Steve Koski
Member
Arsenal - I have pulled as many as 300 bullets when I screwed up a load. Oh well, I learned my lesson.
You won't be the first guy to pull bullets for an hour.
You won't be the first guy to pull bullets for an hour.
Finding squibs
- Thread starter walking arsenal
- Start date
- Status
If there's a fair bit of space between the bullet and powder, you can shake the rounds and see if you can hear and feel the powder shaking around inside. I found my one and only squib that way, though it was a relatively light load in a .357 magnum case.
Other than that, check E-bay for cheap, used scales. A scale really is not optional when handloading, unless you stick with very conservative loads. The manual tha comes with the Lee dippers errs on the side of caution, but it is still a good idea to get a scale ASAP.
Other than that, check E-bay for cheap, used scales. A scale really is not optional when handloading, unless you stick with very conservative loads. The manual tha comes with the Lee dippers errs on the side of caution, but it is still a good idea to get a scale ASAP.
walking arsenal
Member
Thanks steve. I've tried the shaking method and because i use so little case volume i could really feel the powder shake. I think that worked pretty well.
I'm going to get a scale eventually but like i said, i'm a little short on scratch.
If it's really that big of a deal i'll probably hold reloading until i can get one.
I'm going to get a scale eventually but like i said, i'm a little short on scratch.
If it's really that big of a deal i'll probably hold reloading until i can get one.
I hope not. Seriously.
It takes no money to be carefull, which is all we are saying.
I hope we did not sound condescending. We feel strongly about what we tried to convey is all. I guarantee we were talking to the posters who gave poor advise more than to you when we blasted weighing charges to find squibs or blasted the posters who say "oh well, no biggie, it happens" because it should not.
If we strayed from the "High Road" please forgive us. See you on the High Road and don't be hesitant to ask more questions. AC
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
+1 Walkalong!
I also apologize if I came across as demeaning to you.
It's just that a double-charge often goes hand & hand with a squib load.
I've seen too many damaged guns and shooters hands over the years to conclude that "shoot them and see what happens, and keep a rod & hammer handy" is the proper course of action.
rcmodel
I also apologize if I came across as demeaning to you.
It's just that a double-charge often goes hand & hand with a squib load.
I've seen too many damaged guns and shooters hands over the years to conclude that "shoot them and see what happens, and keep a rod & hammer handy" is the proper course of action.
rcmodel
RustyFN
Member
walking arsenal, I have also had to pull 90 bullets because of my own screw up. It's a PITA but a great feeling when you go to shoot knowing that you caught the mistake and are now confident in the rounds you have. Don't let some of the comments bother you we all have made mistakes, some will admit it and some won't. If you have plenty of brass and bullets to load then you don't have to pull them all at one sitting. Pull 10 to 20 at a time and before you know it they will all be pulled. Just make sure you keep them seperated and marked good so they don't get mixed in with the good ammo.
Rusty
Rusty
walking arsenal
Member
Thanks for the advice gang. And the apologies, sure wasn't expecting to find those when i logged in tonight.
I appreciate that.
Looks like i'll be buying an inertial bullet puller before i buy a scale and both before i begin reloading again.
If anyone has suggestions for scales id sure be interested.
I appreciate that.
Looks like i'll be buying an inertial bullet puller before i buy a scale and both before i begin reloading again.
If anyone has suggestions for scales id sure be interested.
hotwheelz
Member
Walking arsenal,
Send me a p.m. with your address Im sure I have a spare bullet puller in one of my box's of stuff here its yours no charge. We have all made mistakes loading I have pulled down over 300rnds once after relizing my mistake. Better safe then sorry.
Send me a p.m. with your address Im sure I have a spare bullet puller in one of my box's of stuff here its yours no charge. We have all made mistakes loading I have pulled down over 300rnds once after relizing my mistake. Better safe then sorry.
griz
Member
Re: shaking to hear powder.
You can hold the round butted up to a powder funnel and it makes the powder easy to hear. Amazing how well it works.
May I ask why you suspect that you didn't charge a case?
You can hold the round butted up to a powder funnel and it makes the powder easy to hear. Amazing how well it works.
May I ask why you suspect that you didn't charge a case?
walking arsenal
Member
Sure.
I load rounds with a lee hand press one at a time.
Normally this insures that i look into each case before i put a bullet on them, mostly because it's slow.
I load the rounds five at a time. I set out five cases in a row and fill them left to right, looking into each one as i go.
I also count as i go.
Then I pick up the cases from left to right as i load bullets on them. I look and count again 1-5.
One night i counted one through five and then looked over at my "bench", there was a case there and it had powder in it. Then i looked at the empty cases i had sitting base down eight inches away.
(sigh)
My brain was fuzzy.
Did i place out six cases this time by accident and forget to count?
Did i grab an empty primed case and put a bullet on it?
I fished around in the bag for the suspected round, i shook it in my hand and listened for the powder. I THOUGHT i could hear it. Wait, is this the round. It looked almost the same as all the others except that i knew it was S&B brass.
I fished around for all the S&B cases. I shook all them. They had powder, didn't they?
By then i was on a second guessing spree so i just shook everything. All 150 rounds........my fist at my press, and the cat. It was very therapeutic.
Then after a week of wondering i posted the question here.
I load rounds with a lee hand press one at a time.
Normally this insures that i look into each case before i put a bullet on them, mostly because it's slow.
I load the rounds five at a time. I set out five cases in a row and fill them left to right, looking into each one as i go.
I also count as i go.
Then I pick up the cases from left to right as i load bullets on them. I look and count again 1-5.
One night i counted one through five and then looked over at my "bench", there was a case there and it had powder in it. Then i looked at the empty cases i had sitting base down eight inches away.
(sigh)
My brain was fuzzy.
Did i place out six cases this time by accident and forget to count?
Did i grab an empty primed case and put a bullet on it?
I fished around in the bag for the suspected round, i shook it in my hand and listened for the powder. I THOUGHT i could hear it. Wait, is this the round. It looked almost the same as all the others except that i knew it was S&B brass.
I fished around for all the S&B cases. I shook all them. They had powder, didn't they?
By then i was on a second guessing spree so i just shook everything. All 150 rounds........my fist at my press, and the cat. It was very therapeutic.
Then after a week of wondering i posted the question here.
Steve Koski
Member
"It's just that a double-charge often goes hand & hand with a squib load."
I've heard that a million times, but never heard of a case where it was true. Can you cite some for us, if it is "often" true?
I've heard that a million times, but never heard of a case where it was true. Can you cite some for us, if it is "often" true?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
We had a collection of blown-up K-38 S&W cylinders at our AMTU gunshop.
The old progressives would skip a charge and double the next one if you weren't paying attention.
I have repaired a couple of K-38 S&W's with the whole barrel full of 148 grain wad-cutters. They don't blow up unless they get a double or triple charge of Bullseye powder.
There also has to be some correlation between the fairly recent rash of stuck bullets, and blown-up Cowboy Action guns.
It takes a double-charge or worse to blow three chambers out of a Colt SA cylinder and also blow the top strap off.
A squib doesn't blow up a gun when the next round is a light target load.
You just end up with two bullets stuck in the barrel and maybe a ringed barrel.
And as I said before, if one round is missing it's powder charge, how do you know the next one didn't get a double dose?
You simply don't or can't know, without pulling all the bullets and looking.
rcmodel
The old progressives would skip a charge and double the next one if you weren't paying attention.
I have repaired a couple of K-38 S&W's with the whole barrel full of 148 grain wad-cutters. They don't blow up unless they get a double or triple charge of Bullseye powder.
There also has to be some correlation between the fairly recent rash of stuck bullets, and blown-up Cowboy Action guns.
It takes a double-charge or worse to blow three chambers out of a Colt SA cylinder and also blow the top strap off.
A squib doesn't blow up a gun when the next round is a light target load.
You just end up with two bullets stuck in the barrel and maybe a ringed barrel.
And as I said before, if one round is missing it's powder charge, how do you know the next one didn't get a double dose?
You simply don't or can't know, without pulling all the bullets and looking.
rcmodel
griz
Member
That makes sense WA. I was wondering why you thought it was one instead of any other number, but I see now. Try the funnel to the ear trick. It works so well that you will feel sure it has powder if you hear it.
Good luck, Griz
Good luck, Griz
Wildfire
Member
Walking
Don't get too down, If good handloaders are reaming you it is because they care. No one wants to see any one get hurt handloading. There is only one safe way. KNOW what is in there. Like I said before. Be Able to bet your life on it . Reloading is a serious game. Atleast at times like this.
You may have one thing going for you. You say you used 7.5 grs. That is much better than a smaller charge. That 7.5 grs. may allow you to see the weight difference, if you weigh each round. Chuck any thing that comes up light. Using cast bullets, you would not be as safe with this method. But being factory jacketed, Maybe. You may hear how someones cast bullets always weigh in right. For the most part a gooooood caster can acheive this. But some can not. Not well enough to bet your life on. At first I was not in favor of weighing. But you tossed in new info. The opposite can hurt you. Using a powder that would allow a double charge to go un noticed. Always use a powder that will spill over should that happen.
Every one has to start some place. I have been at this for almost 30 years and have been blessed with good tools. You will get there.
A scale is a must, and you need one. Mixed brass will weigh up different. But if your brass is all the same, you may be ok weighing those rounds.
I say this with caution though because it still is not the best way or the dead nuts right way.
Don't get too down, If good handloaders are reaming you it is because they care. No one wants to see any one get hurt handloading. There is only one safe way. KNOW what is in there. Like I said before. Be Able to bet your life on it . Reloading is a serious game. Atleast at times like this.
You may have one thing going for you. You say you used 7.5 grs. That is much better than a smaller charge. That 7.5 grs. may allow you to see the weight difference, if you weigh each round. Chuck any thing that comes up light. Using cast bullets, you would not be as safe with this method. But being factory jacketed, Maybe. You may hear how someones cast bullets always weigh in right. For the most part a gooooood caster can acheive this. But some can not. Not well enough to bet your life on. At first I was not in favor of weighing. But you tossed in new info. The opposite can hurt you. Using a powder that would allow a double charge to go un noticed. Always use a powder that will spill over should that happen.
Every one has to start some place. I have been at this for almost 30 years and have been blessed with good tools. You will get there.
A scale is a must, and you need one. Mixed brass will weigh up different. But if your brass is all the same, you may be ok weighing those rounds.
I say this with caution though because it still is not the best way or the dead nuts right way.
for the future
the best thing is to use the loading trays. when i started thats what i
did, but this was the advise from 2 very experienced loaders. you can
do it several ways:
1. run a flashlight over each round after you put powder in the 50 or
so the tray holds.
2. you can use a wooden scure (large toothpick) use a magic marker
and mark where the powder should be and put it in each shell
to check the powder level.
We've all been down this road, what scares me most (and everyone else)
is a double charge, it really makes a mess, and could be lethal.
wood
the best thing is to use the loading trays. when i started thats what i
did, but this was the advise from 2 very experienced loaders. you can
do it several ways:
1. run a flashlight over each round after you put powder in the 50 or
so the tray holds.
2. you can use a wooden scure (large toothpick) use a magic marker
and mark where the powder should be and put it in each shell
to check the powder level.
We've all been down this road, what scares me most (and everyone else)
is a double charge, it really makes a mess, and could be lethal.
wood
Quoheleth
Member
OK...here's another idea.
You don't have the $$ for a scale. Been there, amigo. What am I saying...still there!!!
You rolled 150 rounds. I don't know how much you spent on bullets, powder and primers. You have somewhere between $5 (w/ lead bullets) and $15 (jacketed) invested in those 150 rounds. Let's split it and call it $10.
Instead of jacking around with the ammo, weighing it, wondering if cases are all the same, if bullets are same, etc., just play it safe. If you don't have a bullet puller anyway, just toss the whole shebang in the trash can, walk away, and start fresh with more careful practice. OR, if you dont' want to toss them, put them in a Folgers coffee can, label them QUESTIONABLE - DO NOT USE!!! and put them away for now. Start with fresh cases and double-check the hound out of them. If you have to, invest in a new box of factory ammo to get some fresh cases.
I use the dippers too, but I check the first few dips to make sure I'm "in the ballpark" (fwiw, I use AA#5, a fairly fine powder that settles well into the dipper. I get very even dips, only varying a few tenths of a grain either way) and then spot check along the way. If I feel I tapped the dip (i.e., it settled) or if I spilled any powder, I empty the cartridge and do it again.
Seriously...toss the 150 rounds. Walk away. Count it a cheap experience opposed to a hospital visit.
Hang in there.
Peace,
Q
You don't have the $$ for a scale. Been there, amigo. What am I saying...still there!!!
You rolled 150 rounds. I don't know how much you spent on bullets, powder and primers. You have somewhere between $5 (w/ lead bullets) and $15 (jacketed) invested in those 150 rounds. Let's split it and call it $10.
Instead of jacking around with the ammo, weighing it, wondering if cases are all the same, if bullets are same, etc., just play it safe. If you don't have a bullet puller anyway, just toss the whole shebang in the trash can, walk away, and start fresh with more careful practice. OR, if you dont' want to toss them, put them in a Folgers coffee can, label them QUESTIONABLE - DO NOT USE!!! and put them away for now. Start with fresh cases and double-check the hound out of them. If you have to, invest in a new box of factory ammo to get some fresh cases.
I use the dippers too, but I check the first few dips to make sure I'm "in the ballpark" (fwiw, I use AA#5, a fairly fine powder that settles well into the dipper. I get very even dips, only varying a few tenths of a grain either way) and then spot check along the way. If I feel I tapped the dip (i.e., it settled) or if I spilled any powder, I empty the cartridge and do it again.
Seriously...toss the 150 rounds. Walk away. Count it a cheap experience opposed to a hospital visit.
Hang in there.
Peace,
Q
Last edited:
- Status
