Reloading hall of shame

[schnyd112]

I got you beat and I'm not happy about it at all:mad: I am building a room in my shop for mancave/reloading so all my reloading stuff is boxed up and put away on the shelf. A buddy calls and asks what the recipe was on my .270win rounds because he wants to practice so he is going to build me some rounds (freaking sweet I am thinking). My book is in the box on the shelf I got to move my storage bin deal that I keep my bullets in. I pull is down set it on the bench climb back up the ladder and bump it in the process and it fails to the floor and smashes. Can you tell the difference between a 55g vmax and a 53g Vmax or a 140g SST and 150g SST? I got my work cut out for me. Best I can figure there is somewhere around 600 bullets of different calibers and grain in the pile of smashed plastic.


Thats a lot of weighing bullets. I have not done 600, but I did grab a half full box ps 50g vmax and dump them into a half full box of 40g vmax. I didn't realize it until I was shooting them over a chrono and remembered "consolidating" my 50 grainers. Was wondering how I was shooting 50 g vmax bullets at over 4000 fps with 200 fps extreme spread.

[geezerhood]

Not my mistake....honestly.....

Back when I was in college I saw a Ruger Super Blackhawk chambered in 44 Magnum that was brought into the old Trader's Den in Logan, Utah with the entire top of the cylinder and the frame blown away.

The story was told about the owner being new to reloading and he didn't quite grasp the concept of powder burn rates and paying attention to tested reloading data. They decided that if X grains of Red Dot was going to give them XXX fps, then why not use XXX grains for a really hot load. I can't remember exactly the powder used or the precise number of times they increased the charge, but I am pretty sure it was 4 or 5 times the max load for whatever fast burning powder they chose. Fortunately, everything went UP and the shooter was not harmed, IIRC.

[Texas10]

I did it again, today. I like to store my brass clean, but not neck sized until ready to load. Today I forgot to neck size before priming and had to remove 30 live primers. Fortunately I didn't charge the brass too.

Safety glasses, ear protection and slooooowly push out the primers :behindsofa:

Used a big permanent marker and wrote across the top of my Hornaday hand primer "SIZE BEFORE PRIME".

[Robinhood]

I did it again, today. I like to store my brass clean, but not neck sized until ready to load. Today I forgot to neck size before priming and had to remove 30 live primers. Fortunately I didn't charge the brass too.

Safety glasses, ear protection and slooooowly push out the primers :behindsofa:

Used a big permanent marker and wrote across the top of my Hornaday hand primer "SIZE BEFORE PRIME".

why not remove the decapping pin in your sizing die? Are you using Lee stuff?

[Texas10]

Tried that, but without the pin it sizes way too small. I suppose I could get another pin and cut off the decapper to use in cases like this…(no pun intended) but I'll wait and see if reading my written warning works well enough.

To answer your question, yes, it's a Lee die set with the extra neck sizing only die. Good stuff!

[schnyd112]

You can also take the decapping pin off the rod, at least with Forster and rcbs dies.

Rcbs you unscrew the sizing button, remove the pin, and put the button back on. Forster is pretty much the same but you don't have to remove the button.

[Burr]

Was doing some online-research on components to use for 40 SW. Read an article about a new powder, CFE. Saw that it has some cross usage with 9 mm Luger as well and decided to try it. Went to LGS, picked up a lb, and loaded 3-5 shot test-loads working up from min. Since my books are all older, none of them have data on CFE, so I looked on the powder container to verify my charge from the internet vs the bottle. It was then I learned there is no charge data for 40 SW on a bottle of CFE 223.

Back to the LGS to pick up a lb of CFE Pistol.

[GrumpyGuns]

Oldest son and I were getting ready to size some 303brit had the box of 308 win dies sitting next to the 303 dies both open. I grabbed the 308 FL sizing die not paying attention and screwed it in to the rock chucker and told the boy to get to it. After the second peice of brass he says to me that it is alot harder than normal now I have two peices off 308/303 high bred brass :eek:

[PowellSixO]

I recently started reloading for a new rifle that I built, and had a screw up right out of the gate. I ordered a new set of dies for my 204 ruger, and was excited to get to some loads. I run through the whole reloading process, and I'm down to pressing the bullets into the cases. I forget that I haven't set up the new die, and I start to adjust the die further and further down. It keeps going and going, but the bullet doesn't seem to be going into the case any further. Finally success, my COAL is where it needs to be, but something doesn't feel right about the way the die is pressing the bullets. After 3 of them, I look closely at one of them, and the stupid thing looks like a weatherby case. Lol. The shoulders are rounded like crazy. I start looking into why the heck I have weatherby looking brass now, and finally figure it out. I didn't adjust the bullet seating die, so when I was pressing the bullets, I was sizing the brass at the same time. Lol. I adjusted my bullet seating die correctly, and was on my way. I saved one of the rounds for a reminder to myself to take my time, and do it right.

[jonbearman]

I have done it all like sticking cases, no primers and a squib round in my .357 from no powder. My cousin thinks he triple charged a .357 mag with bullseye and it broke his bosses cylinder and the top strap was ok. Sent it back to ruger and it cost 40.00 to repair. he was lucky. He took an M1 Garand out once with handloads(big mistake) and fired 5 rounds , the sixth blew the rifle into pieces. He was bleeding all over his head but nothing serious. He sent it back to the cmp and they found that the locking lugs were cracked and it never locked up. He is lucky he didn't die.

[doctnj]

Ok I want some input on this one!!

I knew re loading 260, and 6.5 CM side by side was going to get me in trouble eventually.
Well that day is today. I was resizing my 260 and it seemed more difficult than normal. So I mixed a little more lube spray and re sprayed the
cases. That didnt help much. I was watching T.V. and zipping along when I noticed the necks were longer on the resized brass. I pulled the die out and
sure as crap I put the CM die in by mistake. So now I have about 70 (head stamped) lapua 260 that look like a 6.5 CM but will longer neck.

They have been fired about 3 or 4 times. I have 4 choices as I see it.
The one that is probably the most sensible will be #1.

1. Throw them out.
2. Load a light load and fire form them back out.
3. Sell them to someone (cheap) who only shoots CM so they
can cut the necks back and use them in CM rifle. I dont want
to get confused with the head stamp as we shoot them both
on the same day.
4. Look up the directions on the "oatmeal" re sizing method.
( read something somewhere where oatmeal or the like
was used in place of an actual bullet.

Im bagging them up and putting them to the side until I get a good consensus view. Just makes me sick that they were the good lapua brass.
Why couldnt it have been the other way. **** you Dr. Phil.

[LongRange]

Doc you need to color code ALL of your stuff...blue boxes 260 green boxes 6.5CM...paint the lock rings on your dies to match and buy binders to match make color coated cubbies for bullets brass ECT and maybe even color code your powders...not being a dick but one of these mistakes could turn into a bad day!!

or pay attention and not watch Doctor Phil when loading.

[doctnj]

Good idea. *I have green box shell holder that matches green gun 6.5 cm and black that matches my black gun but that's as far as I've thought it out. *

But yes that is a really good idea. *I guess you just made me have some gratitude that I caught it before it WAS a bad day. *

I was pissed about the money wasted but I should be glad about the skin I saved.

And I don't think ANYONE is a dick for passing along good advice! !

[LongRange]

as far as the brass...I'd size 30 more trim to length turn the necks if needed and shoot them in the creed...no sense throwing away a $100 bucks worth of brass...just use a wide tip colored sharpie and draw a thick ring around them to match the creed color and keep track of them.

[doctnj]

The way I look at it is my bone headed move and your good advice might save someone else this problem. I think Ill hang on to them and put them on the shelf and use them as back up.

[J.Baker]

Doesn't matter how carefully I setup my seating die...if I'm loading small .204 or .223 cases I always seem to get several rounds where I get a bulge at the body/shoulder junction that prevents them from chambering. That and I always manage to forget to lube a case mouth and get a case stuck in the FL sizer after the shell holder rips off half the rim.

[LongRange]

sounds like to much neck tension on the seating issue...try some graphite on the inside of the necks when sizing...imperial has a kit or just use a small container and small shot gun BBs and make your own...you can dip the necks or i use a bore brush...forster makes a kit that uses mica and comes with the container and brushes.

[schnyd112]

Is your trimming step consistent? If the necks are a little long and your seater die is screwed in so that it touches/nearly touches the shell holder, a long neck will bulge the case in that exact spot.

[FiveInADime]

Can you adjust a full length die high so only to run the necks over the expander ball?
With ample lube... Or you'll probably have some weird results.

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[FiveInADime]

I just loaded up 40 testing rounds last night and after sizing, trimming, priming, and charging I find one case of 40 that apparently was never resized. Can't imagine how it happened. I took the decapping pin out of my Forster die and resized the case, carefully. Lucky the case wasn't too long.

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