#^%@$^#% stupid stipid!

P

personal_aviator

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So I loaded up 50rds all together, 5 per group, all 1gr apart for my M44. I was going to do my first ladder test with them at the range when it warms up. I was meticulous in loading, weighing each charge, measuring each bullet seating depth. I put 40 rounds in two of those styrofoam holders you get when you buy winchester ammo, I drew lines with markers to seperate the different charges, i had no box to put them in though, who cares, whatever! I put the other 10 rounds in two stripper clips and put everything in my range box. So yesterday toiling around in the gun room I knocked over my range box. Opened it up and all the rounds were spilled into the range box, forever mixed up, ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! So now I have to pull all the bullets and start over again, only this time i'm using the proper plastic ammo boxes. Live and learn eh!

Forever pulling bullets...
PA
 
Try to user some marker and use different marks on the rim - like one X, one straigh line, two line... and for each identify the load. It can work great:HR:
 
X2 - I colour the primers with sharpie markers - a different colour for each different charge. I have every colour marker I could find in the stores, so I have 7 or 8 different ones to chose from. I write the colour I used for each charge in my reloading notebook.
 
And you are doing the only smart thing left after the screw up, so you're not stupid, just not any less clumsy than the rest of us.

I would find the marking of the cases some have suggested to be a complete pain. It would work, but the way you had them set up was fine - unless you drop the whole thing and then ..... well, you know "and then".
 
Yea, I currently have a stock of 3 different color markers so I think I will be going to the dollar store to get some multi packs or something. It's funny, I knocked over the case the first time and was like meah. Picked it back up then knocked it over a second time and that's when I said oh no my rounds and looked inside. DOH!! Oh well. The real piss off is that I don't have my own press, I use my friends which is no problem I just have to go over and borrow it but what a pain, another notch in the experience belt I guess.
 
I read a great tip, and tried it this past Winter - Buy Sharpies in different colours and colour the bullets, from tip to land (basically everything ahead of where the bullet would touch your barrel rifling). It works like this:

I had 15 charges I wanted to test, so I first broke the charges up over three targets: 1/4/7/10/13, 2/5/8/11/14, 3/6/9/12/15. The idea here is that two charges very close together (like charge number 1 and 2) might get confusing when you shoot, but charge 1 and 4 are different enough that you should see differences in their vertical dispersion on the same target. Next, using the markers, colour all the #1 bullets red, #4 Blue, #7 Green, #10 Black, and leave #13 uncoloured. That way when you shoot all of these, you will actually be able to see coloured rings where the bullets hit, and be able to tell which charge made which holes. (Works well shooting paper, and awesome shooting cardboard!). Colour the second target's bullets in a similar order, and the third's. Finally shoot all the bullets for target #1, in random order (don't shoot for groupings, shoot for consistent points of aim), you'll see the bullets clumping together by colour. The colour with the smallest vertical dispersion on a target is the winner. Compare your three winners, and you've found a pet load (hopefully).
 
I see myself making total failure all the time so I try to takes steps to avoid as much headache as possible.

Out of my press and into one of the MTM boxes with masking tape on each row identify what I just did.Although it doesn't prevent me dropping the box and having a big mix up it does keep me from mixing up loads and knocking things over.I even keep my brass in these.
 
Good tip! I think I will do a combination of coloring the primers, and keeping a legend in some sort of a log of the color vs charge weight for that particular test. It's only a M44, I don't expect super great groups with it, this is more of a test in doing a lader test than finding the best load for the Nagant, although it will serve two purposes.
 
Before you go and pull all the bullets try weighing the loaded rounds to seperate them.

The bullets and primers should have a very constitant weight and if your cases are from the same batch they should not vary too much making your powder charge the only variable.
 
I use a ultra fine point Sharpie to write, bullet weight, powed type, powder charge and sometimes actual gun ammo is for.
After its all said and done its comes off in the tumbler.
Oh and never put 10 different 223 loads in a 308 shell case cause when they tip over, they all fall into the top!!
 
I use sandwich bags with a post it note when working up a load.

But still end up pulling out way too many bullets for varius brain cramps than I care to admit.
 
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