Candleure TOOL

[J. R. WEEMS]

EXCELLING

No doubt Redding is a good product! I am not saying the Lee die is per se superior to anything Redding makes, but that the Lee Factory Crimp Dies are the only one of their type available! Redding makes nothing equivalent. There are few tools Lee makes that excel, but the ones that do are not duplicated by any other die maker.

FWIW, I will be 75 in August, if that means anything. But I have been re-loading since 1960 and have made both loading dies, bullet moulds, and sizing dies. I do not recommend any product lightly, and Lee only where they have a truly excellent or unique product!

I have to concur. Not faulting Lee dies at all. In fact, while at a gun show a few weeks ago, I did find some .38S&W ammo (remington) WHEW!! $27.00 a box. A bit later, a table with Lee dies was spied so I ask about dies for the . 38S&W-- well he had some, NIB and they came with the Lee Factory Crimp die. Had some doubts, but not after I used them and shot a couple boxes of my loads. No need to look any further. I will hit that 75 a few weeks after you do and was just antsy about those 44 bullets without the candleure. Well tested 20 rounds this morning out of my trusty no dash 629 and had NO glitches of any kind. Much worry over nothing it seems. Still-- want to say THANK YOU!! to all who chimed in on this thread. As always, you guys are the BEST.

 

[Drm50]

I was going to buy one for Speer 235gr .375 bullets for 375H&H Sako. It
set bullets back, even factory stuff. I don't like to crimp anything I don't
have to.

 

[Jellybean]

I bought my Corbin HCT after using a Lee FCD for .303 British ammo. I was so un-impressed with the Lee FCD that I never bought another one.

I've used the HCT with a variety of bullets from .224 to .452, and it worked great on all of them. All you do is set it to where you want the cannelure then set the depth adjustment. I still have the 1993 price list when I bought it too, they were $39.50 then. Maybe they're gold plated now.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

TOOL PROGRESS

Well, I passed on this idea after calling CH and the guy said it would be SIX months before he could ship one out. Gave up on the idea but one day I was looking for something else and discovered one on Flea Bay-- about half price so I bit-- it arrived and I quickly chucked it in a vice and proceeded to try it out. Pretty straight forward operation after tinkering a bit to get what I wanted. Loaded up a few rounds and headed to the range. All went well so I came home and mounted the tool on a piece of hardrock maple fashioned for just this use. Wanted some 1" nylon cutting board for the block but I have used mine all up for loading blocks. Anyway, she is clamped to a bench and is in full operation. all seems well at this point. My 629 does quite well with these rounds.

 

[mikld]

Lot of speculation and opinions, but has the OP tried a taper crimp? Has the OP tried loading and shooting with just neck tension?

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

SPECULATIONS

Lot of speculation and opinions, but has the OP tried a taper crimp? Has the OP tried loading and shooting with just neck tension?

Well yes, I did all that but with a 44 mag I just wasn't comfortable. Just me I guess. I am quite sure others have their own ideas and choices.

 

[gwpercle]

Go to CH4D site ...they sell them .
Gary

 

[mikld]

I have put grooves in round stock using a dull tubing cutter. I have also rolled a bullet to but in a cannalure (I used a flat plate, a guide clamped to the plate, I placed the bullet with it's base against the guide and used a triangle file, pushing against the bullet while rolling back and forth on the plate. Kinda crude but I was able to keep the grooves in the same place on the bullet). I was just experimenting, did about a dozen, and did not pursue this method...