Loaded a ladder and didnt write it down

[conan32120]

I can't believe how stupid I am, loaded a 223 ladder a month ago and pulled them out for a possible visit to the range today and I have no info on what the loads are. Pulled 1 and it's a 62gr fmjbt and the powder looks like cfe223 but it only weighed 21gr which seems pretty damn light. Now I gotta decide to just blast away with them or pull them down.

 

[Blue68f100]

Depending on how many rounds you loaded at each step, you could pull 1 down at each load level. This would give you a indication that may jog your memory. I learned to write the load on the side of the brass. I've had neighbors pull some out and don't end up the the right row. This way I have a way to check. If you every knocked a loaded box over you will be glad you marked every single one of them.

 

[N555]

Always write on them with a permanent marker.

 

[conan32120]

I even colored the bases to differentiate the loads as I always do on my ladders. Then normally in each color I would write down the load on masking tape on the box.

 

[FROGO207]

It is always good to ID each and every round on the brass. When you get home and inspect that brass if you find a problem you will know exactly the load. I use a series of different colored stripes on both the brass and on the paper that the load data is on when working up a load. This has saved my bacon several times when looking at spent brass at home after the ladder test.

 

[Charlie98]

I’m with you. I’ve pulled a box out from under the bench… looked at the absence of a data card, and wonder what the… heck… are these?!?! I am pretty meticulous with work up load data, and have the data on the bench as I’m loading. Once the rounds are loaded, the data sheet goes downstairs… and into the spreadsheet, where 2 copies are printed… one for an analog record, the other cut up into slips that go into the ammo box. Relatively foolproof… but I’m the fool that isn’t foolproof…

Meh… shoot them up, and once you remember what it was you were loading them for, which will likely happen as soon as the last round is fired… go home and load ‘em up again.

 

[lordpaxman]

Chuckle, chuckle… never done that before…
I now start load development on the spreadsheet that’s going to record the results. Then I print the load development matrix, the testing sheet, and the targets.
The load development sheet is what I use at the bench, and record what slots in the box the loads are in. It works for me.
How many different powders do you have and by any chance are these the last ones you loaded? Post a picture of the powder and we’ll play “guess the powder” game.

 

[Mostly Lead]

I can't believe how stupid I am, loaded a 223 ladder a month ago and pulled them out for a possible visit to the range today and I have no info on what the loads are. Pulled 1 and it's a 62gr fmjbt and the powder looks like cfe223 but it only weighed 21gr which seems pretty damn light. Now I gotta decide to just blast away with them or pull them down.

Reloading can be a dangerous hobby or a safe hobby. One fits with "...just blast away..." and the other fits with "...pull them down."

Not sure why you're struggling with this decision.

 

[conan32120]

My .223 powders are down to cfe223, imr4895 and tac so party sure it's cfe and rarely load max. I'll probably pull them down and redo them, this time I'll write it down

 

[AJC1]

My .223 powders are down to cfe223, imr4895 and tac so party sure it's cfe and rarely load max. I'll probably pull them down and redo them, this time I'll write it down

So rounds that you loaded should never be unsafe, so I don't follow that line of thought. I have nothing dangerous in any of my loads ever. They are useless as test loads without the load data. If your pulling them down and don't know which powder, the powder is trash. If your not hurting for primers, I'd shoot them if they were mine.... if this box is or could be a pressure test, then pulling them down is the only responsible answer. The big takeaway should be a change in methodology. I sharpy the load on every case and the powder on the first in the row. I don't mix tests with simular chargeweights and different powders in the same box.

 

[jmorris]

I generally try and do it like this, if it might be awhile between loading and testing. Doesn’t test my mental capabilities as much but that’s not what I am trying to figure out. Already know that’s not perfect…

 

[kcofohio]

So rounds that you loaded should never be unsafe, so I don't follow that line of thought. I have nothing dangerous in any of my loads ever. They are useless as test loads without the load data. If your pulling them down and don't know which powder, the powder is trash. If your not hurting for primers, I'd shoot them if they were mine.... if this box is or could be a pressure test, then pulling them down is the only responsible answer. The big takeaway should be a change in methodology. I sharpy the load on every case and the powder on the first in the row. I don't mix tests with simular chargeweights and different powders in the same box.

I have had a few of those useless test loads. Forgetting to put the load data card in the box. But the same as you, I don't go over, and mostly stay a couple tenths below max.

My oh crap moment was that I loaded up 50 rounds of cast for 40 S&W using Silhouette. I had ran test loads before. But when I looked at my data on the new load, I was 0.7 gr. over max. Crap! I put them aside until I had time to pull the bullets. When I got to them, I decided to double check the powder. I was 0.3 gr. under max. I had wrote an extra gr. to the load data. I pulled three just to be sure.

 

[conan32120]

You know, I rethought this, I loaded 4 rounds in each of 5 steps, now I'm thinking to shoot 3 of each of the steps and if I come up with a good grouping I'll pull the last round down and weigh out the load, if I don't get a good group I'll just blast away the 4th round.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

You know, I rethought this, I loaded 4 rounds in each of 5 steps, now I'm thinking to shoot 3 of each of the steps and if I come up with a good grouping I'll pull the last round down and weigh out the load, if I don't get a good group I'll just blast away the 4th round.

There you go!
It’s like the old joke about the traveling salesman who gets a flat on a lonely dark road in the swamps…
Just because you’re crazy doesn’t mean you’re stupid.

 

[Palladan44]

I've gotten in the habit of doing this for every ladder. Blue and black can be added as well, rarely are there more than 5 different charge levels (or in some cases changes in OAL)

Flip side of the coin....I have entire boxes of my handloads, with no information about them other than I know they shoot and I know they're safe.
Couple exceptions..
Have a couple boxes of some 10mm that have written in permanent marker "Keyhole" "no suppressor!!"
Let me just say that plated bullets mostly suck.

 

[AJC1]

View attachment 1182524
I've gotten in the habit of doing this for every ladder. Blue and black can be added as well, rarely are there more than 5 different charge levels (or in some cases changes in OAL)

Flip side of the coin....I have entire boxes of my handloads, with no information about them other than I know they shoot and I know they're safe.
Couple exceptions..
Have a couple boxes of some 10mm that have written in permanent marker "Keyhole" "no suppressor!!"
Let me just say that plated bullets mostly suck.

Yours is more pretty

 

[conan32120]

Yup did that, just dont know what they represent

 

[conan32120]

my normal labeling, I always use orange,blue,red,green, black

 

[AJC1]

Yup did that, just dont know what they represent View attachment 1182528

I bet you can tell exactly what I loaded.... still there after firing.

 

[kcofohio]

Yup did that, just dont know what they represent View attachment 1182528

Yours looks about the same as mine.

 

[archeryrob]

That sucks and I would assume you need to pull them or they are just plinking shots without knowing the load of each shell. I use MTM boxes and make ladder sheets in excel to match. I even print the grain, velocity and X area and cut it out and tape it inside the box lid to match where the cartridges go.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I've done basically the same thing but I look at it as it's just more fun chasing that perfect load

 

[dh1633pm]

I do the same as @AJC1 does. Mark the brass with the load.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I've done basically the same thing but I look at it as it's just more fun chasing that perfect load

LOL!!!


Yup! I’ve done it on purpose just to see if I could tell one rung from the others. Turned out most often I couldn’t shoot the difference at the short ranges (100-300yds) of our club range. Since I don’t have a need for more than 300yds Minute of Chest Cavity accuracy, I stopped worrying about it and just go with the over/under.