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Thread: .44mag Reloading Help Needed

  1. #1
    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    .44mag Reloading Help Needed

    Last weekend I reloaded a couple hundred .44mags and I would say on about 8 of them the wall of the case wrinkled when I seated the bullet and crimped. I had a pretty generous flare where I could get a decent amount of the bullet started in the case. I am using Berry's plates 240gr flat point bullets so I am running a very very light crimp. I am only loading these to 1200FPS so I shouldn't need a super heavy crimp.

    Any thoughts? Is this pretty normal with long straight walled pistol cases? I had this problem on .357 mag but when I increased the flare it seemed to do the trick. That same amount of flare doesn't seem to be working here. I don't want to go too extreme with the flare because of the light crimp (heavy crimp will cut through the plating and cause it to separate).

    Dies are RCBS.

  2. #2
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    So if I understand this the case is wrinkling when you seat the bullet. Is that correct? Yep, I'd say it needs more flare or possibly some inside case chamfer at the case mouth. I've also had that happen once when using too much roll crimp on RCBS dies. But in this case you say you're using a light crimp.

  3. #3
    Senior Member L1A1Rocker's Avatar

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    I agree with Schuetz. Are you chamfering the inside of the case? If so I'd try a bit more flaring on the mouth.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    I can try a little chamfer next time I did notice that the previous roll crimp left some burrs on the end.

    Another though I had is in regard to the RCBS dies when you seat and crimp on the same step. At the end of the stroke you are still trying to push the bullet into the case as the case mouth is being shoved into the bullet by the crimping portion of the die. It seems this could put alot of compressive stress in the case wall and lead to it bucking.

    Are you guys crimping in a separate step?

  5. #5
    Senior Member L1A1Rocker's Avatar

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    Yes, I crimp on a separate step. I'm a big fan of the Lee Factory Crimp Die.
    US Constitution: Article 1 Section 8 Paragraph 4

    The Congress shall have Power To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization

  6. #6
    Forum Administrator Schuetzenman's Avatar

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    Yes I prefer a separate crimp die. I usually use a taper crimp die from RCBS. I think the Lee factory crimp dies are good based on a couple of friends that have and use them. I have not purchased any for myself, but have seriously thought of getting a few to try. http://www.midwayusa.com/find?userSe...tory+crimp+die

  7. #7
    Senior Member NAPOTS's Avatar

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    The Lee dies aren't very expensive I think I'll go that route, it just sucks having to run the .44mag though another die. I was having issues with seating and crimping at the same step with .45acp when loading lead SWC bullets, I was shaving some lead. Lee factory crimp die fixed that.

    I'll let you guys know if it worked when I load my next batch (it will be a while)

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