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Best Practices / Learnings From "Scary" Experiences?

2K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  carver 
#1 · (Edited)
A number of years ago I thought I was on a path to get my private pilot license. At the time I was spending lots of time reading detailed accident reports. My wife thought it was kind of morbid. I told her I was trying to learn how people get into different (bad) situations - even though they seem very benign at the time.

It's quite obvious there is a ton of knowledge and experience around here. I'm wondering if people have stories or practices that others could benefit from. I'm not talking "general knowledge" kind of stuff (ex: Q: "Can I use cases that are shorter than trim-to length?" A: "Sure!"). I'm thinking things like what I recently read either on this board or THR: Don't leave powder in your measure. If done for a day then it may be easier to leave it there for a longer time. And then you may not remember which powder it is. Or.....someone said they store their powder quite a ways away from their bench so that when a powder is out there is no doubt as to which one it is. Or maybe there is something in your process that you do to minimize the chance of double charges. Or maybe you had a situation where you got called away from the bench ("HONEY! Bobby just fell and I need your help!") and when you returned something got forgotten.

I'm brainstorming......but I know I'd like to hear what some people do to help prevent bad experiences or scary experiences they've had - to help us possibly take steps to raise the quality and safety of our ammo.

Thanks.

OR
 
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#2 ·
My practice: I reload three calibers. I use N-140 for .223 and .243. I use Titegroup for .357.
I keep all the gear and material for each caliber in its own drawer. I leave the powder tub on the bench while reloading. I empty the powder measure between loading sessions.

Because I weigh each rifle powder load and pour it directly into the case it's just an easy matter to put the head on right away, and have a complete round.

Pistol rounds: I reload on the progressive press. I check the powder weight before starting a loading session, and at random intervals throughout the loading session. If I have reason to question the powder load, it comes off the press to be checked. I visually check each case to be sure it has powder in it before putting the head on.

When shooting: be alert to any abnormal sounds, feels. One guy next to me was shooting home loads, all of a sudden couldn't get the new round to chamber. He tried several times, tried one of mine (we were shooting the same caliber). Then I suggested he check for obstructions. He removed the bolt, discovered a bullet had gone just into the barrel. Had he chambered the next round and fired, he would have KB'd his gun, sent shrapnel over the firing line. He had missed the different sound and feel of a duff round, one that had no powder. Energy from the primer was enough to force the bullet out of the case into the barrel.
 
#3 ·
I'm a brand new reloader with a Hornady LNL AP press, loading for our 9mm pistols. I think ergonomics could use more attention from a lessons learned standpoint. My first 200-300 rounds were produced sitting in a chair and the press fully configured: sizing, expanding, powder drop, powder cop and seating. I knew I need a stool to get on top of the press a bit and I didn't see any point in standing for a few hours at a time. Even with the stool I found the mechanics awkward: reach for a case, insert case, reach for bullet, insert bullet, raise ram, check cop - rinse and repeat. Too many different sight lines involved and the powder cop takes your attention away from what's actually in the case you're seating.

I went with a case feeder, not necessarily to speed things up (it does), but to keep more of my focus on what was happening with the press. I can grab a bullet from a tray without my attention straying. The next logical step was to remove the powder cop; I have 100% inspection on the rounds as they rotate to the sizing position. I've come to believe 100% visual inspection of the powder level to be more reliable than a powder cop.

Oh, and I've made a number of mistakes which are now lessons learned, but some are so bizarre as to be unworthy of sharing!
 
#4 ·
..but I know I'd like to hear what some people do to help prevent bad experiences or scary experiences they've had - to help us possibly take steps to raise the quality and safety of our ammo.
Good question.

My .02. Pay attention to what your doing. All i can say. Dont drink alcohol while reloading, dont use drugs while reloading. I dont know.
 
#5 ·
If you are going to walk away for more than a few seconds, do all the cases you have in the machine at the time. I have had to come into the house for whatever reason (usually to pee) and forget where I was. If I am going to turn my back for only a few seconds, I will leave the handle of the press in the lowest position. That way I cannot forget if I had already dropped a powder charge or not since there is a case in the powder die.

Rick T., I don't know if it is available for the LnL or not, but I just (yesterday) ordered an ergonomic roller handle for my Dillon RL550B, it is supposed to reduce the fatigue of constantly pulling / pushing that handle. I know that is not exactly what you are talking about, but I thought I would throw it out anyway.
 
#8 ·
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Rick T., I don't know if it is available for the LnL or not, but I just (yesterday) ordered an ergonomic roller handle for my Dillon RL550B, it is supposed to reduce the fatigue of constantly pulling / pushing that handle. I know that is not exactly what you are talking about, but I thought I would throw it out anyway.
Actually, I did buy an ergo handle which I neglected to mention. In the beginning I wasn't sitting square to the press because of the reach to both cases and bullets; the round handle was not comfortable. If I were making a bench from scratch (I used a bench leg kit from Northern Tool) I would recess the middle shelf so I could get a bit under the bench, especially for some non-loading activities.

By way of another lesson learned (YMMV) I switched from the Hornady Sizing/Decapping die to Lee for my 9mm reloading. This made a huge difference, eliminating primers that had to be jiggled free of the decapping pin and, most important, eliminated cases that took a lot of force to extract from the die. There were times with the Hornady die that I needed two hands on the press handle to extract the case.

Regarding the case feeder: Following an excellent suggestion picked up on Youtube I shut the feeder down once the tube is filled. Filling the feed tube only takes several seconds and by watching the operation you can shut down the feeder immediately when a log jam begins. Plus, that turns out to be an excellent moment to check my primer feed mark.
 
#6 ·
Do smokers tend to smoke when they're reloading? I would think not, however my dad drank like a fish and smoked like a chimney. Every Saturday night we'd load up 8 boxes of trap loads for the next morning. I don't remember specifically if he smoked while we did this - but I can't for a moment imagine he didn't. He seemed to always have a cig going. He certainly always had an adult beverage going. :-o
 
#9 ·
no matter how much you try to prevent issues while reloading, you are bound to get that occasional curve ball thrown at you.

A few years ago, I was reloading some 45 ACP and started crushing primers.
After the second primer, as I figured the first was due to a tight primer pocket (my theory was sound, although not for the reason I thought).
I had never heard that some ammo manufacturers had started using small pistol primers after 100 years of using large primers. I didn't get the memo I guess.

I don't know what I could have done to prevent that one situation, except for reading on reloading forums for more information. But how do you know you need information like that when you are unaware of the potential danger?
 
#10 ·
The biggest fault I see from the many posts here is failure to understand the processes (Why am I doing this process? And what is the result for each of the reloading steps). Also failure to read the instruction that come with the dies set, the press, and the associated reloading tools. No one should start reloading until they have read several manuals "how-to" reloading sections and thoroughly understand them.

Reloading done wrong is dangerous. It is not rocket science but all you have to do to be safe is to just following the clear instructions provided in every reloading manual. Jumping in without understanding is a recipe for failure and worse yet, getting hurt and hurting others.

I subscribe to only one powder on the bench at a time and my powder is stored on the other side of the room. I only have the primers on the bench for the cartridge caliber I am reloading, The rest are stored on the other side of the room. The digital scale is away from room air drafts and turned on for some time before starting reloading. It is re-zeroed (or re-calibrated) before every measurement. Rifle cases are cleaned then sized before checking them for trim length. Rifle cases are never reloaded if any of a 10 case sampling of the lot are beyond the case max length spec. I keep cases in lots as much as possible but if mixed then the whole of multiple lots gets trimmed to "trim-to" length. Finished ammo is stored either in plastic ammo boxes or freezer baggies clearly marked as to what the load is. I keep reloading notes in a small ledger book by caliber (no loose pieces of paper to be lost).

LDBennett
 
#11 ·
I don't usually reload in volume. I have run off 500 rounds at a time, but usually it's just a hundred, or two. My powder is stored on a shelf, except for the one I'm using at that time. It's on the bench right behind the powder dump. If I leave powder in the dump, I know what it is because the canister is right there beside the dump. I use a 50 round tray for my brass. It gets resized, primed, and placed in the try head down. I load one case at a time with powder, set a bullet, then seat it, and crimp it. Finished round. Then the next one gets charged, and so on. Using this method I can walk away from the press at any stage, come back at any time, and pick up where I left off. It's slow, but then so am I!
 
#12 ·
OH, I reload progressively in batches of 100 to 200 or more. I never leave powder in the measure. At the end of the reloading session, which rarely is more than a day at a time, the powder is removed for a couple reasons. First I might forget what is in the measure and because when left in the measure for long periods it stains the plastic tank so you can no longer see what the level of the powder is during reloading.

If I had to reload the way carver does then I give it up but I'm an impatient person. I want to get the job done, NOW. I have other fish to fry. :) :)

LDBennett
 
#15 ·
OH, I reload progressively in batches of 100 to 200 or more. I never leave powder in the measure. At the end of the reloading session, which rarely is more than a day at a time, the powder is removed for a couple reasons. First I might forget what is in the measure and because when left in the measure for long periods it stains the plastic tank so you can no longer see what the level of the powder is during reloading.

If I had to reload the way carver does then I give it up but I'm an impatient person. I want to get the job done, NOW. I have other fish to fry. :) :)

LDBennett
I hear ya LD, there are lots of reloaders out there like you, and of course, there are those like me. Nothing wrong with either method, just how ever you choose to get the get the job done.
 
#13 ·
Years ago when I was shooting comp. I had a scary thing happen. I was shooting my 6x47r when I had a hell of a surprise. One of the cartridges went off with triple the recoil of all the other cartridges. On examination the cartridge was a 222r that was necked up to a 6mm. All my 6x47r are made from 357Max. cases which are thirty thou. shorter. The 222r is unknown here as it is primarily an Australian cartridge. How it got mixed in with my ammo is still a mystery.
All I can say is check your cases as much as possible and you will have very few surprises.
 
#14 ·
In addition to the good advise on keeping unused powder off the bench there are a couple of other things I consider best practice.

If you load pistol rounds the RCBS lock out die will prevent double charges and squib loads. It is a very ingenious device that works well and is far superior to a powder cop.

Good bright light on the press is another must have for me. I use a LNL progressive and with good light I get a 360 degree view of each case as it indexes around. That lets me see very small splits, bulges, or cracks. I can also see the powder level in each case. Without good light I can't really detect black powder inside a dark piece of brass.

Another best practice is to learn the sound and feel of the press. If something sounds different or feels different - stop. Find out what is causing the abnormal noise or feel before continuing. That took a little practice and a squib load for me.

Check your calipers and scale frequently. I keep a piece of brass for each caliber that I reload. I've weighted and measured each one many times. I wrote the weight and length with a permanent marker on each one and check them constantly while loading.
 
#16 ·
I have to agree with LD on this one. Lots of problems i read here are due to not following the instructions to a tee. I myself am guilty of this. Actually no. My dies are screw in type. And you need to install them correctly each and every time you go to use them. I used to use the lock ring and just screw them down. Not anymore.
 
#23 ·
Mine are screw in type also, Lee. I don't adjust any more. I have a set of dies for .38, and another set of dies for .357, .44 special, or .44 magnum. Lee turret press, just change set up dies with fresh turret.
 
#17 ·
Lots of great advice for all. Like Carver, I load smaller lots, 50 to 100 rounds at a time. I do load rifle and handgun ammo both. I subscribe to the "one thing at a time" method and often take a short break between steps. But when I start a step, I finish that step on all the cases in the lot before stopping unless I'm interrupted. If interrupted I make a note about where I am and leave an obvious separation in the work product.

Check everything twice. Keep notes in a notebook or binder. Be neat and tidy. Be organized. If you aren't sure about something ask. Read lots of manuals, most say the same stuff but they sometimes say it in different ways that make it easier to understand. Ask questions and question answers. Shoot (a lot) and don't forget to take your notebook to the range and use it. I also write pertinent data on the target and file it. Show off the good ones :)
 
#19 ·
1.Container of powder being loaded at the time,behind reloader.
2.Only primer boxes near reloader are the one's being used.
3.Double check everything.
4.Visually check powder every round.
5.Smoke-yes,no..it's up to you,you are a logical,rational adult to weight the yings and yangs of smoking around gunpowder,etc..I do it...carefully,which is oxymoronic in itself.
6.Don't put finger on trigger unless willing to destroy what's in front of you.
 
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