Crimping Nosler .223 bullets

Did you by chance buy overruns or blems?? If so they are often destined for a factory but they make a bit more than they need.... The extra after culling unusable bullets is sold off at a discount. I suspect that is how you got cannelured nosler bt's. I have gotten some cannelured 338 cal ab's as blems.

I would hope that I didn't get blems without them being marked as such. I looked on the Nosler website and it does show the 60 gr ballistic tip varmint having a cannelure.

Ballistic Tip Varmint
 
I would hope that I didn't get blems without them being marked as such. I looked on the Nosler website and it does show the 60 gr ballistic tip varmint having a cannelure.

Ballistic Tip Varmint
Then the book data is old... Most nosler bt's are not cannelured unless they are intended for factory loads. I believe the 60 grain is a newer pill intended for the ar platform, hence the cannelure. They'll update their description in future manuals I'm sure. I haven't played with the nosler 22 cal. offerings much, as I'm usually tossing heavy match pills in my ar and the varmint nightmare pills (cheap and work well) in my 22-250 pistol.
 
I have to say, I'm not a fan of Lee dies or Lee loading equipment. For orne thing, their lock rings blow big time and that little powder dipper thing scares me. Their shell holders won't interchange with anyone's hand priming tool and that powder through die don't get it either.

Far as their presses are concerned, the only one that 'looks' substantial is the cast press. The rest look flimsy, but then I have an old Rockchucker like the one Sully uses for a tire chock. It's substantial and it has grease fittings.

However, I do use their pistol (straight wall dies sets) with the addition of Hornady split lock rings (my favorite), in fact all my dies, Lyman, Redding, and RCBS, get their lock rings changed to Hornady's. Wilson's have no lock rings.

Having disparaged Lee to the maximum, I do like their dedicated caliber crimp dies and use them religiously.

IMO, a consistent crimp or even a consistent resize is entirely predicated on applying a constant amount of force to the ram, shell after shell throughout the entire reloading process. To that end, my press is equipped with a torque wrench in place of the actuation hancle. I can dial in the amount of pressure I want and maintain that across any number of cases.

I just square broached the opposite side of the actuation plate and I lock in my 1/2" square drive torque wrench when I need consistent pressure (like crimping).

There is actually a commercially manufactured unit that retrofits most every press. It's called 'Consistent Crimp'. I'm sure you can goggle it and find a dealer. I made my own.
 
Sorry to completely hijack, but I am pretty sure I need one of those. Do you have pics or detail posted somewhere?

It is a savage striker with a leopold m8 4x eer scope on top. Shoots pretty well but I may turn her into a 243 if I ever shoot her out. I had one in 243 that I traded for my ar the fall the current pres. got elected.
 
Trophyhusband,

Basic fact of life here; reloading manuals stay the same once they're printed, frozen in time the date they leave the printer. Bullet lines change and evolve constantly, sometimes obviously and others strictly behind the scenes. In this case, it sounds as though Nosler added the cannelure to this bullet sometime after that manual was done. Basic fact #2, reloading manuals are out of date the first day the manufacturer sends out the first printing of their newest manual. Trust me on this, been there several times. Lag time between final proof readings, print layout and the dozens of other things that go into producing a manual just make this a fact of life. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

As for crimping, I don't do it at all for the vast, vast majority of my rifle reloading, and that includes a tremendous amount of loading for auto rifles. No need to, assuming you're applying enough neck tension to begin with. If I do add a crimp in such cases, it's usually a taper crimp, and is set to about the least I can get away with and still call it "crimped." A little is good, less is better, and none is best of all, in my book. That's for rifles. Pistols (and some types of rifles) are different. There, you NEED a crimp.

I'm with Sidecar about the Lee equipment. Don't like it, don't use it . . . for the most part. But blind pigs do find acorns, and I have to say their Factory Crimp Dies are terrific. I don't mess with them for rifles, but in pistols (specifically autoloaders) I wouldn't think of setting up a run without them. Between those, and the extensive use of Wilson gages, you may well never experience a jam caused by ammo again, in a decently functioning pistol. The utilize a carbide sizer at the base, which actually sizes the finished round as the crimp is being applied, as well as giving a proper (adjustable degree) of crimp appropriate for the type of case being reloaded. In working with a 454 Casull and some other very heavy kickers in the range some years back, the Lee FCDs were literally THE ONLY crimp dies capable of applying enough crimp to prevent the bullets from being pulled under recoil. I recommend them wholeheartedly.
 
Trophyhusband,

Basic fact of life here; reloading manuals stay the same once they're printed, frozen in time the date they leave the printer. Bullet lines change and evolve constantly, sometimes obviously and others strictly behind the scenes. In this case, it sounds as though Nosler added the cannelure to this bullet sometime after that manual was done. Basic fact #2, reloading manuals are out of date the first day the manufacturer sends out the first printing of their newest manual. Trust me on this, been there several times. Lag time between final proof readings, print layout and the dozens of other things that go into producing a manual just make this a fact of life. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

Thanks for this explanation. Being fairly new to reloading I don't like to make assumptions. When info contradicts or doesn't make sense my first instinct is that it's due to a lack of understanding on my part.
 
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