What is canalure (sp)

S

skeetlee

New member
I hear the word canalure a lot when people are talking about bullets. I think i have an idea what it means, but i was hoping some could describe it to me. Thanks Lee
 
The canalure is the ribbed area on a bullet where you crimp it. I don't know that it serves any other purpose other than a tighter crimp. I have read where people have used canalured bullets without crimping them but I don't know why.
 
I've been loading bullets now for near 50 years, both with and without a canalure and have never crimped a rifle bullet with one. Jacketed revolver bullets do need a crimp though.
 
I never crimp any of my rifle reloads. I usually don't buy cannlure bullets but I did buy a bunch on sale a while back. They were cheap enough, so I bought 'em.
 
Do not fear the cannelure. I crimp the bullets very snuggly if the bullet I have chosen has a cannelure. They will deliver the same accuracy out of the guns I have anyway. Its all arguable of course, and can understand most target shooters prefer no crimp, but I see no reason for a hunter to worry about accuracy loss when crimping. I would have a hard time decerning crimped and non crimped groups at 100 yards in my guns.


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So, how do you put the crimp on ?

Tim



Tim, just set your seating die up to roll the case into the cannelure. They more you screw the die down the firmer crimp you get.

To get things lined up pronto heres what you do>>>>> First trim all cases to length (critical). Next seat the bullet without crimping to your desired length (middle of the cannelure). Release press. Back off your bullet seater screw so it no longer touches the bullet. Turn your die in using small increments, testing as you go until the die Crimps the case. I say if you are gonna crimp, don't be shy, crimp 'em good. Lastly put the crimped bullet up into the press and spin the bullet seating depth screw down to contact the bullet, re-establishing OAL. Check the next round, and make any minor adjustment needed, if any.

There you go, you are set to crimp....... do not fear the crimp /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
cannelure, hornady's fourth edition of cartridge reloading page 49 has a visual explanation on crimping and why it should be done. spike
 
Target bullets normally do not have a cannular hunting bullets will most revolver bullets do but bullets for semi autos don't. While some say they never crimp, what they mean is they do not use a sepperate station to crimp since most seating dies put a taper crimp on automaticly when the bullet is seated to the COAL. Look at any seating die you can see the taper that the case will go into. I die that is made to do a roll crimp, (any straght walled rifle or handgun will have a very apparant taper dies for bottleneck cases or semi autos will still have the taper but it is shallow and hardly noticable you have to really look for it.
 
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I have read where people have used canalured bullets without crimping them but I don't know why.



Cause the bullet of choice only comes with a cannelure and none of my bottlenecked cases require crimping. Crimping, in my opinion does nothing for accuracy and unless its required I wouldn't do it. 140 gr. Hornady SST .264" only comes w/cannelure.
 
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