Xtreme bullets light crimp with crimp groove???

[Mus408]

I'm setting up to load .38 Special and light .357 Mag using Xtreme 125 gr. plated bullets which have the crimp groove.
They say to use a light crimp,so what is considered light when using the Dillon .38 crimp die?
Right now I'm at the point where the case bell mouth is down to case body diameter of.375 with a shiny ring around case mouth. Should I go more to a diameter of .001-.002 less than case diameter...374 or .373 measured at very edge of crimp area where it rolls in??

 

[Rick Courtright]

They say to use a light crimp,so what is considered light when using the Dillon .38 crimp die?

Hi,

Can't speak to Dillon dies, but have used what are now Xtreme plated bullets under a previous brand name. I use the Lee FCD on everything I load, and learned that if one follows the instructions, it's a great tool for this kind of job. As I recall, Lee's instructions call for turning the die down until it just touches the mouth of the case, then add 1/2 turn for a starting position (add or subtract from this as required.) This is on a case with the bullet seated, but no crimp applied by the seating/crimping die yet.

With cannelured bullets (jacketed as well as plated), this just starts to roll the crimp into the cannelure. If one puts a straight edge on the case, just a tiny bit of light will show thru at the mouth. One can add more crimp if desired. I dunno what that measurement is, and, frankly, don't care. The engineers have it figured out, it works as they say, and that's one of the big considerations in my own loading.

I'd imagine the Dillon die sets up in a similar fashion (how many ways can one make a crimping die?) If it's practical for you to do so, you may want to try using it in two steps: seat bullet, with no crimp, then back out seating plug and crimp only. After doing that a couple of times you'll probably see why a 4th die is becoming more popular by the day! Set it and forget it as they say. Crimping's really just a simple operation, so a lot of us find reducing the "fiddle factor" to be a good idea.

Rick C

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I think xtreme is just worried that people will over crimp and damage the plating on the bullets causing them to get a bad reputation. Most .38's wont recoil enough to cause the bullet to jump crimp so a heavy crimp is not needed.

 

[Mus408]

I going as you say by eye balling for a slight roll in of the case mouth and comparing to my other ammo.
But sometimes I do measure with a good caliper how much it rolls in on other ammo like .45 Colt.
Have it setup now and made about 20 to see how they will shoot.

 

[mikld]

never mind... :oops: