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Crimp, Taper or Roll for .44 Mag?

Matchshot
Sorry guys (and gals) for all of the dumb questions but, I am trying to do this right and this forum has been the best place for answers.

I am going to load .44 mag on a progressive press. I have a new set of Hornady dies but want to purchase a crimp die for the 4th step instead of going back and using the seating/crimp die. I have looked for a crimp die and have seen taper, roll and "profile" crimp dies. What should I get? I will be shooting 240 gr.SWC bullets with relatively light loads (8.0 - 9.0 gr. Unique). What do you think?
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • Tailgunner1954
    Taper for semi-auto, roll for revolver
    Roll crimp resists bullet pull-out better than taper crimp, and pull out is what you have to watch for in a revolver under recoil.
    Taper crimping resists bullet set-back from magazine & ramp battering in a semi-auto quite well, and still leaves the case mouth available to control headspace.
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  • temblor
    Ditto what Tailgunner1954 said.......................................
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  • MrOrange
    About the seating/crimping:

    I've loaded approximately 1.2 tons (give or take) of .38s, besides all the other loads/calibers I load for, on a Dillon progresive, and seating/crimping in one step has never been a problem. I don't know how you'd go back to crimp on a progressive anywho.

    Is there some reason why you don't want to seat/crimp in one step? If you're shaving lead it might be that you just need to bell the cases a wee bit more.
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  • Matchshot
    I have a porgressive and I haven't done any revolver loads, just .45 ACP loads with a taper crimp. I have a separate crimp die for them.

    The set of .44 dies I have has a seating/crimp die, I though you cranked it down for the seating and then raised the internal plunger to crimp. I must have mis-read the instructions.

    Like I said, I am new. I will pull those dies out and look at the instructions again.
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  • Tailgunner1954
    Setting up a seat/crimp die:
    1) With a sized & belled case in the shell holder and the ram fully up, screw the die down until you feel the crimp lip hit the case. Now raise the die 1 full turn and "temporaly" lock it down.
    2) With the seating stem backed off several turns, set a bullet onto your "test case" and run it up into the die. Measure the OAL and adjust your seating stem down to match the case mouth with the crimping groove (rule of thumb, 1 full turn of the seating stem will seat the bullet .050 deeper into the case).
    3) Back the seating stem off several turns, and unlock the die body.
    4) Lower the die body until it just touches the case mouth, than 1/12 of a turn at a time (from the center of a flat to the next corner = 1/12, flat to flat or corner to corner = 1/6 turn) until you have the amount of crimp you desire, than lock the die body at this point.
    5) Lower the seating stem until it makes firm (finger tight) contact with the bullet, and lock it in place also.

    It takes longer to type/read this, than it takes to do it.
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  • B17-P51
    A heavy roll crimp is essential to get proper ignition and burning of large amounts of slower burning powders with heavy bullets. i.e. 240-250 gr bullets with 2400 or 4227 powder. If just loading plinking loads with Unique or something go easy on the crimp, but do roll crimp slightly. Hope this helps.
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