Share your hand loading mistakes!

[Dillon1000]

I messed up the other day. I was loading for one of my short 6 BR guns
and put together 50 Rounds for a particular rifle. 50 Molly coat and 50
regular rounds. When I went down to the range I discovered to my chagrin
that none of the rounds would chamber. Forgetting that the is not only 30 thousands shorter but that long neck case is also 2 thousands bigger round than the short. So I thought I am not going to take these apart and start over. So I grabbed a long throat gun that the rounds where not made for and headed back to the range. The two top targets are what they are supposed to shoot like and the bottom two are what they did shoot like in a gun they were never meant for. Twenty five rounds in each target even
surprised me. So some times when you mess up, it's not all that bad

 

[Omni]

Biggest mistake yet. Loaded up 5 sets of 5 rounds (25 total) 44mag Titegroup test loads that were each individually hand measured on a mechanical beam scale. Picked up the first case to start seating bullets and powder spilled out; heart sank...
I was somewhat in a rush and forgot that I hadn't primed these particular cases yet. All that tedious measuring was for nothing and the loading block was 'full' of powder.

 

[Mikej]

Biggest mistake yet. Loaded up 5 sets of 5 rounds (25 total) 44mag Titegroup test loads that were each individually hand measured on a mechanical beam scale. Picked up the first case to start seating bullets and powder spilled out; heart sank...
I was somewhat in a rush and forgot that I hadn't primed these particular cases yet. All that tedious measuring was for nothing and the loading block was 'full' of powder.

Been there done that. At least that's something that won't directly lead to you blowing up a gun. And the mistake leads you to be even more careful and meticulous in the process.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I have no earthly idea how this could possibly happen.
These were the first three that I attempted to load when I got back to the 357 loading session. I pulled all the dies, cleaned, reinstalled and adjusted and it ran fine after that.
Meet the McGrumpy trio.

 

[Newberg]

Projos the right diameter?
Did this happen on seating or crimp? I've seen combo seat/crimp dies do this if setup for 38spl when trying to run a 357mag through it without adjustment.

Whatever the problem was, it was certainly pushing down hard on that brass to get it to buckle.

 

[Omni]

Looks like the die was trying to crimp 38spl cases. If you were loading 357mag before this I would check your case and bullet length consistency

Die was definitely crimping too early. The crimped in place bullet couldn't move downwards so the soft point deformed and the brass buckled.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Projos the right diameter?
Did this happen on seating or crimp? I've seen combo seat/crimp dies do this if setup for 38spl when trying to run a 357mag through it without adjustment.

Whatever the problem was, it was certainly pushing down hard on that brass to get it to buckle.

I believe it may have happened on the crimp due to the seating depth was too high.
You can see that the crimp is not in the cannelure.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Looks like the die was trying to crimp 38spl cases. If you were loading 357mag before this I would check your case and bullet length consistency

Die was definitely crimping too early. The crimped in place bullet couldn't move downwards so the soft point deformed and the brass buckled.

I had it setup for 357, took a few days break from loading and continued. Removing , cleaning and readjustment fixed the problem.

 

[Bobbygun]

I had it setup for 357, took a few days break from loading and continued. Removing , cleaning and readjustment fixed the problem.

Could it be they were set for .38 Special and then the .357 Magnum spacer wasn't placed under the die?

 

[Mikej]

I had it setup for 357, took a few days break from loading and continued. Removing , cleaning and readjustment fixed the problem.

Have no idea more that what was mentioned, trying to crimp well before the bottom of the stroke. But I will say that those "Grumpy" rounds will look great sitting on the "Shelf of Shame"!

I switched to using the Lee factory collet crimp die on .357. It ads a step, but it sure feels much better than feeling the different crimps crimping/seating at the same time..

 

[Caveman Jim]

Have no idea more that what was mentioned, trying to crimp well before the bottom of the stroke. But I will say that those "Grumpy" rounds will look great sitting on the "Shelf of Shame"!

I switched to using the Lee factory collet crimp die on .357. It ads a step, but it sure feels much better than feeling the different crimps crimping/seating at the same time..

They do ad a bit of flare of "Let's talk about how this happened", yes?
I use the Lee factory crimp die, have been for years.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Could it be they were set for .38 Special and then the .357 Magnum spacer wasn't placed under the die?

No chance, I loaded 357 the last time and didn't change die sets afterwards.

 

[Bobbygun]

No chance, I loaded 357 the last time and didn't change die sets afterwards.

Just to be clear. The RCBS dies I use have a spacer (looks a lot like a thick washer). If I set the dies for .38 Special and want to use the same bullet for .357 Magnum, all I have to do is put the washer underneath the die to lift it up the proper amount for .357 Magnum. If the last thing I loaded was .357 Magnum, then I put the dies away until next time, when I pulled them out of the drawer and started loading .357 Magnum shells, if I forgot to put the spacer underneath, they would essentially be set for .38 Special even though I last loaded .357 Magnum with them. I'm not sure all brands of dies use this same system.

 

[2ndtimer]

Jim, do you seat and crimp at the same time? Or seat all, and then crimp each one separately? (FWIW, I seat and crimp on separate steps, on both single stage press and the Dillon RL-550.)

 

[Caveman Jim]

Just to be clear. The RCBS dies I use have a spacer (looks a lot like a thick washer). If I set the dies for .38 Special and want to use the same bullet for .357 Magnum, all I have to do is put the washer underneath the die to lift it up the proper amount for .357 Magnum. If the last thing I loaded was .357 Magnum, then I put the dies away until next time, when I pulled them out of the drawer and started loading .357 Magnum shells, if I forgot to put the spacer underneath, they would essentially be set for .38 Special even though I last loaded .357 Magnum with them. I'm not sure all brands of dies use this same system.

Gotcha.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Jim, do you seat and crimp at the same time? Or seat all, and then crimp each one separately? (FWIW, I seat and crimp on separate steps, on both single stage press and the Dillon RL-550.)

I do not seat/crimp, I use a Lee factory crimp die in the #5 station on the AP.

 

[Mikej]

Just to be clear. The RCBS dies I use have a spacer (looks a lot like a thick washer). If I set the dies for .38 Special and want to use the same bullet for .357 Magnum, all I have to do is put the washer underneath the die to lift it up the proper amount for .357 Magnum. If the last thing I loaded was .357 Magnum, then I put the dies away until next time, when I pulled them out of the drawer and started loading .357 Magnum shells, if I forgot to put the spacer underneath, they would essentially be set for .38 Special even though I last loaded .357 Magnum with them. I'm not sure all brands of dies use this same system.

Never heard of this ^^ before? It doesn't take a lot of time to adjust between .38/.357 but it sounds interesting enough to look into it. What is it called/where do you find the washer?

I do not seat/crimp, I use a Lee factory crimp die in the #5 station on the AP.

Lee makes two different factory crimp dies. (learned that myself recently) One crimps in the same way as the crimp/seater die. Downward pressure into a ring in the die And the other bottoms out on the shell holder and forces a set of jaws to impress a crimp in the brass into the bullet/cannelure. There's no way to do what happened to you with the "Collet" crimp die.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Never heard of this ^^ before? It doesn't take a lot of time to adjust between .38/.357 but it sounds interesting enough to look into it. What is it called/where do you find the washer?

Lee makes two different factory crimp dies. (learned that myself recently) One crimps in the same way as the crimp/seater die. Downward pressure into a ring in the die And the other bottoms out on the shell holder and forces a set of jaws to impress a crimp in the brass into the bullet/cannelure. There's no way to do what happened to you with the "Collet" crimp die.

Does the collet die do a roll crimp?
I've got the collet crimp die for 223 and 300 blackout.

 

[Mikej]

Does the collet die do a roll crimp?
I've got the collet crimp die for 223 and 300 blackout.

Yes. It doesn't actually "Roll" the case rim into the bullet though. It squeeze's the brass rim with four lipped petals into the brass. There's no downward pressure on the brass. So you can't crush the brass like in your pictures.
Hope that makes sense. I sure have an issue trying to describe what I want to.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Yes. It doesn't actually "Roll" the case rim into the bullet though. It squeeze's the brass rim with four lipped petals into the brass. There's no downward pressure on the brass. So you can't crush the brass like in your pictures.
Hope that makes sense. I sure have an issue trying to describe what I want to.

That explains it very well but I've never used them for a pistol.
I hear ya buddy, I have to take extra time to explain myself while conversing anymore too. Except when I'm on the boat, then I bark orders with a fervor. FISH FISH FISH

Although I do have to give crazy looks to those that do not spring out of their seats to get the rod upon my barking.
DID I STUTTER???