Crimp die for 308 Winchester

[beefan]

I'm in need of a crimp die for 308 Winchester. The Lyman "M" die flares the case mouth for the seating of a cast bullet just fine. Only a minimal amount of flaring is required but I need to close the case mouth back up in order for the round to easily chamber.

Perhaps some experienced member here has an idea for a workable substitution for the crimp die, but my old brain hasn't figured it out.

The Lee die is unavailable from most places during this crush, and I'd rather not pay $45 or so from E-bay.

I'll be posting a WTB in the classifieds soon. If anyone has one to sell at a reasonable price, I'd like to have it.

Thanks

[FredBuddy]

See if Redding makes a profile crimp die
for 308 W. It's what I use for the same
problem for my 30-30.

[Jack Stanley]

Doesn't the seating die you are using have a crimp feature ?

Jack

[Winger Ed.]

Your seating die should have a roll crimp feature in it.

Something to try if it doesn't, and you're waiting for another one-
try pulling the stem out of the sizer, and run the round up in it for just a little 'bump' to roll out the flare.

I did that out of desperation years ago for something, and it worked.
It worked as sort of a red neck taper crimp.

[zarrinvz24]

Redding does make a taper crimp die. I’ve got one. Works great!

[SSGOldfart]

What die set are you using? Sounds like just a simple kiss adjustment to me. We all been there at some time in our handloading career.

[beefan]

My die set is “put together”-Redding body die, Lee collet die, and Forster bench rest seater. I have not checked but I didn’t think the sewer had a crimping shoulder.

Reasonable and thoughtful suggestions all-just as expected. Thanks!

[SSGOldfart]

Yep I think you are right a lot of the forster didn't crimp the bullet I guess most BR shooters don't cramp either? Most seating dies need to be adjusted down in the press half a turn or so you might try that remember to back off the seating stem before you try so it doesn't change the OAL of your cartridge. You might have a tapered crimp in that seater die.

[waco]

I use this.
https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1016833587?pid=247885&utm_medium=shopping&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=Reloading+-+Dies+%26+Shellholders&utm_content=247885&cm_mmc=pf_ci_bing-_-Reloading+-+Dies+%26+Shellholders-_-Lee-_-247885&msclkid=b32fc13fa622151630a5a127eb6c3e36&utm_term=1101100736074

[robg]

lee fcd but you should be able to use your seating die to crimp .

[SSGOldfart]

lee fcd but you should be able to use your seating die to crimp .

Some seating dies don't crimp they are made that way.

[megasupermagnum]

RCBS and Hornady are the only rifle seating dies I'm aware of that can crimp. Lee dies do not, and I doubt any of the high end seating dies do either.

I just dug through my stuff to see of a possible solution. My first thought was to use a crimp die from a 32 h&r die set. The 308 body is too big to make that work. I then took the crimp sleeve out of the 32 h&r Lee carbide crimp die, and put it in a Lee universal flaring die. This worked. I would actually suggest you buy a Lee 32 ACP carbide crimp die, as a taper crimp would be a better way to go for purposes of closing the flare.

The proper Lee collet crimp die for 308 winchester is what you will want eventually. It is the bees knees.

[shampine]

Another vote for the Lee crimp die . Bummer you can't find one in stock and at a reasonable price . I was hoping I had and extra I could give you , no luck .

[SSGOldfart]

RCBS and Hornady are the only rifle seating dies I'm aware of that can crimp. Lee dies do not, and I doubt any of the high end seating dies do either.

I just dug through my stuff to see of a possible solution. My first thought was to use a crimp die from a 32 h&r die set. The 308 body is too big to make that work. I then took the crimp sleeve out of the 32 h&r Lee carbide crimp die, and put it in a Lee universal flaring die. This worked. I would actually suggest you buy a Lee 32 ACP carbide crimp die, as a taper crimp would be a better way to go for purposes of closing the flare.

The proper Lee collet crimp die for 308 winchester is what you will want eventually. It is the bees knees.

My Redding and lyman,and a few old C&H dies all crimp if adjusted to.
I think the OP started out looking for a 308 FCD to start with.yes best answer get a crimping die,but you can try the seating die to get by until he finds a FCD.
Simper-Fi

[1hole]

Lee's collet neck die is the best neck die available. Used with a body die we can get the straightest possible cases.

Lee's collet crimpers are the best crimping dies available but it's adjustable and seems that its learning curve is too challenging for some folk to work with.

If you're having difficulty chambering flaired but uncrimped cases you're probably flairing the mouths more than necessary.

[mdi]

One of the best crimping dies I've found it the Lee collet crimp die (aka FCD for rifle cartridges). I rarely crimp any rifle cartridges but when I do I use the collet crimp, many times just to remove flare. I have 2 for rifles and one for 44 Magnum. Works quite well...

[charlie b]

My die set is “put together”-Redding body die, Lee collet die, and Forster bench rest seater. I have not checked but I didn’t think the sewer had a crimping shoulder.

Reasonable and thoughtful suggestions all-just as expected. Thanks!

Would your Redding die work? I understand it won't resize a neck, but, does it have enough to get rid of the flare?

[beefan]

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. Looks like I'll be borrowing a friend's RCBS seater until I can locate a Lee FCD. I did confirm that my Redding BR seater does not have a crimping shoulder. My "hybrid" die set has worked quite well with jacketed bullets. Cast bullets should make for some mild enjoyable loads in my 700.

Thanks again!

[lotech]

The seating die, adjusted properly, will eliminate any flair with out crimping. Case lengths should be pretty close to the same for this to work.

[megasupermagnum]

The seating die, adjusted properly, will eliminate any flair with out crimping. Case lengths should be pretty close to the same for this to work.

The only Redding die set I used did not crimp at all. It seems a few specialty dies have this feature, but the bulk of them do not.

[Texas by God]

Try skipping the M die and just chamfer the inside case neck. Then seat bullet like you would a jacketed one. That's what I do with cast bullets in 22-250, 30-30,.30 Remington, & 30-40 Krag. Ive done 25-06, .300BO, 7.62x39,.300 Savage, .308 Win, 8x57mm and .358 Win the same way in the past. It's worth a try.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[blackthorn]

Quote Originally Posted by lotech View Post
The seating die, adjusted properly, will eliminate any flair with out crimping. Case lengths should be pretty close to the same for this to work.
The only Redding die set I used did not crimp at all. It seems a few specialty dies have this feature, but the bulk of them do not.

I think if the seating die is adjusted carefully, just running the round into it should remove any flare, (still wont "crimp") if the cases are close to equal in length.

[charlie b]

All seating dies are not created equal. They don't even all work the same. Some have 'floating' bushings to align the bullet, some are like 'enlarged' size dies. Some will have a 'neck' area that might remove the flare, some might have a roll crimp feature and some just won't touch the flare.

[farmbif]

do you have a 30 cal bullet seating die in a different caliber? there are probably a bunch of them that could roll crimp well on a 308win.
just a thought anyways