I just got this die and set it up. I've been a die hard Lee Factory Crimp Die user since the 90's and this is my first taper crimp die for rifle.  I've adjusted the die to the point where I am getting a faint band at the very top of the case neck.  Is this normal?  How much of a crimp should I expect 0.001-0.002".  I know that the taper crimp dies for 9mm, 40, and 45  ACP your supposed to crimp 0.003-0.004".  What is "normal" or expected using a taper crimp die for rifle.  Redding's instructions don't really provide any details.  Thanks in advance for your help.

I don't crimp any highpower rifle rounds. If I owned a magnum I would, other calibers don't need it provided you have .0025" neck tension on the bullet.

All taper crimp dies require every case be trimmed to exactly the same length in order to get consistent crimping. Variations in case length works out to variations in crimping force.

If I crimped, I would use a light crimp, nothing more. If you run it as a separate final operation as opposed to adjusting the seating die to seat and crimp in one motion you'll get better results.

You can run an empty case (no bullet) into the taper crimp die and actually measure the " before" and "after" by using your calipers. This will allow you to adjust it to your target goal of crimp in .001" increments.

I don't know where you got this information from (in red) but its totally incorrect. Every loading manual I have ever read says to crimp just enough to remove the mouth flair. Normally .002" under at the case mouth is the max.

As for the rifle taper crimp, I have not yet figured out its real purpose. So far, to me at least, it seems to be a marketing thing like RCBS's "AR" dies. Or better yet Hornady's "Zombie" bullets.

Don't get wrong I like all the company's I mentioned and I like Redding too I just have not figured out what good, if any the .223 taper crimp does.

I choose to not fix something that ain't broke by staying with the Lee F.C. die.
The singular reason I stay with it is because trim length isn't that critical as it is with a taper crimp die.

I do love the Forster Micro-Seater, and I am one of those who believes that seating is one of the places to start for accuracy.
Crimping is important as well, but I feel that the forgiving nature of the Lee F.C. die for trim length overcomes any accuracy you might achieve with a taper crimp for those times when volume loading and off-length trimmed cases won't be crimping the same from case to case with a taper crimp die.

It's all a pot of spaghetti that you throw on the wall to see what sticks, and the one thing I like about the Lee F.C. die is that I know it will stick... every time. ;-)

I agree with this and may go back to the Lee FC Die.  I still have the one I bought 20 + years ago and have crimped thousands of cartridges.  I will say that the Redding Taper crimp die I am using is well made and adjusts easy with the micrometer adjustement.  The crimps are very clean.  Time will tell if it will be my go to crimping tool moving forward or if its back to the FC.