Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Lee Crimping die

I use the Lee FCD on 308 in the FAL which can push bullets back when going up the ramp, for tubular magazines, and light loads which might be more consistent with a crimp.
Otherwise I don't crimp rifle rounds. Pistol I crimp with the standard roll crimp for revolvers or taper crimp for autos.

Holy carp, there are TWO people using lee crimp dies on the 38 wcf?!? What's next, meeting someone that prefers Suntour Cyclone Rear derailleurs to Campagnolo gear from the same era? The world is a strange and wonderful place. As far as the crimp dies go, they work pretty well for me. Mostly they get used by me for pistol calibers, semi auto rifle loads, and heavier bullet loads in 338 and up hunting cartridges.

Keep them adjusted and lubed and both work fine. (Suntour Cyclone Rear derailleurs to Campagnolo gear from the same era?)

Revolvers and lever guns

If you shoot a certain diameter hard cast bullet in lever guns or revolvers, knock out the carbide rind in the die before using it. Easily done with a screwdriver/hammer. I love them, I tend to crimp everything now, even bottleneck cases.

With cast in revolver / lever cartridges, I would avoid the carbide sizer / crimp dies all together. Lee makes a collet "stab" style crimp (sans carbide ring) for the .357, .44M, and .45C that works much better.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/240550/lee-collet-style-crimp-die-38-special-357-magnum

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/781382/lee-collet-style-crimp-die-44-remington-magnum

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100074/lee-collet-style-crimp-die-45-colt-long-colt

I use their collet crimp dies on quite a selection of cartridges. Including a few bottleneck cartridges. They are pretty handy and unlike a roll crimp die, case length doesn't have to be perfectly uniform to get the same effective crimp.

I was glad I had one for 223, I was loading Win 64 Gr power points. I had to crimp those.

I use one for a 450/400 Nitro Express a 458 Win Mag. and a 500 Nitro Express.

Suntour did and Campagnolo (campy) does make bicycle components. In the '80s most pro riders used Campy gear, so most guys consider it better than Suntour kit. Suntour Cyclone bits have always been just as reliable as Campy parts for me, while also being smoother shifting.

I use them in my Hornet, too. They help ignition and make the groups "more round", instead of vertical stringing. I don't use them for anything else, but they work well for that purpose.