Crimping the 9.3x62

[Jamie D Van Roekel]

The Norma 230 grain does not have the grove to crimp it in place. Is it necessary to crimp the bullets in a 9.3x62? What do you guys do?

 

[John Wasmuth]

I use a Lee factory crimp die and just crimp them after seating just under magazine length. Haven’t had any issues.

 

[baxterb]

Yup. I crimp everything with a Lee. Whether it’s in a groove or not.

 

[Rick HOlbert]

Personally I don't use a crimp on my 9.3X62. Even with heavy 286grn loads in the 2500fps range I've had no problems with bullet creep.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I have given up on seating dies to crimp cartridges. I now use Lee FCD for all my cartridges that require (or benefit from) crimping.

 

[sgt_zim]

The Norma 230 grain does not have the grove to crimp it in place. Is it necessary to crimp the bullets in a 9.3x62? What do you guys do?

I crimp with LFCD like everybody else. One of my most accurate loads is the 286 gr Hornady. There are no loads where I seat the bullet as deep as the cannelure on that bullet, but I still lightly crimp it.

 

[sgt_zim]

Not sure how much reloading you've done for 9.3x62, but I'll share some experience.

For 286 gr or heavier bullets, I think you'll find that ball powders work better, particularly Big Game and Alliant 2000 MR (and probably CFE 223 and Win 748, though I haven't tried either of those 2; Hornady does show a load for Win748 and the 286, don't know of anyone who has a published load for CFE223, but I know it works well for 35 Whelen).

For extruded powders like Varget and 286 or heavier bullets, you'll find that if you want a max load, it's going to be quite compressed. Having tested the 250 gr NAB, I get pretty good results with both Varget and IMR4895. The ball powders seem to perform best with a nearly full case, and you can't get that with ball powders and short/light bullets, at least not safely.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Ram Shot Big Game and Alliant Power pro 2000 MR are hard to beat for the 9,3 with 285/286 bullets. You’ll also find that on most 9,3 you can seat the bullet out to just under magazine length due to a generous throat.

 

[Rick HOlbert]

Do be careful with 250grn Swift A-Frames. They have a shorter ogive and longer parallel body/sides. on my rifle if I try seating out to fit the magazine the bullet hits the throat before the bolt is fully forward. Been reloading for 59 years.

 

[Puddle]

I've looked at 5 different factory ammo offerings of 285 and 286 gr. and none of them were crimped.

 

[MS 9x56]

I have not crimped any of my reloads and have ha zero issues so far.

 

[WAB]

Zero issues uncrimped with 286 AFrames at 2450.

 

[MS 9x56]

I reload 232 grain Norma’s, 250 grain Nosler accubonds, 286 grain Nosler partitions and 250 grain PPU.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yup. I crimp everything with a Lee. Whether it’s in a groove or not.

@baxterb
Makes two of us. The Lee fcd is a great little too, cheap to and you can put as much or as little crimp on as you want.
Bob

 

[shootist~]

I don't crimp so I decided to do a test with my 300 grain A-frame reload in the 9.3x62 to see if I should.
These were in some 3rd time loaded Lapua Brass that had been annealed.

Loaded four in the magazine and shot three. Loaded two more and shot those two.
The nose of the one round left in the magazine was battered pretty good over the 5 shots so I could not check "COL". But I have a .366 Sinclair Ogive gauge and used it compared to several unfired rounds from the same lot.

The set back using Ogive measurements for the (sample of one) 300 Grain A-F in Lapua Brass was -.001".

Should note I did similar with a 285 grain Privi loaded into New Privi brass. I also annealed the Privi brass, even though it was factory new.
I left one round it in the bottom of the magazine and fired 9 rounds. Set-back was -.0020".

 

[shootist~]

As an FYI to my post above - for the 9.3x62 I check the neck of the sized case before and after seating the bullet to be sure I'm getting ~.002" of neck tension. Smaller stuff I want to see >.001" with .0015" to .0020 preferred.

 

[Esoteric Junkie]

The Norma 230 grain does not have the grove to crimp it in place. Is it necessary to crimp the bullets in a 9.3x62? What do you guys do?

Jamie,
It is not necessary to crimp the 9.3x62. Using the standard expanding mandrel will provide ample neck tension to securely hold the projectile. The 9.3x62 does not produce enough recoil to dislodge a bullet with .003" neck tension.
EJ

 

[shootist~]

Should note I did similar with a 285 grain Privi loaded into New Privi brass. I also annealed the Privi brass, even though it was factory new.
I left one round it in the bottom of the magazine and fired 9 rounds. Set-back was -.0020".

Damn the decmel point. The Privi 285 in Privi brass setback was .020" (not .0020).

 

[Code4]

Not needed.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I crimp because I believe that it allows more consistent 'bullet pull' and ignition and it may help with powder burn in shorter barreled rifles. I get pretty small extreme velocity spreads with crimped loads that I have developed - sometimes less than 10 fps.

In heavy recoiling rifles and certainly in double rifles crimp is important to prevent bullet set back caused by recoil.