What have you done while reloading that was a fluke, we all do it at one point. Hopefully we can share and save someone else the headache.
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What have you done while reloading that was a fluke, we all do it at one point. Hopefully we can share and save someone else the headache.
Always double check you have primers in before pouring powder in
Move fingers before moving press ram
Yes I’ve done both decapping pins go right through a finger
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I once managed to cross thread the collet nut on my 223 die, which left the pin off center just enough to shave thin stripes into the cases.
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I've charged cases with no primer - and installed primers upside-down.
I've core-sectioned a finger that was in the wrong place - wrong time.
I've drilled my finger with the decapping pin.
I've failed to lube a rifle case b4 resizing. (Stuck case remover practise.)
I've seated bullets in uncharged cases - ("Check the BORE!" practise.)
I've used powder that stunk - ("Check the BORE!" practise.)
I've run the charged case up into the LEE Factory Crimp die before seating the bullet. (LEE Turret press makes this easy.)
Dam, where do I start!!!
All of the above I have done. Part of learning I think, but hearing it here may prevent people from doing it themselves (I hope)
Shit in the 51 years I've been loading I've made every mistake but over charging. That's one thing I never want to do. I've seen the results. Live and learn. And we didn't have internet back in 1967 to disseminate information. I did a lot of reading.
Face it - we are all human - prone to having brain farts - or in my case brief moments of lucidity surrounded by "why am I in this room?" and "What am I supposed to be doing now?" At least we normally dont say "Hey - Hold my beer and watch this shit"
Mine always revolve around spilling powder somehow. Once while pouring it into the hopper, again while pouring back into the container. A couple times bumping the tray of freshly charged cases and knocking powder from some, leading me to have to restart the measuring and charging process. That’s the most frustrating mistake so far.
Are you consciously seeking a cure for spillage? I think I spilled for years before focusing on a cure. Wide mouth pwdr containers are fine to pour INTO, but difficult to pour FROM into an RCBS thrower. (for example)
I found cheap plastic funnels at auto parts stores that helped me hit the holes when pouring. (And learned how to prevent them from accumulating a static charge.)
I don't bump the charged cases tray if I feed them from the opposite side of the press from the bullets.
Obviously an uncluttered bench reduces trip hazards and I had to quit accumulating tools, trays and such.
I used to lay my calipers on the edge of the bench within easy reach but realized when a third of it is hanging off the edge I bump it and it becomes a lever.
It would flip and land on the floor, in my container of completed rounds or ON the tray of charged cases.
Another item I bumped was my Ohaus balance. I built a simple plywood box in "shed" style (3 sides, flat roof) that sits at the back of the bench. Truly only spent 4 minutes making it!
It's a 'garage' and my balance sits on a piece of cardboard with the front edge bent up into a lip I can grasp to slide the balance in and out of the garage's open front. Stuff that used to sit
on the bench now sits on the garage's flat roof. Nothing falling (horrors!) from the shelves on the wall ever lands ON my balance.
Attachment 123
Attachment 125I started reloading with a Lee Loader (see pic) many years ago hammering rounds together before getting a press. Back then there was no internet and my biggest mistake was thinking the OAL for each load in the manuals was gospel before I learned to measure MAX distance to lands and then develop the longest working OAL for each gun\bullet. I've made many mistakes through the years but thank goodness haven't blown anything up (except on purpose ;)) The biggest thing that re-loaders need to do is to slow down and not get distracted while re-loading, after all I consider it me-time.
Actually it was the funnel that caused spillage. I was filling the hopper with the funnel and started going a bit too quick so it backed the funnel up and spilled over the sides. I’ve never actually spilled it when pouring directly from bottle to hopper.
Adding powder without inserting primer. ;)
I have forgot to charge case before seating bullet in pistol, I've double changed rifle before, I have forgot to size case before, figured that out after priming and charging them, forgot to trim before
Forget to prime and then powder charge.....only happened once.
I've been reloading since 1996. I've done all the above and worse. I did the worst thing imaginable. A buddy of mine came in as I was loading some test loads for my 45 colt and started talking to me. (can you see where this is headed?) I double charged one and didn't realize it. Luckily for me but not the pistol I didn't get hurt. I had a stainless ruger blackhawk. It blew the cylinder in three pieces. It buckled the top strap as well.
To many to count. Latest was to make a full set of ladder loads into cases that I guess I forgot to push the shoulder back on because they don’t chamber into my bolt gun.
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3 shooters, 2 calibers on one bench - .44mag and. 45Colt in similar cans.
Ruger .44, $1200 Colt 3rd gen SAA .45
Buddy borrowed my Colt and stuffed it full of .44mag ammo...fired all 6, reloaded and fired 6 more b4 we caught it. .429s don't seal a .452 bore so no pressure spike, no damage.
"One powder at a time on the reload bench, one ammo at a time on the shooters bench."
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Where do I start?? lol.
Ran a decapping pin into my finger.
Powder and no primer.
No powder
Forgot to full length size some rifle brass. Yup...no feeding there.
and my favorite...
If you spill some primers on a concrete floor, make sure you get them all picked up. Rolling over one in your chair will really wake you up in the morning and make your butt pucker!
I forgot to put the pin in my primer pick up tube and went to dump some Federal Gold Medal Match primers and they spilled all over the floor...that’s the worst so far this week
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Had a stuck live shell in my .270. Took the bolt out, and when I got home I took an aluminum cleaning rod and tried to tap the round out. I ended up getting the rod stuck in the bullet, oh and the rod broke off in the barrel.
I keep a blunt ended jag in my kit for when I need to clear the bore of slugs or the chamber of rounds.
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