my crimp is pushing my bullets too deep?

[Badge54]

I would have started here if I knew from the beginning that the bullets were LBT molded bullets.  A buddy at work gave me 30 .44mag in 250 grain lead that he sized to .430.  I asked this originally in the generic handloading forum.   My Lee crimp die is pushing the bullets in with the crimping ring inside the die before the crimp can get to the case mouth.  The crimp ring has left scrape marks on the outside of the bullets causing me to believe this.

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,198144.0.html



Sir,  
1)  Have you heard of this as a specific problem with big bullets and the Lee dies?
2)  Would you recommend a specific crimping die for me to get.



Thank you for your time and understanding of an inexperienced reloader.

Badge54

[Veral]

  This is a common problem when bullets are sized larger than nominal jacketed bullet diameter. 

  The most simple solution is to grind out that tiny crimping shoulder a bit, until a sized bullet will slip through easily.  It will not change it's ability to crimp nominal size bullets.  A high speed rotary grinder is the tool needed, and a dremel is the lowest price one available.  Use a stone that doesn't fit tight, or it will grab and chatter.  Something around 5/16 diameter for opening up a 44 die would be good.  Hold the die and grinder in line with each other and run the stone round and round with as uniform pressure as you can.  You probably only need to remove .002 or .003 thousandths.

[Badge54]

Thank you.  That I can afford.

Badge54

[Terbltim]

If I may offer comment on your question...
"Would you recommend a specific crimping die for me to get.

I got turned on to the Redding "Profile Crimp die" for the specific purpose of correcting bullets creeping out of the crimp under recoil.
The Profile Crimp die makes a taper-crimp that ends with a roll-crimp.
This eliminates the little (microscopic?) bulge of brass that seems common from a firm roll crimp of "normal" type, (which pushes the crimp in from the front creating the aforementioned bulge.)
When I first got this die, (for making 454 ammo) I was worried that the taper-crimp part would size the area just rear of the crimp-groove to smaller than desired.
If that is happening I can't tell and my bullet-creeping stopped.
I now use the Redding Profile Crimp for all my revolver ammo.
In the customer comment section of Midway some have complained of buckling the cases.
I haven't had that experience and not sure how it could be done except on purpose.
I get the best crimps I've ever seen from this die.
Looks like a factory crimp to me.

I can't comment on Veral's suggestion. Sounds like it would work. Cheaper too.

[jbquack1]

  This is a common problem when bullets are sized larger than nominal jacketed bullet diameter. 

  The most simple solution is to grind out that tiny crimping shoulder a bit, until a sized bullet will slip through easily.  It will not change it's ability to crimp nominal size bullets.  A high speed rotary grinder is the tool needed, and a dremel is the lowest price one available.  Use a stone that doesn't fit tight, or it will grab and chatter.  Something around 5/16 diameter for opening up a 44 die would be good.  Hold the die and grinder in line with each other and run the stone round and round with as uniform pressure as you can.  You probably only need to remove .002 or .003 thousandths.

I had this problem with my 45 colt dies(both a lee fcd and hornady's seating/crimp die)My bullets are oversized as i had to ream my my chambers for depth and diameter for "leading and consistancy" issues.I used a cylinder hone and a drill, you can get these hones from brownell's for 20 bucks or so and they will take the die out to the right size, also remember that if your bullets are over size your case will bulge more and you will need to hone the carbide size ring as well on the factory crimp die or it will "size" your bullet as it goes through.jim

[Veral]

  Regarding the issue of buckling cases when crimping.  It's a common problem and certain to happen with the longer cases if you used mixed brass or brass with varying lengths, which I do most of the time.  The cases which are to long can often give bullet pulling problems with stout loads.
  To solve this problem, I have for years,  seated and crimped my revolver bullets with the seating die turned in at least one turn beyond where it would make a good crimp with a full lever stroke.  Turn it in more than one turn if need be, but the idea is to work the press in such a postion that you feel the crimp close in and go no farther.  If your press has a lot of leverage at the end of the stroke, two turns may give a better feel.

  Maybe a bit better explaination of the problem is is order.  At the top of the stroke pressures are extreme, and there is almost no feel of what pressure is, because the operating handle may move 3 or 4 inches moving the ram up only a few thousandths.  When the seating die is screwed in farther than normal, there will be a good feel, and you'll feel the case mouth bump into the crimp shoulder when it hits home.  Be sure you BARELY feel it come tight and you'll find bullet pulling to be a thing of the past.