Stupid reloading moments...

[tomestone]

If you are thinking about enough moisture to ruin the powder, no. If you are talking about enough moisture to change the volume to weight ratio, yes. Take small case like a 223 and drop a charge that completely fills the case to the top of the neck. Weigh that charge and write it down. Next time your reloading if there has been a humidity change repeat that using the same case and powder and compare the results. Let me know what you find, I have been challanged to do that several times but always lose the case I used or lose where I wrote down the first results.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Forester]

If you are thinking about enough moisture to ruin the powder, no. If you are talking about enough moisture to change the volume to weight ratio, yes. Take small case like a 223 and drop a charge that completely fills the case to the top of the neck. Weigh that charge and write it down. Next time your reloading if there has been a humidity change repeat that using the same case and powder and compare the results. Let me know what you find, I have been challanged to do that several times but always lose the case I used or lose where I wrote down the first results.

I will give that a try, somehow though I cant see a powder dump with a fairly tight fitting rubber cap in a climate controlled reloading room allowing any significant moisture in.

 

[CRNA]

I was at the range last Friday and was talking to a guy there. He said he and a buddy were there at the same range a few years ago and were sighting in their muzzle loaders. Of course, there was some smalltalk going on between the two and then they resumed shooting. He told me that he was rudely interrupted while looking through his scope and settling in to take another shot when all of a sudden his buddy's scope flew over and hit him in the head. He (rather quickly) looked to see what the hell was going on and saw that his buddy's muzzle loader barrel was split from the fore end all the way down to right before the muzzle both on the upper portion and lower portion of the barrel. Turns out his friend loaded his gun, then got to talking, and forgot that he loaded it. He then proceeded to load it again!!! So there's two powder charges with a 300gr. bullet sandwiched in between. My guess is there was an immediate need to clean that stubborn "fouling" in the underwear of the shooter after that round.

 

[D.ID]

Reloading is one of the many times in life when it pays to allow yourself to be truly paranoid.

 

[Reloader222]

Ouch, I can imagine getting powder confused would be a mistake I don't care to make. It makes me think i will keep my powders away from my loading bench, that way I have to deliberatly get up and seek out the specific powder I am wanting to use. I do try and make sure I reference my loading charts several times before I even get rolling on the loading. I also pin up my load chart on the wall that I'm loading as I work on it so I can constantly reference it.

Great tips guys, thank you!

I had a similar mishap! Had 2 brands of powder on the bench. I refilled the powder measure. When I was finished and wanted to pour the powder in the tin again I was not sure which brand I had topped it up with. I did not want to take chances and had to dischart all 60 cartridges with a kenetic bullet puller. I disposed the powder on the lawn since the 2 brands were nearly identical and again I did not want to take any chances. I agree with you - keep the other tins away from the loading area and keep only the one you use nearby.

 

[jthod]

Just wait till you stick a case in your sizing die. That will ruin a day real quick. Cause up intill you stick that first case you never had a reason to have a stuck case remover around. Then you have to go track one down. Unless you already have a tap, socket, and screw around.

The other one that I did twice was get a primer in upside down. That is just a little glitch though.

Just had to pick one up last night

I havn't had anything too bad yet, my roomate on the other had has had some issues. He's pretty new to reloading, and hadn't quite figured out his seating die yet. Loaded up about 50 .223 cases with 60 grain v-max's, but apparently did not adjust the die correctly, and mushroomed the shoulder of the cases about .005", just enough to keep them from chambering.

 

[rscott5028]

After a few little mistakes like forgetting to size one or two cases only to realize when the bullet seated way too loosely, I began developing a very rigid Method of Procedure with a few safety checks along the way.

I still have a lot of room for improvement. But, my quality/consistency is improving.

My wife loves to interrupt right in the middle. ...plumbing, 5th grade math, leaves in the rain gutter, it's always something that can't wait 2 minutes.

 

[Kevin Thomas]

An example would be to have more than one powder on the bench and maybe load a magnum case full of 3031 instead of 4831. DISASTER! .....Rich

Funny that Rich mentions this particular example, since many years back I was retained on a lawsuit where I suspected (but wasn't able to conclusively prove) that this is exactly what happened. Guy blew up a 270 Wby Mag, and claimed he got a 7mm bullet in a box of .277's, and that caused the blow up. We duplicated the load, using 7mm bullets loaded with IMR4831 in an identical 270 Wby Mag rifle. We fired it several times (with a long lanyard!) and all we got was sticky bolt lift. When I'd examined the guys reloading set up and bench, he had exactly two (2) cans of powder on hand; IMR4831 and IMR3031. Never did try the IMR3031, but I have no doubt that it would have disassembled that rifle exactly like his load did.

Yeah, watch the powders you have within reach, and only one flavor at a time on the bench.

 

[J E Custom]

Mike.....I have been reloading for over 40 years now and have made plenty of mistakes so don't feel bad. The important thing is, you have learned a lesson early enough to spare yourself some REAL grief! Two things that you can not do in reloading is (1) get in a hurry (2) have any distractions while you are doing it. This includes other people standing around talking or??? So far you haven't done anything that will have lasting consequences so consider yourself fortunate. An example would be to have more than one powder on the bench and maybe load a magnum case full of 3031 instead of 4831. DISASTER! In reloading you need to be very deliberate with every step and think about what you are doing. As you have already discovered, load up to max SLOWLY and never assume that a max load in one case is good for another brand or even the same brand in some cases. One thing I would recommend you do right away is to carefully study your manual and pay attention to what it says. Reloading is "nothing more than controlled bomb making"lightbulb. Good luck and enjoy safely.....Rich

+1

Very good advice.

And in over 50 years of reloading I have made many mistakes "BUT" I check and re check each
step and have been fortunate to catch the error be for it showed it's ugly self.

Clear your reloading bench of everything but the components needed for one type of cartridge
(1 can powder, one box of primers, one weight of the correct size of bullets, the correct dies
and your tools to load with. Plus your loading data.

Be careful and good loading.

J E CUSTOM

 

[kstrick]

Don't beat yourself up to bad. Everyone who reloads has screwed up. You just have to lean from it.
When reloading I:
>do not have the radio on distracting me
>have only one kind of powder on the bench
>one type of primer on the bench
>let my daughters in if they want to help and learn.
>clean up after the session. Everything back in its place.

I find reloading to be very mind clearing. You must concentrate on the task at hand. Don't think about all the other crap of the day. When I am done I realize I haven't even thought about all the crap for quite awhile.
Just my .02
Ken

 

[elkaholic]

Funny that Rich mentions this particular example, since many years back I was retained on a lawsuit where I suspected (but wasn't able to conclusively prove) that this is exactly what happened. Guy blew up a 270 Wby Mag, and claimed he got a 7mm bullet in a box of .277's, and that caused the blow up. We duplicated the load, using 7mm bullets loaded with IMR4831 in an identical 270 Wby Mag rifle. We fired it several times (with a long lanyard!) and all we got was sticky bolt lift. When I'd examined the guys reloading set up and bench, he had exactly two (2) cans of powder on hand; IMR4831 and IMR3031. Never did try the IMR3031, but I have no doubt that it would have disassembled that rifle exactly like his load did.

Yeah, watch the powders you have within reach, and only one flavor at a time on the bench.

Kevin......It is also funny you mention the bullet thing! I REALLY did find a .284 bullet in an unopened bos of .264 bullets. And no, I wasn't the guy in the lawsuit

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Nope, you're definately not. Trust me, him, I'll remember. Talk about a poster child for factory ammo, he was it. There's more to the story there, but yeah, he should'a taken up golf and left the rifles alone. Some folks just shouldn't be allowed near powder and a reloading press!

 

[elkaholic]

Nope, you're definately not. Trust me, him, I'll remember. Talk about a poster child for factory ammo, he was it. There's more to the story there, but yeah, he should'a taken up golf and left the rifles alone. Some folks just shouldn't be allowed near powder and a reloading press!

My bullet thing wasn't a Lapua. I purposely didn't name the manufacturer, but they did have cute little GREEN ballistic tips

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Ah, Grasshopper, merely a reminder from the factory that we take nothing for granted!