Oooops!

[Ranchero Rick]

When loading my first Speer 158 gr JHP into a .357 magnum case, I neglected to notice that the die in the press was one that expands the mouth for the bullet. OK, it was quite late and it had been a long day. The result was that the bullet was seated rather deeply, and I'm sure the powder charge -- 15 grains of H110 -- got compressed. My question is:

Will that cartridge be safe to shoot in my Marlin 1894?

 

[Cheesemaker]

Don't shoot it. Pull it.

 

[thegatman]

Redo that mistake and save yourself some huge personal expense.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

When loading my first Speer 158 gr JHP into a .357 magnum case, I neglected to notice that the die in the press was one that expands the mouth for the bullet. OK, it was quite late and it had been a long day. The result was that the bullet was seated rather deeply, and I'm sure the powder charge -- 15 grains of H110 -- got compressed. My question is:

Will that cartridge be safe to shoot in my Marlin 1894?

Welcome to the THR. No it is not safe to fire. Pull the bullet and start over.

 

[Herman B]

...I neglected to notice that the die in the press was one that expands the mouth for the bullet...The result was that the bullet was seated rather deeply...

Regardless of your expander die, it's your misadjusted seating die that is responsible for the deep-seat. Stay between the lines when using H110.

 

[desmobob]

I consider a bullet puller to be a necessary tool for the reloading bench. When in doubt, pull the bullet and start over.

 

[Ranchero Rick]

Thanks all. I guess a bullet puller will be my next purchase.

 

[gwpercle]

Thanks all. I guess a bullet puller will be my next purchase.

That's the best answer Rick ... You don't want to compress H110 ... and it's not like it will be money wasted , besides my press a kinetic bullet puller is my most used piece of equipment ... you will find uses for it and they are very handy to do a reverse oops with and do it safely . ATTABOY !
Gary

 

[ms6852]

Thanks all. I guess a bullet puller will be my next purchase.

That is a wise choice. Also if I may recommend that if you do not get a bullet puller and instead you use a kinetic hammer, buy your self some foam ear plugs and place them inside the kinetic puller, it will prevent the bullet from getting damaged and you can reuse it.

 

[Demi-human]

Welcome to the ranch!

Will that cartridge be safe to shoot in my Marlin 1894?

Nope.
Just one more to add to the pile.

Bullet setback, or unintentional deep seating, with H-110, or any straight walled cartridge really, is not good at best. At worst it can automatically disassemble your rifle or pistol for repair, while you hold it.

I know that setback with a 50AE is extraordinarily unpleasant!

 

[AJC1]

The good news is a mistake you catch is not near as dangerous as one you miss. Reloading is a detail oriented game were mistakes can have big consequences. If your really new to the game a set of calipers are your best friend. Longer than listed to sammi maximum length is your zone. I normally try for 1.585 on most 357 loads

 

[BigBoreBubba]

Welcome to the ranch!


Nope.
Just one more to add to the pile.

Bullet setback, or unintentional deep seating, with H-110, or any straight walled cartridge really, is not good at best. At worst it can automatically disassemble your rifle or pistol for repair, while you hold it.

I know that setback with a 50AE is extraordinarily unpleasant!

What happened with your 50AE? That’s always a concern of mine with my Desert Eagle, but I’ve yet to have it happen.

 

[BigBoreBubba]

When loading my first Speer 158 gr JHP into a .357 magnum case, I neglected to notice that the die in the press was one that expands the mouth for the bullet. OK, it was quite late and it had been a long day. The result was that the bullet was seated rather deeply, and I'm sure the powder charge -- 15 grains of H110 -- got compressed. My question is:

Will that cartridge be safe to shoot in my Marlin 1894?

A bullet puller is your best friend.

 

[bullseye308]

Seating too deep raises the pressure rapidly and it is not linear. Just a few thousandths can double the pressure and a hundredth could cause a rapid disassembly that is catastrophic and could cause personal injury as well. Thank you for asking and not risking it, please don’t hesitate to ask anything else.

 

[Bfh_auto]

That's the best answer Rick ... You don't want to compress H110 ... and it's not like it will be money wasted , besides my press a kinetic bullet puller is my most used piece of equipment ... you will find uses for it and they are very handy to do a reverse oops with and do it safely . ATTABOY !
Gary

Since when do you not compress H110?
I've been running compressed charges as long as I've shot 357s. That is the joy of H110 in that case.
But the OP definitely needs to pull the bullet and reset.

 

[Demi-human]

What happened with your 50AE?

Luckily nothing!
But when I took it out with my first hand loads they went from awesome to painful in four shots.
Bang. Boom. BOOM. >POW!<.
The last one felt like it tried to remove my thumb, the recoil was incredible!
I stopped and investigated. The last three rounds in the mag were setback, a lot, from crashing the front of the magazine. I am really glad I didn’t shoot the rest!
At the load bench I started measuring. The cases weren’t sized enough. I bought another die set, a Hornady. The sizing die made the cases at least 8 thousandths smaller than the RCBS die.
I now have a perfect mix-master die set, I really like the RCBS expanding die and use the other sizer to crimp. (I do not like their seating die, nor their cups.)
All sorted, I have been in Action Express bliss since!

 

[lordpaxman]

@Ranchero Rick , Welcome to THR!
Those published COLs are really important and part of the overall recipe. Did I read your OP correct and you didn’t use the seater die to seat the bullet?
One thing you may want to do is after you figure your COL for a particular bullet for your guns, is to make a dummy round with that COL. If you load different bullets, make one for each, that way you can re-adjust your seater die using that dummy round. If you build that check into your process, you won’t be pulling too many bullets. Good luck.

 

[25-20 WCF]

…OK, it was quite late and it had been a long day…

I’m surprised that no one has pointed out the obvious - being tired is no excuse. Reloading is a serious endeavor, and experienced handloaders know that no one has any business doing it when they cannot devote ample time and attention to the task. In this instance the result was hardly deadly, but what about next time you’re too tired or distracted to pay attention to details? What if that can of BlueDot you thought you picked up is really Unique? Safety should be at the top of every handloader’s mind at all times.



.

 

[mdi]

I agree with 25-20. I have often stopped reloading, put everything away and went in the house and watched TV. I like reloading and if it is not fun, if I have to force myself to pay attention to any step/process, I'm done for the day...

I quit using H110/W296 many years ago, as I preferred powders less "narrow". I have customized my impact puller (longer fatter handle) and although I don't like admitting it, I use mine. Couple of hints; "There's only one way to eat an elephant, that's one bite at a time. Bang out as many as you feel comfortable doing at one sitting. 10 to 50 rounds then quit and restart tomorrow or next week. Also I have a method that is less tiresome for me; I use a lead anvil/puck. Much quieter, easer on the hands, and doesn't lessen the impact enough to matter.

 

[EricBu]

When loading my first Speer 158 gr JHP into a .357 magnum case, I neglected to notice that the die in the press was one that expands the mouth for the bullet. OK, it was quite late and it had been a long day. The result was that the bullet was seated rather deeply, and I'm sure the powder charge -- 15 grains of H110 -- got compressed. My question is:

Will that cartridge be safe to shoot in my Marlin 1894?

Novel idea! Expand and seat in the same step! Innovation like that will lead to the holy grail single station progressive press!

All kidding aside, you'd have probably been ok, as 15 grains of H110 is a tad on the low side for 158 .357....that said, I'd pull and redo. Though you may want to review load data, as H110 get's a little goofy at low charges. That may be fine for your speer, if that's what the bullet makers data says, my hodgdon data has 16 as a start load for 158 JHP. I've never been happy reducing H110 loads...and oddly, I think it's one of the rare powders in the loading world where a slightly under charge causes more problems than a slightly over charge.