Reloading rifle rounds

[The Mann]

I am new to reloading but have started reloading my 38/357 rounds with success. But now I am moving up to my 30-06 and 30-30 and 223 rounds. I am fixing to buy my dies and keep running into the debate to buy Lee RGD dies or get the set with a crimping die? I talk to people that say you must crimp these 3 rounds and others say no need to waste the extra money for the crimp die. All my pistol rounds have crimp dies but just wanting to hear what others think about crimping for the 30-06,30-30, and 223?

 

[DoyleAlley]

You really only need to use a crimping die when using an autoloader. With ordinary dies, you can still apply a "mild" crimp which is plenty for bolt actions.

 

[The Mann]

You really only need to use a crimping die when using an autoloader. With ordinary dies, you can still apply a "mild" crimp which is plenty for bolt actions.

My 30-06 is bolt but my 30-30 is tube feed and some say the 30-30 needs crimped and I get a lot of back and forth on 223 in a AR?

 

[DoyleAlley]

I've never reloaded for an AR, so I'll defer to someone else. I would treat the tube-fed the same as a bolt. Just use a mild crimp with the normal seating die. Since I don't go for speed, I do the seating in 2 steps. I seat all that I'm going to load, then back off the seating depth screw and adjust the die ring a partial turn higher until I can just barely feel a bit of a turn at the top of the brass.

 

[DoyleAlley]

 

[LSmith]

I only crimp plinking and survival rounds for semi auto. And I’m partial to the Lee factory crimp die.
Crimping match ammo didn’t work out for me even after a couple of years of trying. Hope this helps.

 

[Guru270]

I use a factory lee crimp die to be on safe side