Crimping for 30-06

[hardpan]

Quick questions.
1) Do you crimp the bullet for 30-06 spg?
2) How much difference did you see in accuracy>?

I don't want to fall prey to marketing or sales hype.
Thanks,
Hardpan

 

[Richracer1]

I don't crimp any of my rifle calibers, to include the 375RUM. Do not crimp with any bullet that doesn't have the cannelure. You will jack-up the bullet.

 

[Divernhunter]

I do not crimp any rifle bullets. Only pistol bullets. IF I crimped a rifle bullet it would have to have a crimping groove in it first. I mostly shoot Noslers and they do not have a crimping groove anyway.

 

[1Shot]

I all depends on which type of crimp you are using. In some rifles with certain loads and the use of the Lee Factory Crimp Die it DOES increase the accuracy. I shoot a bunch of older military rifles. Many of them have very long throats and you can't get the bullet close to the lands and still run them through the magazine. In every one except one the Lee Factory Crimp Die has improved the accuracy. The only one that I did not see an increase in accuracy was in all 4 of my model 96 Swede 6.5X55 Mausers. I could not tell any difference in the accuracy between the crimped ones and non crimped. I also use the Lee Factory Crimp Die with my M1 Garand. It even improved the accuracy with my K-31 Schmidt Rubin 7.5X55 Swiss rifles that have very short throats.

The use of the Lee Factory Crimp Die even with Match bullets, Sierra MK and Nosler custom comp bullets DOES NOT "jack up" the bullet (which I take it to mess it up and make it no accurate). I had to prove this to some fellows that I shoot matches against. They were wondering how I was getting such great accuracy out of my loads when they could not and they were using the same loads. It took them some snooping around my ammo boxes when I was down range pulling targets to find what I was doing. I was using the Lee Factory Crimp Die. These same fellows that had been saying "that thing will screw up a good bullet" we getting their clocks cleaned by me in the shooting matches by those "screwed up bullets" until the started using one.

You never know if it will help your situation until you try it. One thing that I will tell you to help you out. When you trim your cases leave them 5 thousands longer than the given trim to length. This will give enough case for the crimp fingers to get a good grip on and make a good crimp.

I do not use the Lee Factory Crimp Die on my modern hunting rifles. All of mine have custom barrels and I load the OAL that will give me best accuracy. If I got any better accuracy it would have to shoot bullets into half a bullet hole size. :grin:

 

[hardpan]

I all depends on which type of crimp you are using. In some rifles with certain loads and the use of the Lee Factory Crimp Die it DOES increase the accuracy. I shoot a bunch of older military rifles. Many of them have very long throats and you can't get the bullet close to the lands and still run them through the magazine. In every one except one the Lee Factory Crimp Die has improved the accuracy. The only one that I did not see an increase in accuracy was in all 4 of my model 96 Swede 6.5X55 Mausers. I could not tell any difference in the accuracy between the crimped ones and non crimped. I also use the Lee Factory Crimp Die with my M1 Garand. It even improved the accuracy with my K-31 Schmidt Rubin 7.5X55 Swiss rifles that have very short throats.

The use of the Lee Factory Crimp Die even with Match bullets, Sierra MK and Nosler custom comp bullets DOES NOT "jack up" the bullet (which I take it to mess it up and make it no accurate). I had to prove this to some fellows that I shoot matches against. They were wondering how I was getting such great accuracy out of my loads when they could not and they were using the same loads. It took them some snooping around my ammo boxes when I was down range pulling targets to find what I was doing. I was using the Lee Factory Crimp Die. These same fellows that had been saying "that thing will screw up a good bullet" we getting their clocks cleaned by me in the shooting matches by those "screwed up bullets" until the started using one.

You never know if it will help your situation until you try it. One thing that I will tell you to help you out. When you trim your cases leave them 5 thousands longer than the given trim to length. This will give enough case for the crimp fingers to get a good grip on and make a good crimp.

I do not use the Lee Factory Crimp Die on my modern hunting rifles. All of mine have custom barrels and I load the OAL that will give me best accuracy. If I got any better accuracy it would have to shoot bullets into half a bullet hole size. :grin:

Hi all,
thanks for the responses thus far.

1shot, that is exactly the die that I am considering using. The 30-06 is older, but not a military rifle per se. I have had some trouble getting it go group, and crimping will be one of the last resorts to which I turn.

i have never crimped for any other rlfle, and likely will not start.

Still learning after 15 years!
Hardpan

 

[JD338]

The only crimping I do is for 45-70 and 44 Rem Mag.

JD338

 

[ACLakey]

I use the Lee factory crimp die for my 30-06 loads and have noticed more consistancy in both velocity and POI. I crimp bullets with and without the factory canalure with no issues.

 

[DrMike]

I use the Lee Factory Crimp Die on several of my loads (280, 7 mm RM, 30-06, 300 WSM and 358/356). Does it make more consistent ammunition? It doesn't hurt. Is it necessary? Probably not. Nevertheless, I am comfortable with the extra step. Yes, I do it on my hunting ammunition.

 

[1Shot]

Hardpan: If it is an old rifle I would do a couple of things. I would clean the barrel with one of the electro cleaners like the Outer's foul out. You can find how to make your own for not too much on the net. These old guns sometimes have build up in the bore that this is the only way to get it out. Then the second thing I would do is have the muzzle re-crowned. It does not take much to mess up a crown and it will NOT shoot well. The crowns on many old rifles are ruined by improper use of a cleaning rod and placing the muzzle down on the floor board of a car or truck as one goes hunting etc. The sand and grit in the carpet will eat the crown away. These are the two most often causes of bad crowns. Matter of fact I would do the crown job first. You can do it yourself with a brass stove bolt and some valve grinding compound and a drill. You can most likely find how to this on the net also.
I assume that you have bedded the action and have the barrel free floated in the forearm. If you do not you need to do this.

Try this load. 51.2 grs of IMR 4064, CCI BR2 primer, Rem or WW case, 150 gr Sierra or Nosler Ballistic Tip and play with the seating depth. This load usually shoots extremely accurate in most bolt action 30-06's. As far as the powder charge goes this is the Accuracy Load out of one of the older Sierra manuals I think it was the 4th edition.

 

[SJB358]

So far, I use the Lee FCD on 44 Rem Mag and 45-70. Seems to work well on those two. I would like to give it a try on the 358 also and maybe my 338 Win Mag. You can't beat the price of 10.00 for most common calibers. Scotty

 

[FOTIS]

I do not crimp any rifle bullets. Except for lever gun rounds.