Dies and Crimping

[Appleseed]

Hope to add .357 mag soon, in a Ruger M77 carbine rifle. Three die set for crimping? Any improvement in accuracy?

Bullet loads from 125 grain and up. The barrel is 18.5". It may be a 100yrd to 150yrd rifle. Have a Redding t-7 press so set up will be quicker than my old single. I've never loaded for this caliber or any pistol loads, excepting the savage striker calibers.

[Marchboom]

I would apply a roll crimp to any revolver cartridge unless used in a single shot weapon. Accuracy might improve depending on how much crimp is applied. Try different amounts of crimp and see whats the best. While doing this watch for any bullet movement of the cartridges remaining in the rifle. Crimp has a lot to do with bullet release and pressure build up prior to bullet release.

[PaddyD]

If using slow powders with lighter bullets (125 gr) in a 357 a crimp will most definitely help ignition. With the heavy bullets in cold weather a crimp helps with ignition too. More isn't necessarily always better as too much crimp causes the case to bulge below the mouth and you end up losing bullet tension.