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Old March 21, 2015, 05:45 PM   #76
BumbleBug
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While we're all admitting our mistakes, I'll confess too.

I seated a bullet out too far & left it stuck in the barrel & dumped powder all over the magazine compartment. I did this not once, but twice, several years apart, both times while hunting! The first one was real hell to get out without a rod handy. The second time I used a trick I read about to get it out. I carefully loosened the bullet on another round & removed it then while holding the rifle vertical I eased the case full of powder into the chamber. Then simply shot the bullet out.

Now I cycle all my hunting loads for the field but I have never had the problem again in many, many years.

...bug
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Old March 21, 2015, 06:03 PM   #77
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Smoke & Recoil

I don't think he was much of a friend at all. Could of ended a lot worse had the bullet lodged a little deeper in the barrel. Not so funny thing is he owns about 5 1911's and shoot's about once a month so it's not like he didn't know what to watch for! That was a while ago and I've yet to go shooting with him since..
But I did learn to check for light through the barrels from then on when I clear a firearm..
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Old March 21, 2015, 08:25 PM   #78
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Annealed a bunch of .308 casings , one of which somehow had a new primer installed.... BANG !!!

Shot the primer clear across my workshop, and put a small hole in the side of a steel gallon container of Mineral Spirits that was on a shelf !
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Old March 23, 2015, 08:46 AM   #79
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10-96: Epic. Thanks for posting!
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Old March 27, 2015, 11:13 AM   #80
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During cleanup, I put about 1/2lb of H335 "back" in a full 1lb bottle of Benchmark... thread here for your enjoyment:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=560814

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Old March 27, 2015, 05:51 PM   #81
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As a new reloader I've already done most of the minor mistakes, such as dropping powder into a case that didn't have a primer in it . . . okay, well the truth is I did this to fifty cases. I even seated about 5 bullets before realizing my mistake. Or seating bullets into cases that hadn't been charged with powder, only 6 times. The worst was probably trying to watch TV while seating bullets. I accidentally caught my finger on the tip of a .223 ballistic-tip and actually punched a small hole in my finger tip. After a sufficient period of obligatory cursing, I taped that up and removed the TV from the room.

I also decided that to improvise some checklists to minimize future mistakes, and decided to use them as I do in the cockpit.

I also just want to say that this thread is great, I've had a few laughs, but more importantly, I've learned about mistakes I haven't encountered yet, AND how to avoid them.

Thanks.
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Old March 27, 2015, 07:20 PM   #82
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Two years ago, when I got this Dillon progressive,
I went to crank out some .308 rounds...
Looked "Easy" enough, I had visions of doing 800 rounds an hour like the advertisement says...

TWO WEEKS later (work got in the way), after dinking with the thing in my spare time and figuring out EXACTLY how everything was supposed to work,
I had perfectly sized cases, with the primers being punched in dead center, no 'Half Moons',

I had set up the powder charger early on, but dumped the powder back into the can while I screwed with getting the shell plate to stop wobbing, missing primers, crimper loosing it's mind, and trying three different bullet seating dies to get one that worked the way I wanted it.

Loaded the cases into the feeder, already had primers and powder set up, and began to crank out rounds...
I'M SO HAPPY! This is TOO easy!

Or so I thought...

Turns out, some dummy stole my powder and hid it back in the can!
I've got about 25 PERFECTLY crimped rounds, MINUS POWDER!

Now I have a under/over powder alert checking the cases...
And I actually USE it!
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Old March 28, 2015, 02:59 AM   #83
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Having two different tins of powder on the bench had cost me to pull 50 cartridges once. I could not remember which one I had used in the powder measure.
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Old March 28, 2015, 07:54 AM   #84
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@ SamNavy

I think the picture at post #80 could win an art prize.
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Old March 29, 2015, 06:27 PM   #85
Don P
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Trying to seat a high primer in a complete round, never again!!!!!. Slight pressure on the press handle and BANG. A trip to the ER with a piece of the case in me arm about the size of a dime all mangled I will add. $2,000 and 7 stitches later a hard lesson learned. Never to be done again
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Old March 29, 2015, 07:42 PM   #86
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After the last post in this thread, mine sounds sort of minor.

Reloading .357's for the first time in the house. Switched over to Winchester primers for pistol; was using Federal for rifles.. Case #1. Kind of tight; but goes in.. Case #2. BOOM.

No damage; wife pretty upset. banned from reloading ( for a while ).

Now, what Don P stated that he has done; well, I've done that before.. Guess I'll learn from his lesson.. I guess I will toss the round before I try to do that ever again too.
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Old March 29, 2015, 07:45 PM   #87
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It does make me wonder if it would be worth putting a couple pieces of plexiglass over the front part of the press; sort of as a blast shield; not one layer, but like two or three.
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Old March 29, 2015, 10:38 PM   #88
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Quote:
It does make me wonder if it would be worth putting a couple pieces of plexiglass over the front part of the press; sort of as a blast shield; not one layer, but like two or three.
Not in my book. After my experience I toss the round to the side and when I'm done with the reloading session I pull the bullet, dump the powder, crush the case and toss it. I had re-seated many a primer in a complete load before my mishap and the mentioned mishap was the last one I have attempted. hard pricey lesson learned. I found the bullet some 3 months later and it had one hell of a dent in it from hitting the bottom of the turret. It just not worth trying to save a round that is costing roughly $.10-.18 depending on bullet choice. I'm just lucky that the brass hit my arm and not the face. Could have easily lost and eye or worse over a $.10 round. Hopefully folks will read this and head the warning and toss the round with the high primer.
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Old March 30, 2015, 08:24 AM   #89
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Quote:
There was a time in my life I was loading 44mag well past a reasonable and safe limit
I had worked up a load for my Ruger Red Hawks. I will not give the chg weights but lest just say that under a 240gr JRN bullet it was well compressed load requiring a mag primer.
These rounds were like sledge hammers when shooting.
Well one day I brought Ruger ammo and a S&W model 29 to the range. This was not my intention as I was unsure of the strength of the S&W because I did not develop the load for that gun.
That was a nice S&W pistol.
Notice I said “WAS”
Blew the top strap and cylinder all to hell.
I got some nice cuts from flying bits and pieces.
I would say lesson learned but NOOOOOO I caulked it up to a gun failure not over charged ammo and later blew up another model 29 with the same ammo.
Lesson learned
#1 Ruger and S&W are not built the same
#2 Jacked up ammo can and will cause bodily harm
#3 Stick to published load data and save yourself and your guns.
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I think this is the best one so far. : )

I do things with an el-cheapo lee anniversary press and so far the worst thing I've done (at least that I know of) is crush a few cases when crimping.

However, I have had a major brain-fart with factory ammo that could conceivably be done with boxes of reloads, so I'll mention it anyway.

I went to the range one day with several rifles to zero them for the hunting season. I had several boxes of federal fusion--the ones with the almost psychedelic boxes--and was switching back and forth between rifles while allowing for barrel cool down. You can probably guess where this one is headed--since I was single-shot feeding, I grabbed a 308 and inserted it into my 270. In case you're wondering--a 270 can fire a 308--but that case is still stuck in the chamber and I have the barrel mounted as a trophy on the wall to remind me how easy it is to screw up with a lapse of attention.
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Old March 30, 2015, 11:34 AM   #90
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Like SamNavy above, the worst RELOADING mistake has been emptying my powder measure half full of BLC(2) "back" into my can of Varget..........

My worst ever gun thing was...... well, back in the day, after bird or rabbit hunting, spare shot shells went into a big coffee can (you ALWAYS threw away the box and just carried your shells in your pocket as you walked). This was a time when 12 gauge and 16 gauge shells were both red. I THOUGHT my shell catch on my beloved Browning A5 was broken and that's why the shells wouldn't stay in the magazine............ so it was a single shot that day, at least until I figured out the gun didn't shoot at all. See what I did there??? I laugh as I type this because, I STILL use that damn coffee can for "leftover" shot shells.
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Old March 30, 2015, 01:48 PM   #91
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Quote:
In case you're wondering--a 270 can fire a 308--but that case is still stuck in the chamber and I have the barrel mounted as a trophy on the wall to remind me how easy it is to screw up with a lapse of attention.
Just out of curiosity what happened to the gun? I'm a little surprised you are here to tell us about it.
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Old March 30, 2015, 02:41 PM   #92
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Quote:
Quote:
In case you're wondering--a 270 can fire a 308--but that case is still stuck in the chamber and I have the barrel mounted as a trophy on the wall to remind me how easy it is to screw up with a lapse of attention.
Just out of curiosity what happened to the gun? I'm a little surprised you are here to tell us about it.
The case got stuck in the chamber and I haven't removed it yet. Surprisingly, the bullet impacted the target pretty much at the POA. Other than that, no signs of abnormal bulging, cracks etc. Nonetheless, I consider the barrel as good as retired. I read lot's of stuff that it can't be done or the gun will blow up--maybe I'm just flat out lucky but I'm here to tell ya a 30 can in fact be squeezed down a 270. Under no circumstances should anyone else try anything this DUMB.
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Old March 30, 2015, 07:29 PM   #93
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I don't necessarily believe in luck but I would say you are very fortunate that you were not seriously hurt and that your gun did not suffer any more damage than it did given there is a little more than .03" difference in the bullet diameters. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it is when dealing with alright tight tolerances.
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Old March 30, 2015, 08:06 PM   #94
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yep--I know all that and I've been through all the consequence scenarios many many times in my mind. The rifle in question was a Savage axis--something of a testimony as to how tough it is that it held together (especially for a budget rifle that is often maligned) while undoubtedly generating tremendous pressure getting that bullet out the bore.
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Old March 31, 2015, 10:00 PM   #95
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Well lets see. I have 2 I think. I stuck a 30-06 case in my Lyman sizing die. I said ah, I can fix this no problem. I took the die apart but see, that rascally sizing ball was still in the case so I couldn't pull the recapping rod out. No worries. I use a hammer and tap on the rod and knock the case out. Or. I'll snap off the decapping pin, bend the rod all to H E double hockey sticks and have to order new ones. I now do it the right way and use enough lube they dont get stuck.

Second I was shooting my 22-250 and kept getting cases with the primers gone after firing. Yeah. You read that right. I kept getting it meaning I kept shooting them. Holy stupid batman. Y'all, its important to get all the tumbling media out of those cases.
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Old April 2, 2015, 08:08 AM   #96
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my mistakes

I am really new to reloading but have managed to make a few mistakes that luckily I have been able to catch and correct.

I have managed to fill and seat bullets in a few cases without a primer. I find them in my finished bullet bin. I am using a Hornady AP progressive.

The two things I had happen the other day were 1;

I made the mistake of buying AIM projectile bullets, 40 caliber 180 grain. When I opened the box I flipped the lid open but didn't realize that the box was sideways on the table so the side lifted up dumping 200 of the 1000 rounds on the floor. As my wife, who knows nothing about guns was helping me pick them up she remarked that they bullets were not "all the same".

Yep about 1/4 of the 1000 are round nose flat point and the rest are truncated cone flat points.

I figured I would just have to sort them into lots and load them to the correct case length.

Side note on AIM Projectiles. I got them at a good price, but they are really poor quality compared to Berrys or Xtreme. The plating has lots of black crud in spots and there are wrinkles on the faces and sides of some of the bullets in addition to the at least two different profiles of bullet in the lot of 1000.

see attached picture. Note shape of two on left cone verses two on right round nose. also one on far right has a smiley wrinkle on round edge.

So as I was adjusting the seating die to get the correct case length I thought pressed to into unprimed cases and thought I had it set OK. loaded a live round and measured it but decided it was still to long. When I pulled the bullet I went to dump the powder back into the hopper. I forgot to get the bullet out of the impact hammer body and dumped the bullet into the hopper with the powder. I didn't want to run the powder measure with the bullet still in there and cause a light charge so I dumped the hopper back into the jug, intending to catch the bullet before it fell into the jug. I wasn't fast enough so now I need to fish the bullet out of the jug before I dump more powder into the hopper.

Second mistake; I was using the primer pick up tube to get the primers out of the flip tray. I noticed that one looked like it had a little copper flash or burr on the edge. I thought about not picking that one, but in a bad decision I put it into the tube with the rest. Needless to say that caused me some grief. When I dumped the primers into the press feed tube only the one below the questionable primer fell into the tube. I didn't realize this until I had loaded about 10 cartridges and noticed that the primer follower was about to the low primer mark. (A friend that taught me to reload puts a piece of tape on the follower stick so he knows when he has one primer left in the tube.)

So now I have a primer stuck into the tube. I had to use the primer follower and push the stuck primer out of the tube which was a little bit scary. I managed to get it cleared ok but was really nervous. I met a guy that had about 10 primers detonate in the tube from a jam like this. He had to go the ER to repair his hand and then needed follow up surgery to get the tendons repaired.

So those are my learning moments. From now on I will toss the suspect primer and save myself ten minutes and all the drama verses a 4 cent primer.

Also I noticed someone else mentioned that they have a check list. I have also made one. It starts with check press mounting screws, and works its way down to measure case length, diameter and crimp. It also includes SAFETY GLASSES ON. Once I get it fine tuned the way I want I am going to laminate it and put it on a nail over the press.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 150402_002.jpg (41.1 KB, 107 views)

Last edited by tedbeau; April 2, 2015 at 08:25 AM.
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Old April 2, 2015, 11:49 AM   #97
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First reloaded ever - I was using a 124 grain Flat Nose 9mm plated bullet for which i had no data. The OAL was significantly longer than needed for the chamber. Heavy recoil during testing (but great groups). Headspacing on bullet. Once i learned how to estabilish OAL, i Reduced the lenght by 0.070" to get 0.005 set back of lands.
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Old April 2, 2015, 02:49 PM   #98
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@ tedbeau,
You might want to contact an AIM representative about the mixed lot
of bullets...you just may receive some at no cost.

I remember dumping the powder and bullet in my hopper too, now I
dump into a container first.
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Old April 3, 2015, 08:50 AM   #99
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I would agree with contacting AIM - no excuse for that lack of QC!

I have a strong opinion on protection of our Second Amendment rights, and that begins with safety, to reduce the number of firearm accidents. Each of us that shoot are responsible, as are the manufacturers of guns and components we purchase, as well as the dealers (dealers as far as letting the consumer know where to obtain operation manuals for used firearms, and making sure all materials are present for guns sold as "new").

Even then mistakes are made. Mine have been few, such as not marking powder I left in the powder hopper (powder was tossed) and the second was trying some .270's I loaded for my Model 700 into my Model 70. Fortunately, I abandoned the trial when closing the bolt required extraordinary force.

For "Newbies", besides powder load manuals, there are several good books that are less technical, but helpful in identifying good habits. "ABC's of Reloading" is one, as is the "NRA Guide to Handloads".
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Old April 3, 2015, 09:06 AM   #100
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I was actually thinking of contacting the source I bought the bullets through. They come up to our regional IDPA match every year. I realize the bullets were $30 less a thousand than others I have seen online, but the variances in the bullets even between form factors and also the black crud on the plating is a concern.

As far as the crud, it looks like carbon, or something and I don't know if it might cause wear on the barrel of the gun or foul the gun. Anyone have any experience with this?

I thought I read online somewhere that someone said that that is caused by too low a heat during the plating process, but I don't know what the crud is or if it's an issue.
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