Please give no-crimp a try!

[fatelvis]

I continuously read questions about how much guys should crimp, or what type of crimp to use with cast boolits. Unless you need one, because of heavy recoil in a revolver, or it being used in a semi auto, please give no crimp a try. In fact, if you can get away with it, don’t even bother removing a slight belling of your necks in rifle cartridges. I think you will be pleasantly surprised in the accuracy. I have never seen crimping Pro my groups. It only degrades precision in my rifles.

[leadhead]

I never crimp my rifle cast bullets. I do on pistol bullets.

[waksupi]

I think the only rifle I crimp for is my '76 .45-60. Oh, I guess the Winchester 94 .44 magnum gets it, too.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I agree. I think it was R5R that mentioned that to me many years ago and I do that whenever prudent.
>But I will add one thing, in regards to fatelvis' coment, " Unless you need one, because of heavy recoil in a revolver, or it being used in a semi auto, please give no crimp a try. In fact, if you can get away with it, don’t even bother removing a slight belling of your necks in rifle cartridges."
one other instance I've found that didn't follow that logic, was with cast bullets in 223rem for bolt action, removing flare and including the lightest crimp helped my accuracy, I think it had to do with 223rem having such a short neck (effecting neck tension) and possibly my expander/flare technique and/or bullet design.

[414gates]

Unless the bell interferes with getting the cartridge in the chamber.

My big bore rifle were very sensitive about the diameter at the case mouth, and if they didn't like it, the rounds would not chamber.

Semi auto pistols the same. Revolvers maybe more so, depending how tight the cylinder is bored.

I would say the crimp is not always necessary, but removing the bell is always necessary.

In the case of the OP, if accuracy is improved, that's enough said, but that is one unique situation, not a general observation.

In my opinion, if your rifle can chamber a belled neck, more than a few thou worth, the chamber is no longer in spec. Which may or may not be a problem.

[Texas by God]

I crimp when using unsized brass for CB loads so the bullets won’t get pushed deeper in the case.
Otherwise I don’t crimp rifle cartridges- except for my 38-55 Winchester 94.


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[maddog13]

I have a Contender Carbine rechambered from 22 Hornet to 22 KHornet that definately shoots better groups without crimping

[405grain]

On revolvers I crimp to prevent recoil from trying to pull the bullets. With 44 mag loads if there isn't a decent crimp, after just a few shots the nose of the bullets will start sticking out of the cylinder enough to jam up the action. On leveractions (or any rifle with a tubular magazine) it's beneficial to have a crimp to prevent the bullets from being pushed deeper in the case as recoil causes then to smack together like railroad cars as a train slows down. For semiautos it depends on the firearm; if the bullet might get set back during loading a crimp is good. If the firearm cycles without any setback then the crimp isn't necessary. On bolt actions I never crimp - the neck tension alone is more than enough. On all cast bullet ammo I remove the case mouth bell. If you don't, the ammo will feed perfectly 99.9% of the time, and will only jam when you; A. Have that trophy buck lined up perfectly in your sights. B. Are one shot away from setting a new match record. C. Are about to be eaten by a bear/tiger/angry aardvark etc.

[bangerjim]

I only crimp on my 40S&W rounds for my semi-auto hand gun. And 30-30 and 30-06 long gun loads. Everything else is straight.

Do what works fo 'ya!

banger

[Hick]

I never crimp for rifles-- and that includes my tube magazine levers. Cartridges in a tube mag do not see the full force of recoil, because the recoil hits the front of the mag spring (near the muzzle end) and the spring flexes. As long as neck tension is adequate that's all that is needed. I do crimp revolvers, since the recoil hits the cartridge rim directly and tends to increase cartridge overall length.

[rbuck351]

I crimp those pistol rounds that tend to pull boolits with recoil or those that want to push the boolits into the case when the boolit hits the feed ramp. I don't crimp most rifle rounds. One exception is my Rossi 454 Casull. Ten rounds of 300+ gr boolits, cases and powder have quite a bit of mass and tend to stay put when the rifle kicks back. Then the mag spring pushes the whole stack back and likes to hammer the boolits back in the case. I may have to crimp the boolits in my 416 Rem to keep them from setting back from ramming into the front of the magazine. I haven't shot it enough to find out yet. Too many variables to either crimp all or crimp none.

[fatelvis]

I’ve been finding that leaving the Bell on the mouthes after seating, in both my Mk1 no1 and no2 Enfields, lead to a little better accuracy. I think it centers the brass in the “over-generous” chambers/necks. At least that’s my theory! Lol

[waksupi]

If you are not removing the flare, your bullets are most likely undersized for the throat. You should be able to put a bullet into an unsized fired case, and have some resistance. That will tell you what diameter you need for the rifle. If they will drop in with little or no pressure, you are undersized. It may be possible to bump up the bullet to fill the throat.

[jsizemore]

I took up casting so I could crimp.