Share your hand loading mistakes!

[nammac]

Two kinds of handloaders; those that have and those that will. I have!!

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Ooopppsss!

costly error indeed...

 

[Cosimel]

Two kinds of handloaders; those that have and those that will. I have!!

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Same thing happened to my second chronograph. I'm saving up for a Labradar

 

[2506]

No, 45 Colt's not supposed to look like that.

 

[Red98422]

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No, 45 Colt's not supposed to look like that.

That's a good looking wadcutter!!!

 

[2506]

Not having the best run of luck lately, boys.
Up early this morning, dim light and nearly 60 year old eyes, I pulled my 257 out of the safe.
Didn't have my cheaters on, so what I thought said:

257 WBY actually said 7 STW. I checked this box today

 

[PaulB47]

I bought 20 loose cases of .300 WSM from a gun shop in Cody Wyoming. There must have been a bin of .300SAUM nearly because I got one of those without noticing it. When I shot it I guess it headspaced on the ogive. Anyway it did no harm to the Winchester 1885 I was shooting, just blew the case shoulder forward. Wasn't much neck left on that case after that...

 

[PaulB47]

".256 Winchester Magnum. 10 sets of 5 rounds each in .2 gr steps for a ladder test in a 50rnd box. Fired one shot and SPILLED THE EFFING BOX!! Plinking ammo now."

I always use a sharpie to mark each bullet with the load number, if the loads in the box are different. Then it doesn't matter if the box gets dropped. If all in the box are the same, I just mark a few...

 

[Spitpatch]

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No, 45 Colt's not supposed to look like that.

It takes a veteran at the ol' Bench ta notice the small things.

Problem here is the Powder Measure is mounted horizontally. Review of instructions will allow remedy.

(Hikin' up my pants and doing my best Barney Fife): "Nothin' ta see here folks! Now go on about your business!"

 

[Caveman Jim]

Backwards primer - guilty - caught before boxing - disassembled for components
Unresized brass - guilty - crushed the brass trying to seat a jacketed bullet

when I was new to reloading many, many, many years ago, I started with reloading 90 gr lrn .380's. I had a few with less than minimum recommended charge that when shot at the indoor range, the ballistic curtain down range caught the round and snapped it back at me... Left a couple of nice round dents in the range door behind me...

I always double check the powder charge and weigh every 10th round, cause I'm now OCD...

I'm guilty too. I adopted the sequence of
1) feeling for a smooth insertion of a primer I've actually eyeballed that's in the correct position.
2) if not a smooth insertion then stop and find out why!!!
3) physically eyeball and feel for the primer to be seated below case bottom. (AR & pistol)...

I've made Jetson bullets setting dies too deep...
Lost my pics so will have to find the actual piece...

 

[tac]

I made some bad 12ga that just went "plop"... Probably bad crimps but also there was lots of powder in the barrel that looked yellow!?

Wet.

Don't ax how I know.

Ah, alright, I'll tell you, just you mind. There's nobody else around at the moment, okay?

A couple of years back I was sat down in the kitchen with a loading tray prepped with 40gr of H4198 for my .45-70 Govt plinking loads, in readiness for an upcoming guest day.

I hasten to add that the cases, with powder in them had been there all morning while Mrs tac was preparing rich viands.

Using my handy Lee tongs I seated the bullets and that was the job done.

The following day was the guest day, and thank goodness I popped off a couple before it got busy - maybe four or five. after all, they couldn't ALL be duds, could they?

HAH.

Every shot went phut, although the bullets DID clear the barrel, landing around 20 - 30 yards in front of me.

Luckily, I also had with a 100-count MTM cartridge box filled with 60grl loads of 2Fg BP, although, TBH, they were not exactly user-friendly for folks who may never have fired a big-bore rifle before.

What has happened? Well, being exposed in a kitchen environment, and ALL powder being hygroscopic by it's very nature, the moisture in the air had become absorbed into the powder, thus rendering it somewhat less than effective in the process, and yes, turning it yellow.

Lesson learned? Fill the case with the powder load, and seat the bullet as soon as possible after that. Now I do one immediately after the other - just in case.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

My dad bought some reloads from a local respected gunsmith. I took the Model 88 Winchester .243 out to shoot ground squirrels at long range. The first shot kicked like a mule and when I opened the action the primer fell out of the case. Being young and foolish, I tried another shot. I had to pry the lever action open and the primer fell out again.

We took the rest of the ammo back to the gunsmith shop. Upon inspection it was determined that instead of the right amount of 4350, SOMEONE had loaded what would have been the correct amount of powder, but they used Ball C powder. We never fired anyone else's reloads again.

 

[Caveman Jim]

".256 Winchester Magnum. 10 sets of 5 rounds each in .2 gr steps for a ladder test in a 50rnd box. Fired one shot and SPILLED THE EFFING BOX!! Plinking ammo now."

I always use a sharpie to mark each bullet with the load number, if the loads in the box are different. Then it doesn't matter if the box gets dropped. If all in the box are the same, I just mark a few...

A similar occurrence for me also, now I write the charge weight on the cartridge itself with a Sharpie. Problem solved and I can inspect every one knowing it's correct designation.

 

[awshoot]

A similar occurrence for me also, now I write the charge weight on the cartridge itself with a Sharpie. Problem solved and I can inspect every one knowing it's correct designation.

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I'm lazy -- I just write a letter on the cartridges and keep track in a separate spreadsheet.

 

[CLT65]

I recently started doing it this way too, after decades of writing all the info in tiny letters on the brass with sharpie. Much easier.

 

[bentoncity]

The day I started back in 1962 or 1963.. Still have this nasty habit..& they say druggies are bad.

Dan

 

[Capn Jack]

I used to just color code the primers with a marker pen.

Record the load on a separate sheet.

 

[awshoot]

I used to just color code the primers with a marker pen.

Record the load on a separate sheet.

That's a good idea, though typically, I have a hard enough time finding even one shaprie let alone many colors. I buy a whole pack and before I know it -- they're gone.

 

[Capn Jack]

That's a good idea, though typically, I have a hard enough time finding even one shaprie let alone many colors. I buy a whole pack and before I know it -- they're gone.

I don't have any kids at home anymore...

 

[Knute]

Reloading 44 mag when I was tired one night resulted in a squib the next day, and then me unloading about 300 rounds the next night to make sure I didn't do any others. There was one more...never reload when you're tired or distracted.

 

[DLS]

If the powder charge is large enough you can weigh loaded cartridges to check for missing powder charges. Saves disassembly when you think there might be a problem.