Aside from crushing a couple cases learning the ropes I have been ok. Had a primer or two get put in upside down. I hope and pray nothing bad ever happens. I tend to worry a lot when I reload. I have a deep respect for the explosive potential of gunpowder and hope to never experience the blast going the wrong way.
Reloading mistakes........
- Thread starter deerslayer
- Start date
happened to me too but with my .45. Heard a click....waited..cocked the slide....i didn't notice the "empty case" fall to the ground...next round wouldn't fit in the chamber...removed the mag....locked the slide back, i noticed no light coming from the otherside of the barrel......thank god the bullet stopped where it did cause
Same thing happened to me with my Lee 1000 only it was about every 10th round that wasn't getting powder. After much investigation there was a live primer in my powder hopper (don't know how it got there) so when I filled up the hopper sometimes the charge was full and other times it was missing.
The major flaw with the Lee 1000 is you can not see that there is powder in the case because it is at the back of the rotation. If they had station 1 at the 3 O'clock postion and have the bullet seater right in front of you and dropping loaded rounds at the 5 O 'clock position there would be no problem.
For the Lee 1000 I have come up with a system to get rid of missed charges, a bit more work but it ends up to be about the same amount of time.
1. Have die head set up to only deprime and reprime and only flaring the case in station 2.
2. Once I have all my cases primed and flared I then change to another die head with the seater die and a crimping die.
3. Charge all my cases with my RCBS powder measure and visually inspect each case and put a bullet on top.
4. Feed them in one at a time for seating and crimping.
Sounds like a lot of extra work but I never have to worry about a missed charge or a primer not being seated correctly and having to strip the machine to clear all the powder out of it.
Someday I will get a Hornady or Dillon press but having to spend $2400.00-2800.00 (650 with needed conversion kits) is not that appealing to me right now for the amount that I shoot.
Kind of like changing your home furnace when you only use 80 GJ per year, by the time you save the difference of a High Efficient model, you will have great grand children and the furnace is warn out or has already been changed.
Just a ball park figure but I will take the costs from the Dillon website and duplicate what I already have with the lee 1000.
XL650 544.95
650 Case feeder 212.95
Large and small pistol plates for feeder 37.95 x 2
Powder check 66.95
strong mount 43.95
bullet tray 39.95
roller handle 41.95
Low powder sensor 41.95
Primer tubes L/S 21.95 x 2
Caliber conversion kit for each caliber 75.95 x 9 (I shoot 9 different calibers)
Total=1796.00 USD from Dillons website.
If I buy from a canadian dealer then I am right close to my 2400.00 estimate.
Of course selling my Pro1000 and die sets will help recoup some of the costs so about 2000.00 give or take a bit.
XL650 544.95
650 Case feeder 212.95
Large and small pistol plates for feeder 37.95 x 2
Powder check 66.95
strong mount 43.95
bullet tray 39.95
roller handle 41.95
Low powder sensor 41.95
Primer tubes L/S 21.95 x 2
Caliber conversion kit for each caliber 75.95 x 9 (I shoot 9 different calibers)
Total=1796.00 USD from Dillons website.
If I buy from a canadian dealer then I am right close to my 2400.00 estimate.
Of course selling my Pro1000 and die sets will help recoup some of the costs so about 2000.00 give or take a bit.
Ive had to pull a few bullets to check what the charge was after a range trip because I lost my index card while searching for a honey load. My buddy loaded a a 308 round without any powder for his norc M14, the bullet made it into the barrel and the action cycled another round? he pulled the trigger.................. Ive never been more scared for someones life, the rifle blew up and flew a good 5 yards. I'm extremely cautious while reloading now.
What do you mean when you say the rifle blew up? I am curious what damage the Norc incurred.
Thanks,
Ted
ILoveBigRacks
Regular
- Location
- Beaumont, AB
My only glaring one I can think of is loading up my .270 Wby a bit hot when I first had it built. Was fairly new to reloading (really, I still am I guess), especially for a hot round, and was working up to, and over, max and not seeing any noticeable signs of pressure. Then shot a hot round and had a heck of a time getting the bolt open (first real sign of pressure). Finally got it open and noticed the firing pin was stuck in the bolt face. Fearing the worst (that I'd just royally f@cked my new $2000 build), I rushed it in to my local smith. He pulled the bolt apart and lubed her up and was able to tap the firing pin back loose. No hard, no foul - luckily. Toned my loads down considerably after that and she was good to go with no damage.
My only mistakes are not enough powder loads. I also use Lee Pro 1000s and use an inspection mirror to check for powder before seating the bullet which is great for detecting overloads but I produced a batch where the press was just dispensing a 'skim coat' of powder (just enough to trick one into thinking that there is powder in the case) and wound up with some bullets stuck in the barrel....
For some reason the powder measure disks were binding and not fully going back. The problem is still there and I've been thinking about replacing the chain with a spring but, at least, I know the root of the problem now.
For some reason the powder measure disks were binding and not fully going back. The problem is still there and I've been thinking about replacing the chain with a spring but, at least, I know the root of the problem now.
I used to have a habit of tapping the spent shells on the workstation top, just to knock out anything inside before starting the reload process...made quite a mess...so i would sweep it off with a hand broom, into an ashtray, or metal coffee tin.
Well we had company one day and the wife put the coffee can tin outside for those who smoked....sure enough, the unburnt powder flashed and smoked .....
Taught me to properly dispose of everything when reloading...taught the wife to check first.
Well we had company one day and the wife put the coffee can tin outside for those who smoked....sure enough, the unburnt powder flashed and smoked .....
Taught me to properly dispose of everything when reloading...taught the wife to check first.
So far almost 5k of 9mm with Dillon 650 and the only mistakes so far are forced primer in pocket when it didn't want to go in and crunched it. Compressed brass at 1st stage b/c I forced it as well. I don't do those mistakes anymore. I was noob.
When I first did my load development, I was so excited at the speed of this machine, I loaded 200rds and I think I only had 2-3 different loads. None of them cycled my P226. The brass either stove piped or didn't even inject out of barrel. Pulling 200rds of 9mm not fun. Whatever I read (5 or so rds is good enough for each load).
When I first did my load development, I was so excited at the speed of this machine, I loaded 200rds and I think I only had 2-3 different loads. None of them cycled my P226. The brass either stove piped or didn't even inject out of barrel. Pulling 200rds of 9mm not fun. Whatever I read (5 or so rds is good enough for each load).
I'm new to this so I am very cautious but have made a couple mistakes. One primer in backwards and once while measuring the powder charge ( I measure each charge by hand on the scale) I stopped to answer the phone and bumped my scale. I continued to load and was at round 48 of 50 when I noticed that I was loading 7.5gr of HS6 instead of 6.5 grs into my 9mm rounds.
I pulled and redid the entire batch, 5 to 10 of the rounds were loaded hot but since I was dropping the completed rounds into a plastic container I had no Idea which rounds were loaded before the phone call. It sucked, but 7.5 gr is a bit over the max load and I didn't want to take any chances.
I bought a proper tray the next day.
Cactus
I pulled and redid the entire batch, 5 to 10 of the rounds were loaded hot but since I was dropping the completed rounds into a plastic container I had no Idea which rounds were loaded before the phone call. It sucked, but 7.5 gr is a bit over the max load and I didn't want to take any chances.
I bought a proper tray the next day.
Cactus
