what am I doing wrong?

[PsycoRC]

for the life of me, I cant load for shotgun, balloon necks every time. what am I doing wrong?

[Hamish]

1. Pictures
2. Components description
3. Equipment used
4. Detailed, step by step description of what you're doing.

No one can help you unless you can show and describe the problem and how you got there.

[PsycoRC]

how about an example?
just this morning
lyman shotshell handbook, 5th edition, page 142
federal gold medal plastic 12 gauge 2-3/4 inch
1-1/2 ounce shot
26 gr 800x
WAA12R
zero wad pressure
shot sits a full 1/8 inch too low, the crimp just caves in
https://imgur.com/a/SsqLoKO

I used a pacific dl-110 but a MEC grabber has the same effect

[Hamish]

Without messing with the equipment there are several things you can do. Add shot/ decrease powder until your crimp flattens out. ( Watch your reloading data. ) Add undershot cards. Add a few pieces of puffed wheat on top of the shot. Add a cheerio under the shot. ive not read of it being used but, a few grains of rice would likely be very good.

It looks to me like your crimp is not set deep enough. If the crimp around the inside edge were deeper, it would flatten out the dishing in the center. If you are happy with the depth, personally I would play with either an undershot/overshot card of cardboard or one of the other things above.

Next most obvious choice would be an 1/8" taller wad if you have one.

[oso]

You say this happens every time. Adding fillers or using overshot cards may help but I find them tedious. Find the easy permanent solution.
First: I'd double check weight of powder and shot. If correct then check alternative wad possibilities.
Second: I'd check pre crimp die - set so a pencil will not enter the shell opening. If good then
Third: I would lower the crimp die bit by bit. May have to adjust for different length shells.
If it were easy my wife would reload for us more often.

[PsycoRC]

I'll give it a try

[megasupermagnum]

I've never seen a 6 point crimp on a Gold medal hull. If you are using a Federal hunting hull, they have a lot more capacity.

[PsycoRC]

you know it would be nice if they just labeled the darn things
Lyman's doesn't show anything close except gold medal

[Walks]

Too much wad pressure

[PsycoRC]

nothing I can do about that unless I can turn off gravity

[PsycoRC]

I got out the grabber press and got the crimp die adjusted, they crimp fine now. that just leaves the question, what are they?

[megasupermagnum]

Cut the hull off flush with the metal head and post a picture. More than likely you have a hunting hull often listed as the .090" basewad hull.

If it was a gold medal, it would be obvious. They are stamped.

[PsycoRC]

https://imgur.com/a/DTAc9Un
one on the left *is* a gold medal
the right one is the type in question

[megasupermagnum]

Well that certainly does look like a gold medal basewad.

Have you weighed your shot and powder, not just what the charge bar says?

If everything is correct, then the only option is a spacer. They don't have to be difficult. I would say the best way would be a 20 gauge 1/8" felt wad in the bottom of the shot cup. A very simple trick a lot of guys use is to throw a cheerio on top of the shot. That often gives you just enough to crimp.

[PsycoRC]

there is another option though
"I got out the grabber press and got the crimp die adjusted, they crimp fine now"

[megasupermagnum]

How deep did you have to crimp? To take up 1/8" of gap with the crimp could cause problems.

[PsycoRC]

https://imgur.com/FyFEpZK
looks... like a reload
the ones I was doing before weren't going to the center.

[megasupermagnum]

You were definitely missing space in that first picture. I guess another possibility was that at first you were crimping too far, and causing the wad legs to buckle. Winchester wads do buckle easy.

Whatever you did, that picture in post #17 looks good. Nothing wrong with that.

[PsycoRC]

I'll make a small run and give these a try, if they work, I've got a fair few. if not, I'm only out a couple bucks in shot and powder

[bikerbeans]

Fold crimp problems are why I roll crimp every shotshell. Of course I ain't loading 20k trap loads a year.:bigsmyl2:

BB

[W.R.Buchanan]

Fold crimp is all about payload height.. If it is right the crimp will be nice and flat. Adjust Payload height until you get the crimp height right.

Randy

[PsycoRC]

I'm afraid you're a little late to the party, had my press set wrong.

[W.R.Buchanan]

This is not unusual, I am rarely on time for anything.

Randy