[xwrench3]

i struggled with this for a while also, after a few failed attempts, i discovered that using a nickel on top of the shell holder would allow me to make the taper crimp using the bullet seating die. the trouble with that, was that the shell got stuck in there, and i had to use the bullet seating adjuster to push the cartridge out, then back it off so i could do it again. of course, doing that required crimping a separate operation from seating the bullet. after a few months of this, i got fed up with it, and figured out that all that really needed to be done was to shorten the oal of the die. that would allow the cartridge to enter further, and allow the top of the shell to reach the taper crimp section of the die. my brother is a machinist, so it was way easier, and much more accurate, to have him chuck the die up in a lathe, and cut 0.080" off the bottom of the die. these are lee dies. another brand may need more, or less removed. i did not do anything with the fcd die. i will only use the taper crimp on the hornady brass. all the rest will be able to use the fcd if i desire to. this in no way affects any other part of the bullet seating die. i would suspect that a similar modification would work for the fcd, but, it would effect its use on all other brass. if you really want to fcd the hornady's, you will probably have to custom make a separate fcd die just for them.

 

[xwrench3]

Rooster59, please note that the mod i did was to the standard Lee seat / taper crimp die. i did not modify my Lee FCD. as i use that for other bullets. the Hornady FTX bullets are great, but they are on the pricey side for just plinking / target practice / short range or heavy brush hunting. i have the scope sighted in for the FTX bullets, but the others usually only require a height adjustment. and since my scope is a mil-dot scope, those are easy enough to remember.

 

[xwrench3]

standard brass length is 2.105". in order to load the FTX bullets, and have the cycle thru the action, the brass needs to be trimmed to 2.050" max. so the Hornady brass is already cut to that length.

 

[xwrench3]

oops, double post.