Share your hand loading mistakes!

[Majday27]

A few years back was working on reduced load for 223 with blue dot. Had loaded some at 10gr and shot great. Shot a couple more and one went off rang my ears, split my stock and shot brass out the back around the bolt. Had a couple small pieces about 1.5" below my eye and 3-4 pieces into my thumb knuckle. Turns out my scale had moved from 10 to 20 gr and I had double charged without knowing it. I was fortunate.

 

[Mikej]

A few years back was working on reduced load for 223 with blue dot. Had loaded some at 10gr and shot great. Shot a couple more and one went off rang my ears, split my stock and shot brass out the back around the bolt. Had a couple small pieces about 1.5" below my eye and 3-4 pieces into my thumb knuckle. Turns out my scale had moved from 10 to 20 gr and I had double charged without knowing it. I was fortunate.

Electronic scale?

 

[2ndtimer]

Electronic scale?

I would bet it was a balance beam, and he (or someone) slid the counterweight over one notch and he didn't notice. It is always a good idea to check your scale at zero and adjust. Then, set it for desired charge weights. (I only use my cheap electronic scale to weigh bullets and occasionally double check what my RCBS balance beam indicates).

 

[Majday27]

It was a balance beam. During loading I never slid it over but it must've moved while removing the powder tray and it popped enough to slide over one notch to 20 and not 10. It was an rcbs but has made me more cautious for sure while weighing charges.

 

[Dr Prepper]

It was a balance beam. During loading I never slid it over but it must've moved while removing the powder tray and it popped enough to slide over one notch to 20 and not 10. It was an rcbs but has made me more cautious for sure while weighing charges.

One reason I like throwing charges and then double checking them on the scale. One my drift, but both.. Just make sure you don't double one up, and usually it will spill over in most cases. I love my 3BR really glad I bought it and when the poop hits the skidder it will still throw solid loads fast.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Indeed does have its roost, it sits right where I can see it to remind me amongst a lot of other interesting looking brass I've picked up over the years.

 

[Mikej]

It was a balance beam. During loading I never slid it over but it must've moved while removing the powder tray and it popped enough to slide over one notch to 20 and not 10. It was an rcbs but has made me more cautious for sure while weighing charges.

Well that was freak accident! Ish.
I can't see on my RCBS 5-0-5 how I could bump the single grain weight all the way from zero to 10. and certainly moving the main weight takes a lot of effort. I HAVE goofed and not had the 1/10 weight at zero. So actually loaded some rounds + 1/10th grain over.

 

[ma96782]

BUT, But, but......they both passed the "plop test".

BUT, But, but......the proof is in the full sequence of events.
So......did it also feed from the magazine?

BUT, But, but.....it's NOT really a mistake. I just need/I should buy a 9mm revolver.

Aloha, Mark

 

[nammac]

View attachment 1278730

BUT, But, but......they both passed the "plop test".

BUT, But, but......the proof is in the full sequence of events.
So......did it also feed from the magazine?

BUT, But, but.....it's NOT really a mistake. I just need/I should buy a 9mm revolver.

Aloha, Mark

Like this:

 

[ma96782]

RE : Post #508

I took care of the "problem" yesterday. About, 150 rounds of the stuff.

Yeah......I don't really care if it'll shoot MOA. So, I "fixed it". By merely running them through the seating die again. While making sure that......this time.....it's at an overall length that "works".

Aloha, Mark

 

[Caveman Jim]

Like this:

View attachment 1278784

Moon clips, like so groovy man.

 

[ageingstudent]

Moon clips, like so groovy man.

Mmm...moon clips...

 

[Caveman Jim]

RE : Post #508

I took care of the "problem" yesterday. About, 150 rounds of the stuff.

Yeah......I don't really care if it'll shoot MOBD. So, I "fixed it". By merely running them through the seating die again. While making sure that......this time.....it's at an overall length that "works".

Aloha, Mark

MO Barn Door was probably what you got out of those rounds but that's OK they were just plinking rounds anyway. Good job sir.

 

[samthedog73]

I have a lot of mistakes to choose from over the 30 years I have been reloading. I think the one that hurt the worse was realizing that my sizing die somehow got out of whack AFTER I loaded 500 rounds of .308 for my m1a's. I use a Hornady Lock and Load press for high volume, and assumed the die was still set up properly from the last time I loaded 308. Nope. So instead of spending what little time I have to reload reloading, I spent it pulling apart 500 rds of 308. Side note - the Hornady Cam Lock bullet puller works really well. I wish I didn't know that. I now make sure my sizing die is set up properly and every 20 or so rounds I check a round with a case gauge. I also make sure to limit the number of rounds in the ejection bin so if I do have an issue, I can isolate it to the rounds that are in the bin.

 

[samthedog73]

This is technically not a reloading snafu, but I once had a .40 SW round somehow get mixed in with .45ACP, and I was dumb enough not to notice this when loading up a 1911 mag. Yes it chambered, and yes it went bang. Nothing bad happened to the pistol or me, and the brass sort of half chamber formed to .45 diameter. I no longer shoot .40, BUT, I do shoot 10mm. Most of which are loaded really hot. So lesson learned for me is ALWAYS keep ammo separate, and be extra observant when loading magazines. I think if this would have happened with one of my 10MM loads the end result would have been a bit different.

 

[samthedog73]

This is technically not a reloading snafu, but I once had a .40 SW round somehow get mixed in with .45ACP, and I was dumb enough not to notice this when loading up a 1911 mag. Yes it chambered, and yes it went bang. Nothing bad happened to the pistol or me, and the brass sort of half chamber formed to .45 diameter. I no longer shoot .40, BUT, I do shoot 10mm. Most of which are loaded really hot. So lesson learned for me is ALWAYS keep ammo separate, and be extra observant when loading magazines. I think if this would have happened with one of my 10MM loads the end result would have been a bit different.

I used to cut off 30-06 cases and load them with 2400 and #6 shot. I used part of a .410 wad and a nitro card to hold everything in.
Put them in a half moon clip and fired them out of an old Colt .45 ACP revolver someone gave me. Worked great for rats, but it finally
went into the bay as someone had ground the #'s off of it.

I'm really tempted to ask you how many grains of powder you used

 

[samthedog73]

I'm sure a few of us have poured powder into our dispensing scales only to find out the dump chute is open...

Yes, and I still do it semi - regularly. It's hard being me.

 

[orygun]

This is technically not a reloading snafu, but I once had a .40 SW round somehow get mixed in with .45ACP, and I was dumb enough not to notice this when loading up a 1911 mag. Yes it chambered, and yes it went bang. Nothing bad happened to the pistol or me, and the brass sort of half chamber formed to .45 diameter.

Different, but on the same vein, when hunting one year I came out of the brush and found a bunch of brass on the ground where someone had been shooting. I picked up one really cool case. A 300 Winchester Magnum that had a super short neck and a Weatherby radius to the shoulder. I really wonder how that worked out? The belt held it in place and it was the proper diameter bullet. The throat was pretty long....

 

[samthedog73]

Different, but on the same vein, when hunting one year I came out of the brush and found a bunch of brass on the ground where someone had been shooting. I picked up one really cool case. A 300 Winchester Magnum that had a super short neck and a Weatherby radius to the shoulder. I really wonder how that worked out? The belt held it in place and it was the proper diameter bullet. The throat was pretty long....

Was there any blood on the case?

 

[Capn Jack]

This is technically not a reloading snafu, but I once had a .40 SW round somehow get mixed in with .45ACP, and I was dumb enough not to notice this when loading up a 1911 mag. Yes it chambered, and yes it went bang. Nothing bad happened to the pistol or me, and the brass sort of half chamber formed to .45 diameter. I no longer shoot .40, BUT, I do shoot 10mm. Most of which are loaded really hot. So lesson learned for me is ALWAYS keep ammo separate, and be extra observant when loading magazines. I think if this would have happened with one of my 10MM loads the end result would have been a bit different.

I'm really tempted to ask you how many grains of powder you used

I used 2400, I don't remember how much, but it wasn't a heavy load.