TC Encore Kaboom

Lefty #### said:
Lets see, a wildcat cartridge, and overbore too boot, and RL 19, does'nt make sense, I would have figured a powder slower than RL 19 would be better suited for the caliber in this case. Does anyone else think this guy just got to the point of metal fatigue in the rifle, and or action.
I just did a quick search for 25 STW data and low and behold, data for H1000, and H870. Me thinks buddy and his Encore was a tad to reckless with a wildcat and like too many guys before, he thought the primers and extraction were a good measure of over pressure.
For those not in the know.
Flattened primers and, hard extraction are poor signs of actual pressure. These signs usually occur at about 25% over design working pressures.
I'll call cumulative metal fatigue


Exactly. Way too quick of a powder for such a ridiculously overbore wildcat.......
 
What about detonations fellas, Large case small diameter bullet, perfect situation for detonations. In a case like this a small powder charge is worse than an overload. Look it up in the reloading manuals. The evidence sure points that way. Overloads rarely blow up a gun to this extent, you end up with a bulged chamber, cracked barrel but rarely a kaboom of this magnitude. just my 2¢ worth. Thank heavens no one was killed.

Bullet Caster
 
Bullet Caster said:
What about detonations fellas, Large case small diameter bullet, perfect situation for detonations. In a case like this a small powder charge is worse than an overload. Look it up in the reloading manuals. The evidence sure points that way. Overloads rarely blow up a gun to this extent, you end up with a bulged chamber, cracked barrel but rarely a kaboom of this magnitude. just my 2¢ worth. Thank heavens no one was killed.

Bullet Caster

Detonation is usually a small charge of slow powder.

But what the heck do I know......
 
Another thought occuers to me. What about a barrel obstruction. The kind that occurs whenthe primer causes the bullet to 'jump' into the rifling annd the stop. This can cause a tempory drop in pressure and then, because the bullet is stopped, in the rifling, the pressure goes up enourmsely.

This happened a few years ago when Hodgon was testing a new powder in the 6.5x55. There was no Kabom, but as they were using a proper psi pressure strain gauge, they had the record and discontuned the use of that powder in the swede!

Just a thought.
 
Looking at the barrel, I think there was an obstruction. From the look of the bulge ahead of the chamber, this is where the pressure spike caused the rupture. I have seen several rifle KBs where the barrel formed this tripod shape and they were all obstructions. I simply don't buy that it was an unobstructed barrel with a 1 grain less than max load of Reloader 19. No way.
 
Speculation on the cause of this KB aside... I am impressed that he was not more seriously hurt!
T/C does not offer the 257STW in their Encore lineup... I seriously doubt if the actions are made for that kind of pressure. I could be wrong though.
I still think that the design and strength of that action probably saved his ass.
 
I shoot a 257 stw in a weatherby accumark with 74 grains of imr7828
that is my most accurate load. I tested retumbo with the case completely full not quite a compressed load. From what i heard the thompson after reaming out the 25-06 the barrel was to thin to take that much pressure.
 
He was shooting a high power center fire rifle without hearing protection? No offence, but he seems like an idiot right off the bat......


I guess most hunters are idiots then.. since they don't use ear protection in the woods when they shoot game. While shooting at a bench is easily preventable, it's comparable to hunting for years without protection





FYI it can take up to 3 years to get your hearing properly back from a ruptured ear drum (Had it happen to me) plus you can get permanent ringing in the ears, even if your hearing does come back to normal levels
 
I shoot a 257 stw in a weatherby accumark with 74 grains of imr7828
that is my most accurate load. I tested retumbo with the case completely full not quite a compressed load. From what i heard the thompson after reaming out the 25-06 the barrel was to thin to take that much pressure.

You nailed it on the head with that one.

Ream the .308 TC pro-hunter out to 300WSM and you'll see nearly identical results. The chamber walls get FAR TOO THIN to handle the pressures.

NO STW has ever been chambered in the TC line as of yet. I bet there's a reason for that....
 
I think it would be a good pic, with description to post over the reloading bench, with the caption... " Did you double check that?"

I took your advice and did just that. It'll probably worry my wife, but if it reminds me, then it's worth it.
 
I would think that shooting a muzzle braked 257stw with no hearing protection would leave the ears ringing for a day or two even if it didnt blow up
 
I would think that shooting a muzzle braked 257stw with no hearing protection would leave the ears ringing for a day or two even if it didnt blow up

I Jumped out of the truck to take a pop at a coyote with my 22-250 facing the wind once and mother of god did i get a ring. ever since i wear hearing protection whenever possible.


I also think the primer only shot with a stuck bullet in the barrel could be a possibility. Lucky fella none the less.
 
I'll call Untold Story on this.

Uncharged case - primer sent a bullet into the barrel and he didn't check the bore before sending another down the pipe.


Maybe he didn't even hear the primer snap - being deafened from the first few shots and thought that he had forgotten to reload the chamber, so he cycles the action - out flips an empty and he says "silly me" and chambers another.

This is a lesson for reloaders - an empty case can be as dangerous as an overfull one.
 
I'll call Untold Story on this.

Uncharged case - primer sent a bullet into the barrel and he didn't check the bore before sending another down the pipe.


Maybe he didn't even hear the primer snap - being deafened from the first few shots and thought that he had forgotten to reload the chamber, so he cycles the action - out flips an empty and he says "silly me" and chambers another.

This is a lesson for reloaders - an empty case can be as dangerous as an overfull one.

I agree. I have recently started reloading and am a little paranoid. I still shake each shell after seating the lead to make sure it has powder before returing them to the bullet box. Not to mention all the other things i do during the process to make sure. Takes more time but i enjoy my guns, eyes, ears, fingers, face and life to take a chance.
 
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Maybe some powder confusion at the reloading bench - a short burn powder used instead of a long burn powder? I remember grabbing my IMR 4198 instead on my IMR 4350 one day. I was fortunate enough to notice the difference before seating the bullet. That close call has forever burned "attention to detail" into my conscience.
 
I agree. I have recently started reloading and am a little paranoid. I still shake each shell after seating the lead to make sure it has powder before returing them to the bullet box. Not to mention all the other things i do during the process to make sure. Takes more time but i enjoy my guns, eyes, ears, fingers, face and life to take a chance.

Do up 50 of them at a time in a tray, then check the powder levels before seating bullets. 1 at a time sucks.
 
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