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44Blam
07-31-2018, 12:16 AM
I've sized a set of boolits a little bigger than I typically would. I normally size to .430, but I sized these to .432.
I have the Lee 4 die set for .44 special (and Mag) and with the crimp die that came with it, I am having a hard time getting the larger boolits into the die. I've crimped a couple and one got pushed in a bit more than it should be and the other was just really hard to get back out of the die.

Anyway, for the folks that size a little larger in .44 mag, how do you crimp them?

MT Chambers
07-31-2018, 02:35 AM
Regardless of the bullet dia., the case mouth is wider and will crimp when your seating/crimping die is properly adjusted, I always crimp as a separate step after seating bullet, this is with RCBS or Redding, Lyman, Hornady, etc. die sets.

kungfustyle
07-31-2018, 05:37 AM
For my Rossi 92 I had to size to .433. I have an RCBS set of reloading die, but I seat the bullet with a 45 acp seating bullet and then crimp with the 44 mag die. I have a turret press so I can just bang these out. If you have a single stage press seat however many you want adjust the dies and go back and crimp them in, just like MT said.

44Blam
07-31-2018, 11:26 PM
So my problem isn't in the order/setup of my dies - I have 100 nicely seated boolits. It is the fact that they do not fit into the mouth of the die. It is the Lee crimp die that comes with the 4 pack set.
When I size to .430 they fit, but you have to force it in there and I get a nice crimp... But at .432, it has stretched the case to the point that it is simply too big to go into the lee crimp die.

This is why I posted, I was wondering if people use other dies to crimp? Or use a taper die?

WFO2
08-01-2018, 01:10 AM
I use the Lee collet crimp die. You can get it on the Lee website or Titian , Midway etc .I don't know how big a bullet you are casting however I use that die on my 300 grain bullets and it works just fine .

kungfustyle
08-01-2018, 07:20 AM
Why they have a different sammi spec for rifles is beyond me, but there is a difference. Get a set of RCBS, Lyman etc and keep the Lee dies. I crimp with my RCBS die but you can feel it is a bit big for the die. Go figure.

mdi
08-01-2018, 12:23 PM
Perhaps you have a bit too much flare in the case mouth. I too have a Puma that needs a .433" bullet but have not had any problems with a standard Lee seat/crimp die. I had a Lee FCD for .44 Magnum and the carbide ring was nothing but trouble, both sizing down my cast bullets and small for "oversize" ammo, so my FCD now resides in a landfill somewhere in So. Oregon. I now use a Redding Profile Crimp or a Lee collet crimp die for my 44 Magnums, depending on bullet/load...

FWIW; I just ordered a collet crimp die from Titan and it was $20.03 with shipping...

stubert
08-01-2018, 01:40 PM
If you are talking about the Lee die with the carbide ring in it, that is your problem. THROW IT AWAY and get a roll crimp die.

44Blam
08-01-2018, 11:46 PM
If you are talking about the Lee die with the carbide ring in it, that is your problem. THROW IT AWAY and get a roll crimp die.

This ^^^
Thank you.