Lee factory crimp die for plated bullets with no crimp groove ???

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Magnum Wheel Man

New member
may have seen my wadcutter thread in the revolver section... as I was going around looking at different wadcutters available I came across these Berry's plated DEWC bullets,

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/23319

... & thought it might make an interesting load perhaps a little on the warm side... maybe +P ??? curious as to the best way to put a crimp groove on them, or if you guys think the factory crimp die would bind them together enough for warm loads in a light gun ???

if the crimp groove could be put where it favors your load best, it would seem to offer much advantage over the traditional wadcutter crimp groove position ???
 
S

Shotgun Slim

New member
If I was going to use them as light target loads I would seat them slightly below flush with the case mouth and that way a slight roll crimp would be on the top edge of the bullet and help with preventing bullet pull and also aid in developing proper pressures. I don't know if you would want to try loading hotter loads like that (with the bullet seated that deep). I have loaded some fairly warm 38 special loads with a Berry 125 with no crimp groove-on those I put a light roll crimp on the plating and kept an eye on things as I shot and they worked ok.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
Heh another Lee FCD post. Here we go again. :D

Lee FCD or any other roll crimp die; it's okay to put a light roll crimp on a plated bullet. Just be gentle. You don't want the case to dig into the plating too much (and "too much" isn't much at all).

Ideally, you'll want to get a taper crimp die if you're going to load a lot of these. A taper crimp die isn't essential; but it is the correct tool for the job.

I would seat them slightly below flush with the case mouth and that way a slight roll crimp would be on the top edge of the bullet
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I load a lot - a lot - of Rainer plated DEWC's. They are essentially the same bullet for the sake of this discussion. Seating them just below flush (<1.155") like shotgun slim said is a viable option. I however, had much better luck seating them at the same depth as a lead DEWC with a crimp groove (1.245"). For whatever reason, they chronograph more consistently (lower Standard Deviations) with all sorts of different loadings (various powders and charge weights, and through three different guns). I have tested this bullet type more than any other. They also have the added benefit of speedloading smoother if they're above flush (yes, I shoot these in competition). Either way, I recommend a taper crimp. But shotgun slim's thought process has merit - if it's below flush, the roll crimp can't dig into the plating.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
make an interesting load perhaps a little on the warm side... maybe +P ???
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You certainly can. But there's not much case volume (in 38, especially), so you'll want to move to a medium powder (like Unique), rather than the usual fast stuff for this type of bullet.

you guys think the factory crimp die would bind them together enough for warm loads in a light gun ???
Click to expand...

If you're worried about bullet jump - don't. There is so much bullet-to-case contact, they're not going anywhere - regardless of crimp. Unless you flaired the holy snot out of the case, they are going to be seated in good n tight.
 
T

TMD

New member
*thought it might make an interesting load perhaps a little on the warm side... maybe +P ???*
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Load them as hot as you want as long as they are under 1200fps as recommended it wont be an issue.
 
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skizzums

New member
I seal mine flush and use a mild crimp. I don't see any other use for the plated dewc other than target practice, so I usually load them on lower side of the spectrum. The plated ones have soft round corners and don't look like they'd be much of a hunting/defense load.
 
M

Magnum Wheel Man

New member
curious with the rounded / bevel bases, on those DEWC bullets, do they still cut nice holes, or does the "convenience" of loading defeat the purpose of the wadcutter ???
 
H

Hammerhead

New member
I've used quite a few plated WCs from Berry's and Rainier. No they don't cut as clean as a good lead WC, but it's better than a RN or RNFP.

I load them warmer than lead, or at least I do now after having one get stuck in the bore with a light charge.

I use my Redding profile crimp and set it fairly light (looks like a taper crimp with very slight bullet distortion) and have no problem with them pulling forward. I use 5.5 Unique in .357 brass with ~ 1/8" of the bullet sticking out of the case.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
I load them warmer than lead, or at least I do now after having one get stuck in the bore with a light charge.
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^^ And this is why so I emphatically recommend loading plated bullets to jacketed data. At which point, I almost invariably get disagreement. At which point, I do not argue. But I am right - period.

(My apologies for morphing the subject.)
 
H

Hammerhead

New member
yeah, there's a lot of friction with plated bullets in general, and the full WCs make it worse. I used lead data and stretched the OAL a bit, and that was enough to stick a .357/148 WC in my 4" revolver.
Now I always use starting jacketed data with plated. (as recommended by Rainier)

Here's a link to some testing with plated bullets compared to other types of bullets in .45 acp and .38 Super. I think the differences with .357/.38 would be even greater.
http://38super.net/Pages/How%20Fast.html

I'm experimenting with coated lead now, and if the accuracy is there, I'll probably switch over from plated to coated.
 
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