Rules for reloading.

[RevNate]

reading the "M1 goes Kaboom" thread got me thinking. So, I decided to share my list of reloading rules which is posted at my reloading bench.


Rules of Reloading

1. Life is of infinitely greater worth than velocity, accuracy, efficiency, or any other ballistic intangible.

2. Books lie.

3. You can not prove anything with a loaded round which has not already been proven. The only exception to this is the opportunity to prove that you, specifically, are an idiot.

4. You will make several mistakes. If you never notice them, you are not paying attention. Incorrectly loaded ammunition has a very effective means of getting your attention.

5. When you catch yourself making the second mistake in the same reloading session, STOP! You may not catch the third one, and it could very well kill, mame, or severely embarrass you. Tomorrow is a better day for handloading anyway.

6. When at the loading bench, a handloader should breathe only when wearing safety glasses.

7. Never handload without breathing.

8. The force which is capable of pushing a 165 grain bullet in excess of 2800 fps is more than sufficient to blow your eyeballs to the back of your skull.

9. You are neither a chemist, a physicist, nor God. Do not pretend to be.

10. Double-checking is insufficient. Double-checking twice is a good start.

11. The potential for a component interchange is in direct proportion to the number of components within easy reach. This figure increases exponentially when there is any type of distraction present.

12. Flesh is softer than steel. If the two happen to meet, flying shrapnel will always damage flesh.

13. Your wife and your child do not care about impressive bullet speed. They only want you around a little longer.

14. You can not pull a trigger if you have no fingers. You can not aim a firearm if you have no eyes.

15. You only have one good eye to start with.

Ok- so the last one will not apply to all of us.

Got your own list? I'd like to hear some others.

Nate

[youngun]

Thanks, Nate.
This one'll do for me for now.
Going up on the bench!

[k5blazer]

Thanks for the list. Good rules to follow.

[Zak Smith]

I am pretty paranoid of double- or over-charging a case. Here are a couple things I do to make sure I charge every case with the right amount:
(I have a single-stage press)

1. Charge an entire tray of 50 cartridges at once, from the powder measure. I triple-check the powder-measure amount before I start, and then check it every 10 rounds. If it varies an unacceptible amount, I throw out that row of 10, recalibrate, and recharge them.

2. Once the tray is charged, I visually inspect each cartridge from the top. I aim my mini-mag flashlight down into each case and check to make sure that each case is charged to the same vertical level. This isn't an exact check, but it'll catch cases that have either more powder or less powder. It'll also prevent me from accidentally forgetting to charge a case.

-z

[Mal H]

smitz - I use very similar techniques to yours when loading powder.

For #1, Sometimes I go 20 or so before checking if I'm using a powder that is more reliable in the dispenser such as any of the AA handgun powders.

I check each cartridge like you do in your #2, but with a slight variation. First lightly shake the cartridge tray. Then instead of looking straight down at each powder load, I look at an angle such that I can just see the edge of the powder over the rim of the case. That way it is easy to spot any case that has a little more (you'll see more of the powder) or a little less (you won't see the powder). I've caught several over/under charges that way even though the majority were right on the button and the bad ones wouldn't have been caught with method #1. Of course, this method doesn't work well for bottle neck rifle cases unless they are filled to capacity.

[taco]

Always have a good light source above the loading table.

When using progressive press, I have 2 spot lights from the ceiling aimed down into the 3rd stage where the powder level is visually checked before bullet is seated.

[Frohickey]

I, too, do the visual check for when charging cases. I have a single stage press, and if I am using a Lee expander die (for pistols), I charge 10, and weigh the 10th, if its low or high, I check the powder measure and visually check the other 9.

If I'm using a non Lee die, I do not visually check since I have to weigh each one anyway. No powder measure.

In both modes, the empty primed cases come from a box, while the charged primed and expanded cases go to the loading block.

Check, re-check, and check again. If in doubt, keep checking.

[Clark]

Load books cannot keep wimping down loads for ever.

The lower limit is bullets getting stuck in the bore.

In the future the start load to max loads range will be a narrow band half way between a stuck bullet load and a brass failure load.

The future is is here.

[cheygriz]

Nate,

Excellent list. Superb observarions.

My list is similar, but shorter.



Accuracy, velocity, efficiency and economy are desirable. Safety is mandatory!