Joel reloading saga

So how many bullets you gotta pull?

JoelHightower said:

Rule #1 read instructions...more to come

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Ya know, that works for more than just handloading explosives into thin metal tubes!

I’ve still had to pull (only)ten. So reading the instructions only got me so far...

(Read in your best Old Movie Mexican Bad Guy accent)

(With apologies to the 'High Sierra' movie with Humphrey Bogart.....)

Instructions ? We don' need no steen-king INSTRUCTIONS !!!

Demi-human said:

Ya know, that works for more than just handloading explosives into thin metal tubes!

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Shhhhhhhhh, it’s “extremely fast burning solids”.... The current administration is looking for excuses......

This is one hobby where RTFM is not only allowed, it’s required. Good luck.

Walkalong said:

Yea, reloading is something where you want to read and re-read instructions, and check/double check everything you do, even when you’re experienced.

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Especially when you're experienced, because your ego is telling you, "We loaded these just last week. You're an expert. What could possibly go wrong ?"

Never get complacent, double check everything, if anything doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. Trust, but verify. Add more light. Use known good checkweights to verify your scales.

It gets more interesting when you make mistakes in bulk. I have had 200 .308s to pull down for 3 years. Loaded them, sold the gun, need to unload them all to reclaim the bullet for my 30-30 contender. Now that the contender is how I want it, it’s a bit more pressing so it will probably happen late summer or early fall.

I have check weights, but rarely use them now, maybe once a month, or when I put new batteries in the scale. When I first bought my Hornady scale, I calibrated it and verified the the check weights. Then I wrote the weights on some of the tools I use everday so I don't have to get out the check weights every time. My #19 shell holder weighs 235gr, my powder pan weighs 191.1gr , my powder spoon 58.4gr. The only thing that is not already in my hands anyway is the thumb tack that holds the bottom of my powder burn chart- 7gr, and I only check this one if I'm loading pistol rds.
This makes it easy to verify my scale every time without adding another process.

JoelHightower said:

Two

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Doesn't seem like to much damage done. Could have been a lot worse.

Real men try everything they know, then give up and read the instructions. It's simply amazing what you can learn by reading the instruction and that applies to just about everything, not just reloading.

Walkalong said:

Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

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I am corrected. Thank you.

"Well, there not really instructions, it's more like the manufacturers opinion." - Tim Allen

I thought the instructions were for figuring out where all those extra pieces shoulda gone...

If i only enforced my own rule of no distractions while loading i would have spent less time pulling bullets.

Complacency can be expensive. But a good plan to begin with reduces the possibilities of errors having a dangerous outcome.

1 powder on the bench at any given time. Put away as soon as hopper is full.

Using a case filling powder for certain calibers as to avoid double charges.

Alerting everyone what im doing and not to bother me unless absolutely necessary.

Empty all hoppers when not in use.

No eating or putting hands in mouth.

Look over bench and dont leave any accidents waiting to happen out.

Wash hands with soap and water when done.

Always have good lighting.

Use glasses if your vision is impaired in any way.

Those are some of the things i do. Some i learnt from others mistakes.

Wreck-n-Crew said:

If i only enforced my own rule of no distractions while loading i would have spent less time pulling bullets.

Complacency can be expensive. But a good plan to begin with reduces the possibilities of errors having a dangerous outcome.

1 powder on the bench at any given time. Put away as soon as hopper is full.

Using a case filling powder for certain calibers as to avoid double charges.

Alerting everyone what im doing and not to bother me unless absolutely necessary.

Empty all hoppers when not in use.

No eating or putting hands in mouth.

Look over bench and dont leave any accidents waiting to happen out.

Wash hands with soap and water when done.

Always have good lighting.

Use glasses if your vision is impaired in any way.

Those are some of the things i do. Some i learnt from others mistakes.

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Leave it on the bench as long as there is powder in the hopper. Only put up when hopper is empty. I set my bottle if empty on top the hopper.

2.029 is min , 2.039 max, but if I were a betting man I'd bet you are a little heavy handed with the calipers. 2.027 should be fine though as long as you aren't loading max loads the first time around. The cases will stretch as you shoot them a few times.

Lol, you're using a CMM to measure brass? I love It. Still, I wouldn't be afraid to load them. Bottle neck cases like 30-30 stretch when you shoot them. Straight walled cases tend to shrink due to radial expansion.