Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
I certainly know how to use a combination seating/crimping die and have obtained good results from that process. However, I avoid seating and crimping in one step like I avoid the plague.
In my little corner of the world, I strongly prefer to separate those processes. For handgun cartridges on a progressive press, it’s a no-brainer. Those machines make seating and crimping separate stages anyway. But even on a single stage press, I prefer to seat and crimp in separate operations, even when that adds to the overall loading sequence.
For rifle cartridges, I spend the money and time to acquire seating only dies and separate crimping dies. This increases the complexity of the loading process but I’m happier with the results. I believe that using a dedicated seating only die produces more consistent bullet alignment. And I also believe that crimping in a separate operation makes tuning that process far easier. I know HOW to set up a seating/crimping die to get the desired result, but I just find it EASIER to split those operations. It is not a lack of knowledge thing, it is an end result thing.
The drawbacks of separating the seating and crimping are the added expense of more dies (often including very expensive seating only dies) and the longer reloading process generated by adding another stage to the process.
I know that I’m not going to change my technique, but I do wonder just how alone am I in this mindset?
In my little corner of the world, I strongly prefer to separate those processes. For handgun cartridges on a progressive press, it’s a no-brainer. Those machines make seating and crimping separate stages anyway. But even on a single stage press, I prefer to seat and crimp in separate operations, even when that adds to the overall loading sequence.
For rifle cartridges, I spend the money and time to acquire seating only dies and separate crimping dies. This increases the complexity of the loading process but I’m happier with the results. I believe that using a dedicated seating only die produces more consistent bullet alignment. And I also believe that crimping in a separate operation makes tuning that process far easier. I know HOW to set up a seating/crimping die to get the desired result, but I just find it EASIER to split those operations. It is not a lack of knowledge thing, it is an end result thing.
The drawbacks of separating the seating and crimping are the added expense of more dies (often including very expensive seating only dies) and the longer reloading process generated by adding another stage to the process.
I know that I’m not going to change my technique, but I do wonder just how alone am I in this mindset?
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