Aha moments and other musing reloading thoughts

[GaryL]

I learned the hard way not to load 300 rounds of something new without first loading a handfull and trying them out at the range.

Tried the kinetic hammer, but ~20 rounds of that convinced me to quit. It takes a long time to burn through 300 rounds of 45 colt with a not quite enough AA#9. It's a perfectly safe mid range load that leaves a few unburnt bits of powder everywhere making cases hard to extract and generally gumming up the works.

But now I have a better understanding about the proper application of the various powders and their burn rates.

 

[P-32]

Ever seen a very badly overcrimped .357 cartridge? You don't want to.

Hey Leo, is that you?

 

[critter]

I was running my Dillon and it was turning out wonderfully consistent .45 ACP reloads at a good pace. Then it choked.

Not the fault of the press. What caused it indigestion was a case with a SMALL pistol primer pocket from some unknown source.

 

[beatledog7]

Hey Leo, is that you?

No, not LEO.

 

[sugarmaker]

Decapping corrosive primed WRA45 '06 shells at the tender age of 12 when I realized I needed some way to hide from the shrapnel coming off of my RCBS JR press. I think I put a tin can around the ram - didn't own safety glasses.

Age 14, having a pot full of melted wheel weights in our unheated "well room" in January when the heat from the pot melted the frost on the roof and a drip fell into the pot like a firecracker. Lead sure is hot. Still no safety glasses.

Age 14 burning pulled powder / spilled powder from the bench, it blew up in my face, I went to school less eyebrows, arm hair, and with a few blisters. My Brother in law had made up some black powder cartridges and dumped the spills into the container without my knowledge. I dump the spilled powder can on the ground now.

Age 15, Shooting my home made super velocity .22 ammo (sanded bullet and the powder from 2 shells) when the case failed and powder gas shot into my right eye from the 510 targetmaster. I wear safety glasses now.


Age 21, shooting .44 mag into a delrin block at 25 yards, the block fired back (it's really amazing how it does this) and hit me in the leg - it drew blood. Slow learner, I stepped back to 50 yards and kept firing, delrin took me across the ear. I don't shoot at delrin blocks anymore.