We have heard and read time after time for eons that tube fed levers must have a crimp applied or suffer the consequencies of having a bullet telescope back into the case from recoil. Now, this advise was targeted at jacketed bullets mostly and it seems reasonable enough for slugs with diameters of .307"-.308" but, what about cast with their girth of not less than .309" and over? Mine drop from the mold from .3095" to .312" and I use a .311" sizer to apply checks and lube.
My reason for questioning this sage advise comes from the range session I had a couple of days ago. I once had a Savage 99 in .30-30 that was foolishly sold years ago by some idiot, who will remain nameless. I shot a lot of cast loads in it which was never crimped for the rotary magazine and, last week, I found a box I had loaded for it all those years ago. I had to salvage these cases and determined that I could have much more fun shooting them rather than pulling the boolits with side cutters!
I loaded up my Winchester 94 with 6 rounds each time before they were fired, except, of course, the last 2. I checked each as I levered a fresh one in the chamber and didn't have a problem with any telescoping down into the case. So, do you think it is really necessary to crimp .30-30s using our favorite projectile? -JDL