Fessup Time

TXGunNut · August 21, 2011, 10:43 PM

Not gonna deny it, not gonna justify it, not gonna sugar coat it: I messed up and didn't catch it during three loading sessions and three range trips.

I've been caught up in the excitement of new moulds and lube processes and alternative lubes and sizers and...nevermind, doesn't matter, I messed up.
Somehow I forgot how to seat a 200gr lead SWC in a 45acp case.

It's been probably ten years or so since I loaded one so naturally my 50+ year-old eyes recall just exactly how much lead needs to be visible above the case mouth, right? Wrong! After the eighth or ninth tap-rack-bang drill (actually tap-WHACK!-bang

) today I realized these old eyeballs are a bit out of calibration. After cleaning my trusty .45 and before reassembling it I dropped one of my reloads containing my prized (and resized) 200gr lead SWC boolit into the chamber and lo and behold.....it wasn't anywhere close!

OTOH this old fat man came home from a hot but enjoyable day on the range with a few hundred pieces of choice 45acp brass in his brassrattinbucket and a renewed appreciation for paying attention to the basics.

5R milspec · August 22, 2011, 08:01 PM

sorry you had a bad day.wasn't a good one for me.but mad it through.tyr again and hope for the best

GP100man · August 22, 2011, 08:08 PM

TGN , been there done that got a collection of T shirts & hats !!!!

Good drillin though & nuttin will test your patientce more than a FTC batch of ammo !!! (ya would`nta had that problem with a revolver

)

Glad it all ended well

& no injuries (at least physical)

GP

chris in va · August 23, 2011, 12:42 AM

At least you didn't have to bang apart 200, 223 reloads because the charge was a bit hot. I felt like throwing that kinetic puller after the first hundred.

engineermike · August 23, 2011, 05:10 AM

It's ok TX, they now have machines that will tell you how far a bullet is seated. You no longer have to overwork your 50 year old eyes.

It's now official, you are are reloader now.

oneoldsap · August 23, 2011, 01:59 PM

Yes sir , some days it just ain't worth gnawing through the restraints !

Nevmavrick · August 23, 2011, 03:50 PM

From your description of the drill, I would say that you seated the bullets long...right? I've gotten carried away with the new mold thing, too. If the ogive is similar to the old mold, sometimes I say, "It's prolly OK." NOT! Part of my test techniques is to measure the base of the ogive at the case mouth. SOMETIMES, I check the loaded cartridge in the barrel.
Now there is a digital caliper on the desk by the press, AND another in the range bag.
These 50+ year old eyes have definately lost their calibration.
Have fun,
Gene

PawPaw · August 23, 2011, 04:17 PM

I've done it. I've done it with autos and I've done it with revolvers. What is really aggravating is loading a revolver cartridge long to take advantage of cylinder space, then bringing another revolver to the range and having the cartridges too long for the cylinder. Who'd a thunk that a Model 66 cylinder is longer than a Model 28 cylinder?

engineermike · August 23, 2011, 05:02 PM

It's not our fault, cylinders ought to be a standard length just like everything else.

TXGunNut · August 23, 2011, 08:35 PM

It's now official, you are are reloader now. -engineermike

That's the embarassing part, well into my third decade now.

At least you didn't have to bang apart 200, 223 reloads because the charge was a bit hot.-chris in va

Yes, good point. I'm pretty well schooled on the small test batch strategy.

Yes sir , some days it just ain't worth gnawing through the restraints !-Paw Paw

Sounds like something that ought to be in my siggie line, Paw Paw.

Hey, it's all good. At least I wasn't in a couch coma watching the NASCAR race.

Jim243 · August 23, 2011, 10:02 PM

What me!!! Having to pull 50 heads off rounds of 270 loaded too hot and long. NEVER, well maybe once or twice that I can remember and those 9mm wheren't my fault, just did not like the load. And those too long 243's, I think my caliber's battery just was going dead.

And I bought a Hornady bullet puller, just to have one around and spend money.

And those 95 223 I pulled was just for pratice.

But a woops, never. (LOL)
Jim

paulcissa · August 24, 2011, 01:49 PM

The whole thread made me laugh. We're all human. You're in good company.
Now where's my 7mm puller collet..........

TXGunNut · August 24, 2011, 08:17 PM

The whole thread made me laugh. We're all human.-paulcissa

Might as well have some fun with our silly mistakes. Glad it wasn't a more serious one. Mine required a very simple fix, just a quick trip thru the last two stages on my Dillon.
Much simpler than using one of those boolit puller thingys, whatever they are.

engineermike · August 24, 2011, 08:44 PM

Mine was the time I forgot to crimp in the final stag to take the bell out of the case. When I showed up at the indoor range I had 200 rounds of 9mm that would not chamber. I packed up with my unused targets and sneeked (Spelling on purpose) out. When I got home I ran them through the taper crimp and was good to go. I waited for another day to return to the range incase some of the ones watching me the first time were still there. Boy was my face red...

August 21, 2011, 10:43 PM	#1
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	Fessup Time Not gonna deny it, not gonna justify it, not gonna sugar coat it: I messed up and didn't catch it during three loading sessions and three range trips. I've been caught up in the excitement of new moulds and lube processes and alternative lubes and sizers and...nevermind, doesn't matter, I messed up. Somehow I forgot how to seat a 200gr lead SWC in a 45acp case. It's been probably ten years or so since I loaded one so naturally my 50+ year-old eyes recall just exactly how much lead needs to be visible above the case mouth, right? Wrong! After the eighth or ninth tap-rack-bang drill (actually tap-WHACK!-bang ) today I realized these old eyeballs are a bit out of calibration. After cleaning my trusty .45 and before reassembling it I dropped one of my reloads containing my prized (and resized) 200gr lead SWC boolit into the chamber and lo and behold.....it wasn't anywhere close! OTOH this old fat man came home from a hot but enjoyable day on the range with a few hundred pieces of choice 45acp brass in his brassrattinbucket and a renewed appreciation for paying attention to the basics. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

August 22, 2011, 08:08 PM	#3
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	TGN , been there done that got a collection of T shirts & hats !!!! Good drillin though & nuttin will test your patientce more than a FTC batch of ammo !!! (ya would`nta had that problem with a revolver) Glad it all ended well & no injuries (at least physical) GP __________________ GP100man

August 23, 2011, 04:17 PM	#8
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	I've done it. I've done it with autos and I've done it with revolvers. What is really aggravating is loading a revolver cartridge long to take advantage of cylinder space, then bringing another revolver to the range and having the cartridges too long for the cylinder. Who'd a thunk that a Model 66 cylinder is longer than a Model 28 cylinder? __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com

August 23, 2011, 08:35 PM	#10
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	It's now official, you are are reloader now. -engineermike That's the embarassing part, well into my third decade now. At least you didn't have to bang apart 200, 223 reloads because the charge was a bit hot.-chris in va Yes, good point. I'm pretty well schooled on the small test batch strategy. Yes sir , some days it just ain't worth gnawing through the restraints !-Paw Paw Sounds like something that ought to be in my siggie line, Paw Paw. Hey, it's all good. At least I wasn't in a couch coma watching the NASCAR race. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights. Last edited by TXGunNut; August 23, 2011 at 08:43 PM.

August 23, 2011, 10:02 PM	#11
Jim243 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2009 Location: Just off Route 66 Posts: 5,067	What me!!! Having to pull 50 heads off rounds of 270 loaded too hot and long. NEVER, well maybe once or twice that I can remember and those 9mm wheren't my fault, just did not like the load. And those too long 243's, I think my caliber's battery just was going dead. And I bought a Hornady bullet puller, just to have one around and spend money. And those 95 223 I pulled was just for pratice. But a woops, never. (LOL) Jim __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum Last edited by Jim243; August 23, 2011 at 10:08 PM.

August 22, 2011, 08:01 PM	#2
5R milspec Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 360	sorry you had a bad day.wasn't a good one for me.but mad it through.tyr again and hope for the best

August 23, 2011, 12:42 AM	#4
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	At least you didn't have to bang apart 200, 223 reloads because the charge was a bit hot. I felt like throwing that kinetic puller after the first hundred.

August 23, 2011, 05:10 AM	#5
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	It's ok TX, they now have machines that will tell you how far a bullet is seated. You no longer have to overwork your 50 year old eyes. It's now official, you are are reloader now.

August 23, 2011, 01:59 PM	#6
oneoldsap Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2009 Location: I live in the foot of the Green Mountains of Vermont Posts: 1,602	Yes sir , some days it just ain't worth gnawing through the restraints !

August 23, 2011, 03:50 PM	#7
Nevmavrick Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2010 Location: Sparks, Nevada, near Reno Posts: 183	From your description of the drill, I would say that you seated the bullets long...right? I've gotten carried away with the new mold thing, too. If the ogive is similar to the old mold, sometimes I say, "It's prolly OK." NOT! Part of my test techniques is to measure the base of the ogive at the case mouth. SOMETIMES, I check the loaded cartridge in the barrel. Now there is a digital caliper on the desk by the press, AND another in the range bag. These 50+ year old eyes have definately lost their calibration. Have fun, Gene

August 23, 2011, 05:02 PM	#9
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	It's not our fault, cylinders ought to be a standard length just like everything else.

August 24, 2011, 01:49 PM	#12
paulcissa Member Join Date: April 4, 2011 Posts: 33	The whole thread made me laugh. We're all human. You're in good company. Now where's my 7mm puller collet..........

August 24, 2011, 08:17 PM	#13
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	The whole thread made me laugh. We're all human.-paulcissa Might as well have some fun with our silly mistakes. Glad it wasn't a more serious one. Mine required a very simple fix, just a quick trip thru the last two stages on my Dillon. Much simpler than using one of those boolit puller thingys, whatever they are. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

August 24, 2011, 08:44 PM	#14
engineermike Junior member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Oklahaoma City Posts: 538	Mine was the time I forgot to crimp in the final stag to take the bell out of the case. When I showed up at the indoor range I had 200 rounds of 9mm that would not chamber. I packed up with my unused targets and sneeked (Spelling on purpose) out. When I got home I ran them through the taper crimp and was good to go. I waited for another day to return to the range incase some of the ones watching me the first time were still there. Boy was my face red...