Hammers

[tribb]

Yes. Above.
Crimping almost always improves sd and es. It gives more consistant start to the bullets (both Hunters and Absolutes). Start with a light crimp (1/8 turn). Go up til you find pressure with your powder charge. Back off 1 grain and shoot groups.
Adjust powder and get best load. Do final tuning by adjusting final crimp in 1/8th turns. Your groups will open and close (just like changing powder does). When done, you'll have your best, most accurate load.
Holding bullets snugly in a magazine is an ancillary benefit.

Thank you

 

[Shane Lindsey]

So are you doing this so that the bullets in the cartridges in your magazine stay in place?

Yes, but as stated can help with ES/more consistent start pressure I think.

For me its a coin toss. Accurate with/without depends on rifle.

 

[bill123]

Yes. Above.
Crimping almost always improves sd and es. It gives more consistant start to the bullets (both Hunters and Absolutes). Start with a light crimp (1/8 turn). Go up til you find pressure with your powder charge. Back off 1 grain and shoot groups.
Adjust powder and get best load. Do final tuning by adjusting final crimp in 1/8th turns. Your groups will open and close (just like changing powder does). When done, you'll have your best, most accurate load.
Holding bullets snugly in a magazine is an ancillary benefit.

How much improvement are you seeing in group size & SD/ES? Can someone post a link to Butter Bean's YouTube? I can't find it.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I just did a 131 HH work up in my 7mag. I crimped this one as opposed to the 177 HH. ES on the 131HH was 4 FPS crimped (small sample size) but the 177 was 18 FPS not crimped.

 

[Northkill]

How much improvement are you seeing in group size & SD/ES? Can someone post a link to Butter Bean's YouTube? I can't find it.

Not sure if this is the right one, but it'll get you started. We've seen significant velocity increase as well as accuracy improvement using the LCD from the 124 HH in our Creed. It's worth trying for sure.

 

[Quintus]

Before shooting Hammers I had never crimped and resisted it with hammers for some time. I was having bullets move on recoil in the 270 Win load so I broke down and got the Lee crimp die. My ES dropped from 12 to 5. I checked this again over the next 3 range trips for 10 shots each trip because I found it a little hard to believe and it remained consistent. I got the crimp die for the other cartridges I am shooting Hammers in and got the same results. ES starting in the high single to low double digits being cut to the low single digits. My accuracy didn't get noticeably better (I am a 1/2 minute shooter with 1/4 minute rifles ), but the benefit is still worth the 12 bucks for the die and simple, quick procedure.

 

[just_jon]

When I made the switch to hammers four years ago, I found I was often able to spin the bullet in case neck when running my normal .002" neck tension as established by expander mandrel. After much research and discussion with forum members, I went with the Lee FCD using the process described in this video and never looked back. Like Quintas, my ES and SD shrunk considerably. I don't consider a hammer load complete until the SD is 10 or less for a series of five shot groups shot on different days.

 

[GLTaylor]

Thank you all!

 

[dogz]

Nope. Preference.

boom done, no need for more talk on this one