Crimping hammer bullets

[CBH Australia]

Short answer is No, you don't have to but why not give it a go.
I've read a lot on this.
I have only loaded a handful of Hammers to date. A small sample of 101gn in .308.
Given the small bearing surface it seemed like good insurance.

The Lee FCD is cheap enough to trial.
I looked into these because I was getting a wide spread in velocity of some reloads that I was working with. Crimping the projectile in may assist with a more consistent let of pressure. All things being equal my loads and new rifle are carefully assembled.

I previously used an FCD on a .458 wm and have one for my .375H&H when I start loading.

I now have them for most of my cartridges that I load. I haven't found any negative effect on loads yet

I plan to crimp all of my hunting loads unless I find it causing a decrease in accuracy. I don't want to travel for a hunt and find a projectile coming loose or coming out when Iost need it and travelled to get there.

 

[RH300UM]

Crimp all my hammer loads with outstanding results.

 

[Zen Archery]

Pro-crimper only because I hunt hard and am hard on my gear. Don't need powder spilling into the chamber at a crucial moment.

 

[CBH Australia]

Pro-crimper only because I hunt hard and am hard on my gear. Don't need powder spilling into the chamber at a crucial moment.

Im just hard on gear, but your reasoning is reason enough to crimp hunting loads.

 

[ButterBean]

I don't crimp unless necessary (handgun cartridges and rifle cartridges used in a tubular magazine), but there are always exceptions. Try five-shot groups with crimped and uncrimped ammo and vary the degree of crimp in each batch. There is no objective standard for light, moderate, and heavy crimps; those words mean different amounts of crimp to different people.

To each their own, you are just repeating the same thing folks have been saying for decades, word for word I might add, if what you are doing is working stick with it, but I assure you the Lee FCD used properly will improve everything and not just with Hammers

 

[Tree Farmer]

To each their own, you are just repeating the same thing folks have been saying for decades, word for word I might add, if what you are doing is working stick with it, but I assure you the Lee FCD used properly will improve everything and not just with Hammers

Yes. Saw improvement with Nosler AB'S and Berger EH's as well. Doesn't appear to be a downside to crimping.