First day shooting reloads. What a bust. (Or is that flop?)

giant yetti said:
has any one tried computer duster? it might be useful for insuring the inside of the case is completely dry...
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Expensive way to do it.

If I were going to do that I'd use the compressor in the garage.
And you still wouldn't get it all out easily.
Best solution is to buy a case polisher.
Watch the EE here, or evil Ebay. Better yet, support your local gun shop, (the guys at the top of the page here) and go buy one. They are well worth it.
 
I used to use a bullet pulling hammer but found that the RCBS bullet puller die version with the collets worked way better. Now when I but a new calibre, I just get a new collet and I'm ready.

I found reloading to be a lot like golf. When you get out and have bad results, I just want to rush home and build more loads so I can get out again. When I have good results, I just want to rush home and build more loads so I can get out again as well.

Im sure every reloader has had some issues at one point or another.

I had quite a few 30-06 loads that the primers didnt seem to go off when I shot.

There were always light primer strikes. I'd go home, pull the bullet and powder and try the cartridge again (sans bullet and powder). Almost every time, it would go off.

Figured that maybe I lubed the firing pin spring too much and oil was getting onto the primer, maybe I had a broken firing pin, etc.

As it turned out, I had jsut recently put a new stock on my rifle and I the trigger (Timney) was dragging the inside of the stock..

There was definately a lot of head scratching until I found the problem.

Good luck with your loading and keep us updated on your progress.
 
To dry brass, I use a compressor with a fine tipped air nozzle. Put the nozzle in the primer hole and blast away.

One thing that I didn't notice mentioned was primer seating; are you sure the primers were seated all the way in?
 
Ok guys, I whacked the bullets out with my Frankford bullet puller. "Major force required" is the understatement of the year! :eek:


None of the powder was clumped, but seeing as to how much I tried smacking the hammer to get the bullet out, I can understand why. :redface:


From a quick look at the primer, it appears to not have gone off. I'll gently pop them out, and dry the cases in the oven.


How do I remove the crimp in the neck though? Brass hasn't been stretched...


Primers seem to be as well seated as they can get, as good as (or nicer than) factory. Really though, the Auto-prime shell holder doesn't let go of the primed case until the primer is fully seated. KISS (for me anyways), indeed. :D
 
firemachine69 said:
Man, was that ever depressing. Maybe I should stick with factory ammo. I crimped the bullets in place with a Lee Factory Crimp die, I don't think any component is coming out in a hurry. What a waste of brass/powder/bullets/primers. :(
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Don't get to down. My first batch of reloads had a 2 of FTFs. Actually the primer went off, stuck the bullet in the bore but didn't ignite the primer. :D

I've loaded several thousand rounds since then, with not a single problem. Keep at it, keep learning, and you'll have fun with it.

Chris.
 
just as a test- try resizing a couple, insert a primer, then chamber and fire the case. that'll tell you if the primers are seated OK or if either the primer needs a little more seating or if the shoulder is set too far back. if they work fine then contamination will be the issue
 
My first ever "Batch" I crushed 23/100 pieces of brass because I couldn't understand how to seat and crimp at the same time. Since I had that experience I was emotionally violent towards this operation so I seat then crimp. I took my 77 cartridges to the range only to find that the Lee precision minimum loads ripped nice tears down the side of the brass, but I was like: "Hey, it works!". After this I talked to the gunsmith and he told me to reduce the load by about 20% and it didn't tear my brass a new one so I was happy, until I found out that those hot loads caused my magazine catch to break so my gun had to go in for repair. That's with a 9mm pistol, let's talk about rifle ammo.

First shot of reloaded .303 ever I started with the Lee minimum starting load and guess what, case head separation. I ended up driving 40km to get to the range and fired one shot while sitting by the clubhouse staring at my 49 shots thinking to myself: "Should I?"

Or the other day I was going too fast on my turret press and the primers weren't being seated 100%. The firing pin was actually setting the primers and the second strike was firing them, on every single round. Guess how many rounds I made? 1500 haha. Do I put on body armour and a paintball mask and try to set those primers further while the cartridge is loaded? I'd be up for a darwin award and dressed for the occasion.

Welcome to reloading dude, stop at 6 beers if you want your ammo to work the next day.

And never tell your friends that you're doing weird stuff like putting dental floss on your brass and filling it with pistol powder. Never talk about putting brass in the oven or using plastic hammers to pull bullets, they're never going to understand trust me. Never try to tell them that your reloads are more accurate than the $50.00 / box hunting ammo they buy.
 
yep anybody who reloads has war stories. I have a few involving high primers like Chise mentions, this year had 20 primers detonate in a Dillon 1050 ( only damage was to to the aluminum inner tube & some plastic bits that Dillon replaced ,and my shorts of course -they ran tests at Dillon detonating over 100 primers simultaneously to test their steel tube shielding system, once loaded 300 rounds of .38 wadcutter for a PPC matchv and found out at the match they wouldn't chamber becasue they weren't crimped enough, etc .. but when you get 5 rounds of .223 that you can cover with a dime at 100 yards, somehow it evens out.:D:D
 
Haha, you guys are a source of inspiration. :D

If you're wondering, I pulled all the primers, both from the loaded and unloaded batch (I had primed some of those damp cases for more loading in the future. :redface:)


Turns out the primers in the loaded cartridges (for the most part), were set off. The ones in the empty casings seemed to have been "mushed".

I've got all of them deprimed/resized and tumbling in my Frankford tumbler. Second batch, coming right up! :cool:
 
Get yourself a tumbler and save yourself the trouble of washing cases ;) Everyone who has reloaded has made mistakes, those that are just starting, and those that have been doing it for 60 years... !
 
My cases are tumbling as we speak (type? :D)


I find the perfect number of alcoholic beverages to take the "edge" off doing anything to be around three. (like fighting my then brand-new Savage 10FLCP-K by bending magazine lips like it was nobody's business :cool:)
 
CanAm said:
only way to dry cases is heat, in the oven is best. Too many crevices for the water to hide, and almost no air flow inside the case.
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I wash the odd (real dirty) batch once in a while. They go into a very low temp oven until I'm certain they're dry. Or if it is the winter, on a thin cloth over the HVAC ducts overnight.
 
Another thing to watch for, bathroom breaks while reloading happen more often when beer is involved. The real question is, should you wash your hands first?
 
chise said:
My first ever "Batch" I crushed 23/100 pieces of brass because I couldn't understand how to seat and crimp at the same time. Since I had that experience I was emotionally violent towards this operation so I seat then crimp. I took my 77 cartridges to the range only to find that the Lee precision minimum loads ripped nice tears down the side of the brass, but I was like: "Hey, it works!". After this I talked to the gunsmith and he told me to reduce the load by about 20% and it didn't tear my brass a new one so I was happy, until I found out that those hot loads caused my magazine catch to break so my gun had to go in for repair. That's with a 9mm pistol, let's talk about rifle ammo.

First shot of reloaded .303 ever I started with the Lee minimum starting load and guess what, case head separation. I ended up driving 40km to get to the range and fired one shot while sitting by the clubhouse staring at my 49 shots thinking to myself: "Should I?"

Or the other day I was going too fast on my turret press and the primers weren't being seated 100%. The firing pin was actually setting the primers and the second strike was firing them, on every single round. Guess how many rounds I made? 1500 haha. Do I put on body armour and a paintball mask and try to set those primers further while the cartridge is loaded? I'd be up for a darwin award and dressed for the occasion.

Welcome to reloading dude, stop at 6 beers if you want your ammo to work the next day.

And never tell your friends that you're doing weird stuff like putting dental floss on your brass and filling it with pistol powder. Never talk about putting brass in the oven or using plastic hammers to pull bullets, they're never going to understand trust me. Never try to tell them that your reloads are more accurate than the $50.00 / box hunting ammo they buy.
Click to expand...

hahahha!!That's about the best funniest post I have read on GN,ever!!
Good time to start a Friday Night Drunk Thread!!
Thanks,Chise.
 
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