3,000 Bad rounds?? Don't know.

[DRAINSMITH]

Tomorrow Is the 4th of July, and I will have 22 shooters at my range for a small competition. There will be one lime green camo gun, one purple camo gun, and one red camo gun. My daughters do this just to piss off dear old Dad.
Now comes the rub, they bring them damn guns but no ammo. So I have to provide there ammo. So yesterday I sat down and made 3,00 rounds of .223. When I finished I realized that I could't remember pulling the handle on my Ammo plant one time. I went into the house and did a blood test, and Holy crapola! All I can say is Diabetes sucks. So today I am on my third break and still have 1,000 to make.
I will probably shoot them, but not my girls. I know what a squib feels like, they don't. Just a reminder, don't reload with a medical problem or tired, you might get a boom that you don't want.

 

[egd]

If you're worried that they have NO powder in them, maybe this would work. Weigh a few known good rounds.This will give you a baseline, then weigh the others. If you failed to put any powder in a round it should show up. I'm guessing you'd have 20+ grains of some powder and there wouldn't be that much variance in case and bullet weight would there, assuming same bullets for all.
That should tell you about a double charge too, but just a light load...maybe not.

 

[fralic76]

You could check them 1 at a time on a scale. If you have 1 that is way off. That's the case that has no powder.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[fguffey]

Now comes the rub, they bring them damn guns but no ammo. So I have to provide there ammo. So yesterday I sat down and made 3,00 rounds of .223. When I finished I realized that I could't remember pulling the handle on my Ammo plant one time.

I know the weight of the case, I know the weight of the bullet and I know the weigh of the powder; for me it would be a matter to weighing the cases to determine if one of the cases failed to get powder. There is nothing entertaining about pulling the trigger and not know what is going to happen next.

F. Guffey

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

I don't think he's saying that he has one round that might be bad, but rather that he suffered from a blackout period while reloading likely due to low blood sugar. Hence, all of the rounds reloaded that day are suspect.

If I'm understanding his post correctly, he is currently making a new batch of 3,000 rounds for the activity tomorrow, and I presume he will be setting the questionable batch aside for future dispensation.

I've seen firsthand how disoriented a person can be when suffering from low blood sugar. If my interpretation is correct, I'm glad you caught things before they got any worse. It's far too easy to get engrossed in a project and forget to stop for breaks, to keep hydrated, and to keep well nourished. Fatigue caused by any of these reasons can be potentially dangerous when it comes to any activity, but even more so when the activity requires great concentration, or attention to detail.

Glad to hear you're okay, Drainsmith, and I hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July with the family!

 

[Archie]

As the French say, "Le bummer' ". I'm glad you caught it, seriously; and my condolences.

I believe fguffey's idea would work. Since you know the 'typical' weight of the case, and the nominal weights of the bullet and powder, you should be able to see if the allegedly loaded cases have a powder charge. But it's a one at a time inspection and a digital scale is useful.

(It doesn't work with most low pressure handgun rounds, the variance in cases absorb the minor powder charge. Don't ask me how I know this.)

 

[reddog81]

If it's one bad round out of 3,000, I'd sort all the rounds by headstamp and then weigh them. If it's 3,000 bad rounds then I'm not sure what you'd do...

Thankfully with rifle rounds the powder charge is large enough to determine if a round is missing powder. It's much harder to do that with powder charges of 5 grains and less.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I don't think he's saying that he has one round that might be bad, but rather that he suffered from a blackout period while reloading likely due to low blood sugar. Hence, all of the rounds reloaded that day are suspect.

If I'm understanding his post correctly, he is currently making a new batch of 3,000 rounds for the activity tomorrow, and I presume he will be setting the questionable batch aside for future dispensation.

I've seen firsthand how disoriented a person can be when suffering from low blood sugar. If my interpretation is correct, I'm glad you caught things before they got any worse. It's far too easy to get engrossed in a project and forget to stop for breaks, to keep hydrated, and to keep well nourished. Fatigue caused by any of these reasons can be potentially dangerous when it comes to any activity, but even more so when the activity requires great concentration, or attention to detail.

Glad to hear you're okay, Drainsmith, and I hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July with the family!

CONCERNEDCITIZEN You hit the nail on the head. Even though I have a deluxe control panel on my Ammo plant I still watch the power cop for each and every round. I know I didn't have a double charge because I would of had a mess to clean up, and I would have remembered that. My control panel is set to go off at 5 primers and enough power to make 100 rounds. I am almost positive that they are all O.K. But that isn't good enough when I am going to let the girls shoot it. It was easier to just make another 3,000 for them to shoot.
Now what makes me mad, is you all are worried about the rounds. Not 1 word about them damn girly guns.

 

[hdwhit]

I agree with egd:

Weigh a few known good rounds.This will give you a baseline, then weigh the others. ... I'm guessing you'd have 20+ grains of some powder and there wouldn't be that much variance in case and bullet weight would there, assuming same bullets for all.

Such a check-weigh is a part of my written reloading procedures. I do it for every batch of cartridges that I load. It only takes a couple of minutes to set up the scale and do it for 100 or 200 rounds and its an easy way to catch an uncharged case. Checking 3,000 rounds will take longer, but less time than reloading 3,000 more cartridges. Just based on normal variations, there may be a couple of grains here or there on the bullet and case, but 20+ grains is unlikely.

18. The nominal weight of all components used in a cartridge is to be determined.
a. Each completed round is to be check weighed to ensure there is no material variation in weight.
b. If there is a material variation in weight, the cartridge is to be disassembled and the reason for the disparity investigated.

 

[egd]

haha, thanks hdwhit. I was beginning to think my post was invisible.

 

[joem1945]

Pull them down, all of them!!I've tried weighing finished bullets and it didn't work. If you have a collet type bullet puller, it's pretty easy to save your components. It's not worth the risk. You may have some with no powder and some over charged. Good luck on it.

 

[Hardtarget]

Oh...admit it! You like it so much that your girls shoot, the color of the rifles isn't really a bother...is it.?

I think we all could see through bluff and bluster. It makes you smile when you see how well they shoot.

And that's OK. I, (we), are right there with you! My bet is they'll out shoot several on the line. Kudos to them...and you for teaching .

Here's hoping we see a range report. I want to know how the day goes! {pictures}

Mark

(hope you see this as the fun kidding as was intended!)

 

[41 Mag]

I wouldn't sweat the colors even if they had polka dots mixed in.

I think Hardtarget hit the nail on the head, your more proud they are shooting than protesting somewhere about it right?

I only have one daughter, but she never really was a girly girl wanting weird colors or something. She was a tomboy from the get go and could out hunt, shoot, and out fish most any of the guys she ever dated. It was her choice to do so as she had every chance to be a "normal" girl with all of the pretties that go along with being such. She would rather be in camo than make up any day.

She gave me three fine grandsons who have all started out to become great hunters and shooters in their own right. Again by their own wanting. Heck the oldest got it in his head at three he wanted to shoot him a hog, and by age 4 did so using reduced loads and my .308 Ruger compact. The second got his first doe last season, and the third is hard on their tails.

I think the ammo thing sucks, but I believe your proud as can be about those girls.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I don't mind you all for pulling my leg. Just don't pull both of them at the same time in opposite directions I would make a crappy wish bone.
Now I have 5 daughters three shoot, one has no interest at all, and the other one is an anti gun liberal. I explained to my shooters that black guns piss a liberal off, and that is a good thing. But pretty pink ones just confuses them, and it's not nice to pick on the mentally depraved.

 

[Laphroaig]

I started loading on a 550B earlier in the year. For rifle rounds, I don't use the Dillon powder measure to charge the cases. So I do weigh my finished rounds just to be sure. I have a digital scale so it only takes a couple of seconds each.

A finished .223 round, LC brass and 69 gr. match bullet weighs 170-something grains. An empty round will show 150-something. Very easy to determine. Using any caliber appropriate rifle powder for .223 that I know of, it is impossible to double charge.

Laphroaig

 

[fguffey]

When I finished I realized that I could't remember pulling the handle on my Ammo plant one time.

He could not remember pulling the handle one time out of 3,000 times? Or he could not remember pulling the handle 3,000 times? There is a chance he does not know what powder he used.

Tomorrow Is the 4th of July, and I will have 22 shooters at my range for a small competition.

How many shooters are you going to have at the range? Will there be 22 shooters or will the competitors be shooting 22cal. rifles.

If he sorted his cases by weight it would not matter when he started weighing or if he was looking for one case are checking 3,000. I loaded 250 30/06 cases on a Dillon 550B. When finished there was 17 grains difference between the heaviest and the lightest round. The difference was in the weight of the cases. Cases with the lightest weight had Winchester head stamps. I sorted by weight without looking at the head stamps. When finished the cases were sorted by head stamp. Until then I had no confidence in the Dillon 4 position press. Before the Dillon I loaded on a RCBS Piggy Back 11 with a lock out die. And I know; the tallest case that can be loaded on a RCBS Piggy Back 11 press is the 223 Remington.

And I am thankful he was not driving a vehicle.

F. Guffey

 

[BSA1]

Is there enough air volume in the case to hear the powder if you shake the cartridge?

 

[DRAINSMITH]

O.K. the family part of today's shoot is done. I won on hand guns and ar15, but I lost to the purple shot gun. The only bad part is I lost to her last year. I would like to say that I just need more practice, but I shoot at least once a week, and she shoot once every 2 months. But the best part is watching all three girls beat there husbands.
The son in laws are firing up the grill for our BBQ. My buddies should be here in about 1.5 hrs. to eat then we get to shoot. This is where I get my butt kicked.
I read a few post and it would be funny if it wasn't so sad on the lack of knowledge about Diabetes.

 

[fguffey]

I read a few post and it would be funny if it wasn't so sad on the lack of knowledge about Diabetes.

I find nothing funny about diabetes. Again, I am thankful you were not driving a vehicle.

F. Guffey

 

[TBJK]

Man, pay attention to your body. When I get low blood sugar I get the shakes(I don't have diabetes though). If I don't get anything into me then I begin to get a headache. Take care of yourself buddy.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

In all my years of driving I have never been in an accident, and only had one speeding ticket. And that ticket I was going 2 MPH slower than I thought the speed limit was. What you should really be happy about is nine years ago I went in for my physical to renew my pilot's license. That Doc was an ass hole and failed me. (no more flying for me) And that Doc is still an ass hole to this day, he beat me at my own range today.
I only had four couples out of the seven make it to the range for the shooting. Three of the cops got called in at the last minute. out of the five couples shooting I came in fourth. I am proud to say I beat my lawyer.
Hey Guffey, love you bud, but you are a rookie ass hole. I use the ass hole technique against my wife. And I have it down to an art. The only reason I had a fuzzy moment was because I didn't eat for about six hours. I am supposed to have something every four hours.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

Man, pay attention to your body. When I get low blood sugar I get the shakes(I don't have diabetes though). If I don't get anything into me then I begin to get a headache. Take care of yourself buddy.

TBJK I want you to see your doc. You have the same symptoms I had "before I was diagnosed with Diabetes"

 

[Hardtarget]

I have seen what my brother in law deals with when his diabetes is giving him trouble (and that is most of the time!). I wish I had some answers for you but I don't .All I know is it is near impossible to really keep on the straight and narrow with it. I wish you best with your struggles...and hope you and your Doc find the right program.

I bet "the shoot" would have been fun to see and hear. The good natured ribbing that goes with a day like that is FUN!

Mark

 

[hdwhit]

O.K. the family part of today's shoot is done.

What did you do with the 3,000 questionable rounds?

For the record, I said nothing about your Diabetes in my responses to your posts, but if you are concerned about the members' sensitivity to the disease, please note that my wife has been diabetic since 1995 (insulin dependent since 2012) and the doctors are confounded by the fact my glucose levels run 104 to 108 for the last twenty years while my A1c holds at around 5.6, so don't take my focus on salvaging your loaded rounds as ignorance of diabetes or not caring about your condition.

As I saw it, the concern for the people on this board was not to focus on the cause of the potential error (a complication of your diabetes - something about which most would know nothing) but to offer suggestions about how that potential error might be diagnosed and remedied (something they might know about).

I stand by egd's suggestion to weigh the suspect cartridges against a known standard as the quickest and most reliable way to find any cartridges that may have been under-charged to the point where they might constitute squib loads that could endanger inexperienced shooters.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

I have seen what my brother in law deals with when his diabetes is giving him trouble (and that is most of the time!). I wish I had some answers for you but I don't .All I know is it is near impossible to really keep on the straight and narrow with it. I wish you best with your struggles...and hope you and your Doc find the right program.

I bet "the shoot" would have been fun to see and hear. The good natured ribbing that goes with a day like that is FUN!

Mark

Good natured ribbing??? Naw that would never happen.
I have seven guys that can come and shoot at my range any time. Out of the eight of us we have one plumber , one doc, one lawyer, one farm kid, two cops, and two sheriffs. Six of us are prier military. Two Wing nuts, two Anchor clankers, one Jar head, and one Ground pounder. We have two Hornady loaders, two Dillon loaders, one RCBS loader and one Lee loader, and two that don't load. No we don't pick on each other.