Close call? I need some advice.

Polish-Jack

Polish-Jack

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Location
Kelowna, B.C. Canada
I am new to reloading and do not know anybody that reloads so my learning experience has been mostly through reading and trial and error. The first reloading that I did was for a 30-06 that I since sold off. Three months later I acquired a S&W 586-3 .357 Magnum revolver. In those three months I have not needed to reload because my other guns are chambered in .22lr and 7.62x39, as there rounds are either non-reloadable or cheap enough from factory.

I bought enough components to make 500 rounds for the .357 Mag and loaded 200 for the weekend. The weekend come around and myself and three friends go down to the range. Bang Bang Bang. Fun is had by all. While on route to the range I stop by a local gun shop to get a factory box of Winchester .357 Mag to compare it to my loads. My loads had a LOT more snap to them. I managed to go through about 100 rounds myself before my wrist went sore and the revolver became uncomfortable to shoot.

Next day I go to reload some more and this is where I find out that I had made a mistake. I have the LEE balance scale that came with the LEE reloading kit. I had the scale set to 16 grains instead of the 10.6 it should have been. The reloading manual I am using states that the max load with the 2400 powder is 14 grains.

How close was I to getting my hands blown off, I wonder. We went through almost 200 rounds of this stuff. I think I have about 60 rounds left. Is it safe to use? Is this a testament to the Winchester brass I was using or to the revolver that kept the brass together, or both? When ejecting the brass there was no binding, no primer bulging, no case cracking or warping, nothing to indicate the load I was using was too much.

I would like to hear you opinions on this. Before any of you start chastising me about safety, know that I have learned my lesson and have started double checking everything when reloading.
 
To check for over pressure, there are a few signs:

-Very hard to extract brass from cylinder.
-Primer is flattened or is pierced or has flown into the firing pin hole.
-Black sooty gas leakage marks around the primer pocket area.
-Enlarged primer pocket where primer is loose or fell out of its pocket.

You lucked out and most likely made some ++P loads. As a suggestion get a better scale, electronic would be nice. For about $150. dollars you can eliminate that kind of error. Hook up with someone that has experience and you could work together until you can fly on your own.
 
According to my Hornady book:

110 grain bullet, max of 2400 is 18.8 grains
125 grain bullet, max of 2400 is 16.9 grains
140 grain bullet, max of 2400 is 15.5 grains
160 grain bullet, max of 2400 is 14.3 grains
180 grain bullet, max of 2400 is 12.6 grains

These are just a referance, as a beginner go 10% less and as you get more experiance work up a load. You can go much higher if you know what to look for. One variable would be the gun and the SW 586/686 is one of the strongest frame for that kind of thing.
 
all those # dont mean a d@mn thing unless there is a powder type beside them
if they werent giveing you pressure signs go ahead and shoot the rest I would. I have a few bullets loaded past the max depends on your gun and your brass bullets etc.
and load em a little lighter if you dont like the recoil
and get a chrony they are great for load development
 
daniellybbert said:
all those # dont mean a d@mn thing unless there is a powder type beside them
if they werent giveing you pressure signs go ahead and shoot the rest I would. I have a few bullets loaded past the max depends on your gun and your brass bullets etc.
and load em a little lighter if you dont like the recoil
and get a chrony they are great for load development
Click to expand...

2400 is a powder type.
 
I bought a Lee Anniversary kit and the scale was the first thing that I replaced. It worked, but kind of hard to read and dial in quickly. I got an RCBS one off Ebay that is SO much easier to use. It has markers for tens, ones and tenths of a grain. Very simple, even I could figure it out!!
 
16 instead of 10.6?
Maybe all you need is a brighter light in your work area.
I'm serious.

Thanks for posting, though. I'm just starting to reload. And your posting will help me.

Just beginning, I'm in the process of practice loading a few carts with no powder.

Then, I'll load one at a time until I understand what the Lee Pro 1000 is doing.

(I got the Lee free from a friend who is leaving shooting and going into sailing.)

Anyway, thanks for posting your concern. I'll probably be using a Lee scale (Less is More) and I'll always triple check it.
 
I think you know by now that you made some very hot loads. You are fortunate that 2400 powder is slower burning than most and therefore harder to blow up your gun. Not impossible, just more difficult. Imagine what might have happened if you had used 231 powder by mistake thinking it was 2400. A couple of years ago I saw someone come out from the range bleeding & part of a Glock 40 in their hand. A reloading " mistake ". He survived, the gun did not. Check, check & then check again.
 
As for your Lee scale, they work just fine if you take your time to understand it. Also important is to ensure it is calibrated each time you use it. Moving it around after calibrating it may also affect it. Indeed you were fortunate this time, but unless there are visible signs of overpressure like mentioned above, you should be fine to get rid of the rest. If you are a bit concerned, here is a golden opportunity to use yet another reloading essential tool like a kinetic or inertia bullet puller. Another sound investment which will invaluable if you wish to continue reloading. Kudos to you for coming forth and telling what you had done.
Cheers
dB:)
 
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