in reloading whats is the worst thats happened to you ????

Gave the side of my index finger a deep cut one time lol. I was sizing a large volume of 22-250 brass in a hurry and using my hand to guide the brass up into the die preventing binding as the ram came up and drove the case mouth into my finger. Also spent a great deal of time working up a load in the winter only to find out that it was over pressure in summer temps. All a learning process i guess.
 
Had a pistol blow up in my hand, that's a not to be forgotten experience. Still can't say for sure what happened, piled up halfway through the ejecting cycle.
Can't pin it down as to why or how, but definitely can't say " It wasn't a reloading mistake " either.
 
Hmmm...a primer once went off while seating, I have a bunch of .308 and .338 rounds that I have to pull as I thought they were properly resized, but apparently not, some .45 ACP rounds with an odd little 195gr SWC that need to be seated much deeper, and getting smacked in the face and fingers by Lee paste lube...which oddly enough, could sting a bit. And the funniest was what I thought was a misfire when in fact I had forgotten to put a primer in an '06 case as evidenced by the powder dribbling out the flash hole when I removed it from the chamber.

Oh, and in looking above, I was reminded of a similar experience with regard to loads, pressure and time of year. I loaded up some .303Br during the winter and they were fine. However, when I next fired a few from that batch during a hot summer, I stopped after looking at the first few empties I picked up: it looked as though someone had been burning holes through the primer with a hot poker!
 
i loaded 2000 rounds in different caliber with winshester large rifle primer(bad batch).and once in 200 or so when fire the gas escape from the side of the primer and damage the bolt
so now i have 4 damage bolt,and winshester want me to send the ammo to them for refound,but i have 4000 rounds loaded and i dont know witch one is loaded with that batch of bad primer
 
Had a primer tube chain detonate in my press, dettonated about 40 primers a foot from my face and ruptured the tube.

Had ringing ears and a bad case of fecalpantsitis.
 
In the beiginning I stuck a couple cases due to under lubbing and colapsed a few from to much. Couple primers in upside down which went straight into the garbage. That's about it in 35 years, but you can never be to careful. Never have more than one type of powder on the bench at a time or be distracted ie:kids,wife, supper's ready etc.
Oh yeah, I never buy used opened powder at shows or shoot anyone elses reloads. Just some of my personal rules.
Cheers
ses
 
I am very careful these days, starting with virgin brass, i will chamfer the inside and outside necks.
I use two single stage presses, an RCBS Rockchucker and an RCBS partner. One is for re-sizing the other for bullet seating.
The empty cases go in the loading block neck up, re-sized and cleaned they go back in neck down, primed back in neck up. I have a Hornaday powder measure and check every 10th round on the scale. When all cases are charged, I will do a visual check on each for powder levels. Reweigh any suspicious looking charges and seat bullets. The finished product goes in their ammunition box primer up.
I dont load mixed brand cases or mysterious "once fired" cases.
Ammunition doesn't have to look like jewelry so tumbling is a waste of time for me. I don't let them get dirty anyway.
 
cody182005 said:
Gave the side of my index finger a deep cut one time lol. I was sizing a large volume of 22-250 brass in a hurry and using my hand to guide the brass up into the die preventing binding as the ram came up and drove the case mouth into my finger..............
Click to expand...

Been there, done that!
 
1 primer going off while seating.
Only 1 squib that I can remember.
Had to pull a few bullets over the years during load development.
The usual stuff.

But how in the heck do you drive a de-capping pin through your finger tip?!?!?!:d
 
Let's see yep I've squished my finger once resizing!!!! Man did that hurt!

Spilt powder? Check!!!

Stuck cases in dies? Double check!!

Worst mistake I've made happened right at the beginning of my hand loading career. I double charged a 13 grain red dot cast bullet load in a 303 case. Round went BANG, bolt stuck shut. Had to open it with a 2x4 and a big hammer. Good thing I fired it in a ross and not a lee enfield!!

That one round scared me and it's made me even more anal in my loading practices.
 
Kevin M. said:
Had a primer tube chain detonate in my press, dettonated about 40 primers a foot from my face and ruptured the tube.

Had ringing ears and a bad case of fecalpantsitis.
Click to expand...

I've always wondered about dropping the primers directly into the tube on my Dillon. Out of anticipated fear I tend to hold the pickup tube angled to one side then after I pull the hairpin I slowly tilt towards vertical until the primers dribble out with a slight snag at the transition. This slows things down enough that I feel like it's worth while. At least something like 25 or 30K loads done up to now I haven't had the tube go BANG! yet..... Fingers are crossed.

I've read enough horror stories though that I'm considering a loose fitting secondary steel tube to catch and vent any ruptures so the shards stay in the sheilding tube and gas pressure is vented up and down instead of out sideways at me. And perhaps it's worth wearing ear muffs while transferring the primers? :D
 
cody182005 said:
Gave the side of my index finger a deep cut one time lol. I was sizing a large volume of 22-250 brass in a hurry and using my hand to guide the brass up into the die preventing binding as the ram came up and drove the case mouth into my finger. Also spent a great deal of time working up a load in the winter only to find out that it was over pressure in summer temps. All a learning process i guess.
Click to expand...

I've come close on the finger issue ,so I have slowed down, and working up a load that was so weak the bullet died down the pipe.. no major damage but lesson learned I hope..
 
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