

    msharley

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    Feb 28, 2021
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    I crimp. All of my '06 ammo must be able to cycle in the M-1.

    Another GOOD REASON to crimp HUNTING AMMO? So if one needs to unload, the bullet does not stick in the rifling. A real mess, an action full of powder....
     

    Maverick44

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    I’m new to reloading rifle rounds, and I had a question about crimping. I’ve heard that yes you should crimp if you are using a bolt action or semi auto rifle so the bullet isn’t seated deeper from the recoil of the rifle or when you chamber a round , and I’ve also read that you should only crimp just enough to straighten the case mouth back after seating. I don’t worry a whole lot when I’m loading some little 115 grain 9mm to plink with at the range, but with a 30.06, that I’m counting on to hit and drop what I’m shooting at, I wanna make sure I’m doing everything right. Bullets I’m using are Hornady 150 grain SP and they do have a canellure.


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    For a bolt action, a crimp isn't really necessary unless you are firing a round that has a LOT of recoil. 30-06 is not even close to what I'm talking about. Semi autos? Yes, absolutely crimp on those. The bolt closing on those is going to be far faster and more violent than you could ever hope to be on a bolt action.

    As said before, there are different schools of though on whether you need to crimp for the sake of accuracy. If you want to crimp, I do like the LEE factory crimp dies and would recommend picking one up. They work well, and you don't need a canellure. Really, you don't need one on the type of crimp that LEE seating dies can do either. Just get your bullet where it needs to be for accuracy and crimp it there if you're going to crimp.

    Don't overthink it. Just try it without a crimp and if you feel that you still need one, try a crimp and see if that improves anything.
     

    hornetguy

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    Back in the stone age, when I was loading the '06, I never crimped. This was for use in a bolt action Springfield. I had no problems with it at all.
    A Lee factory crimp die is a pretty good investment, if you think you need some kind of crimp on yours. That's what I do on all my AR ammo. I still don't crimp my bolt action ammo.
     

    Texasjack

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    Jan 3, 2010
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    I do crimp because I've seen bullets get moved just by the recoil of the rifle and having a bullet at a wrong seating depth can only have bad consequences. Any semiautomatic firearms can cause a bullet to get jammed into the case, and magnum rounds can also move bullets pretty easily. So does a .30-06 bolt action necessitate crimping? No. You can skip it, but I still think it's a good idea.

    Where some people go wrong is when they crimp like they expect a truck to slam into the bullet. You only need to crimp enough to keep the bullet from moving, and that really isn't very much. I have yet to have anyone prove to me that properly crimping has any negative effects on velocity or accuracy.
     

    hornetguy

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    You will Never find that sweet spot for bullet seating depth and accuracy if you crimp. It’s just that simple.
    And that's the beauty of the Lee Factory Crimp die. You do not have to crimp into a cannelure. You can seat the bullet to whatever depth you wish, and it will still get the same crimp. Case length doesn't matter at all. Cannelure placement doesn't matter at all....
    It's a great tool, as long as you don't go crazy with it and try to crush the bullet. If you overdo it, you can actually groove the bullet. I've also read studies that show that even if you do that, it doesn't affect practical accuracy at all.
     

    hornetguy

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    Case length doesn't matter at all.
    I guess I should clarify a bit.... if you trim your brass way too short, it might not reach the crimping collet area, and you will not get the crimp you need.... but cases have to be shorter than minimum spec to do that....
    Other than this, the die works well....
     

    JuanGrande

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    May 9, 2015
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    I found that crimping, with my Lee Factory crimp die, really improved my heavy subsonic 300 Blackout loads. So now I use it on all my 300 BO loads in the AR. Highly recommend it.

    I’ve never found a need to crimp for a bolt gun of any caliber.


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    satx78247

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    Jun 23, 2014
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    I found that crimping, with my Lee Factory crimp die, really improved my heavy subsonic 300 Blackout loads. So now I use it on all my 300 BO loads in the AR. Highly recommend it.

    I’ve never found a need to crimp for a bolt gun of any caliber.


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    JuanGrande,

    IF you have a "HEAVY CALIBER"/HARD RECOILING rifle, you may want to rethink that, as the ammo in the magazine MAY "do funny things".
    (My old .416 Rigby's bullets HAD to be crimped to ASSURE proper function.)

    NOTE: I'm going to have a .30-06 model 760 remodeled by Jessie at JES to .400 Brown-Whelen Improved, which uses the same size/weight bullets as the old .405WCF.

    FYI, I have been warned, by an EXPERT who has a LOT of experience with that caliber, that .400B-WI definitely NEEDS crimping.
    (FYI, I've been invited on a trip to try to take an Asian Gaur, which is BIGGER, TOUGHER and MORE EVIL-TEMPERED than a Cape Buff. = SOME Gaur exceed 7 feet at the shoulder & 3500 pounds.)
    ADDENDA: The .400 B-WI is the largest caliber & HARDEST hitting cartridge that can be made from a .30-06 case. = With the 400 grain SOLID at 2100-2300FPS it's "enough gun" for anything short of a T-Rex, in the hands of "a decent shot".
    (Adequate "power" & DEEPER PENETRATION, when compared to the .458 WIN, are the main real "positives" of the .400 B-WI.)

    yours, satx
     
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