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I hate that my phone autocorrects "load" to "lead" all the time.

I know this is off topic slightly, but try and get European bullets too. I've recently struggled to get Sierra bullets for my given calibres in Europe but have found Lapua to be a bit more available. If you shop around, you might find a good deal (there's a thread on European gun shops somewhere round here).

As I posted earlier Henry Kranks 174grain £18.50 a hundred what's not to like. They have containers full of the stuff. Why would you use Lapaua or Sierra in a military rifle. They used them as sniper rifles using military ball ammo. ?

Alpha1 wrote:As I posted earlier Henry Kranks 174grain £18.50 a hundred what's not to like. They have containers full of the stuff. Why would you use Lapaua or Sierra in a military rifle. They used them as sniper rifles using military ball ammo. ?

Those at Kranks for £18.50/100 have a cannelure....do bullets with a cannelure have to be crimped or can they be used uncrimped so to speak?.

You don't have to crimp them, I don't and they shoot okay.

Having said that it depends on what you are planning to use them in. Hunting rounds are better crimped just to avoid any possibility of a stoppage when you don't need it. For target shooting its not needed.

Rockhopper wrote:Having said that it depends on what you are planning to use them in. Hunting rounds are better crimped just to avoid any possibility of a stoppage when you don't need it. For target shooting its not needed.

It would be in my Dragunov, I thought I'd ask as the milsurp I shoot doesn't have a cannelure and isn't crimped.Am I correct in thinking that if you do crimp you use a neck expander or am I off the mark.

My understanding is that a neck expander is used to open the mouth of the case to ease the bullet fit. With a boat tail bullet its not really needed. Lee do a separate crimping die.

Rockhopper wrote:My understanding is that a neck expander is used to open the mouth of the case to ease the bullet fit. With a boat tail bullet its not really needed. Lee do a separate crimping die.

Ah, thats it.....I believe it's used if you load flat-bottomed bullets if I remember correctly.

Don't bother with crimping for rifles. It's only really essential for tube magazines where the recoil can cause the bullet to seat deeper into the case.

Yes, and rounds that get rough handling such as self loading types.