The HDY new dimension dies have an identical sleeve style crimping cup as the lee FCD die I will get my ID mike out and post the difference between the two. No roll crimp from this die just taper crimp. As you say it may squeeze the projectile more then a roll crimp. I use plated bullets so I can not use a roll crimp die as it tends to cut into the plating which can cause separation or projectile explosion after leaving the barrel.

Ah...Never heard of core separation of plated bullets and I've reloaded a bunch and roll crimped them. Of course I do use a lighter crimp when crimping plated bullets.

You say that the Hornady bullet seating dies use a "fluted" crimper?

Photo please...

Bushmaster wrote:

Ah...Never heard of core separation of plated bullets and I've reloaded a bunch and roll crimped them. Of course I do use a lighter crimp when crimping plated bullets. You say that the Hornady bullet seating dies use a "fluted" crimper? Photo please...

I said cup where I should have said sleeve.
I didn't say fluted I said tapered sleeve. The ID of the HDY Custom New Dimension 44mag die starts at .453 and tapers to .4275 the Lee FCD starts at .4505 and tapers to .4275 the sleeve in both dies are basically the same. I found a picture on the HDY website. The only real difference I see is the HDY sleeve slides out the bottom of the die and the Lee does not. You can see the sleeve poking out the bottom of the seating die in the pic.

I have never had a plated bullet come apart but other people tell me it happens with a hard roll crimp. I hear the plating can stick in the barrel but I have never had any thing like that happen. I only use Berry's Thick Plate bullets. Berry's says not to put a heavy roll crimp on their bullets.

Have a 10 ring day @ the range...

So we know what I meant when I said "fluted". You will notice the four cuts in the crimping part of the die.

OK gotcha call them compression rings here but what's in a name. Everyone has there own name for alot of stuff. All of my pistol FCD's are sleeve type, all my rifle FCD's are compression type. I was an electrician for 50 years and it depended what part of the country or who trained you as to what things were named. Much confusion most of the time. Three things letting you know your getting old, can't remember where you put something you just put down and I can't remember the other two.

I have a problem remembering what I came into a room for. Up sets my whole day. Especially when I get back to where I started and THEN remember what I was lookin' for.

Over 45 years in Marine and Industrial diesel operation, maintenance and overhaul. They renamed the ballpeen hammer several times during that period.

I'm getting frustrated with this whole process and can't figure out if I'm doing something wrong.

If I use the RCBS sizer it seems like the bullets are seating with excessive neck tension, but the Hornady die seems to not provide enough. I'm using Hornady brass and bullets for both the Colt and Casull.

45 colt sized in the RCBS dies

45 Colt, RCBS sizer, Hornady 240 grain XTP Mag seated...

454 Casull, RCBS sizer, same bullet

45 colt, Hornady sizer, Hornady brass

45 Colt, Hornady sizer, same bullet

Questions;

1 Are you using the expander die?

2 What is the inside diameter of the case after expansion?

3 Are these cases once fired?

4 Is the powder charge compressed?

5 Does the small bulge I see go all the way a round the case or only on one side?

Normally the more times the brass has been fired the more work hardened it becomes. The brass may need to be annealed.

If the bulge is only on one side the bullet is not going in the case straight.

From what I can see from the pictures it does not look like the case has enough bell from the expander die, after expansion the bullet should slide into the case .010 - 012 it looks like your expander is not properly set. You should be able to see a bell in the case mouth.

Need the ID of the case mouth included in the pics.

Hope this helps some...

Sparkle...I have only ever belled the mouth of a case when loading cast bullets. When loading jacketed bullets I don’t bell the case mouth because I have never found a need. The base of jacketed bullets are never perfectly 90 degrees, they are all very slightly rounded and I find this sufficient to start the bullet without the bullet grabbing the case mouth and folding it back or the case mouth “shaving” the bullet.

As for bullets not seating square, I have found this in the past and have adopted a practice suggested by Elvis, and this is to partially seat, ba k off the die, turn the case 180 degrees and seat the bullet the rest of the way. It actually makes a difference I have found.

I agree with your idea of annealing, and I include trimming...I do it after every 5 loads...especially with the 30.30, .223 and .243 rounds.

Hunterjoe21...The differences in the various cases is so slight that I'm not sure you have a problem. Do you have a problem firing any of these?

Could you be gettin' just a bit anal? Just askin'.

Very nice photos though.