Well it was bound to happen, I made my own powder HP335-38!!

[Rule3]

Many years of loading and many many kinds and sizes of powder.

I was transferring from a 8lb jug to my 1 lb jug of HP 38 )actually used a funnel as always and didn't spill a grain)

Shook it up and filled the powder hopper and proceed to check my drop weigh. Hmmm, I say what's going on? Why so heavy? I check again again, Get a different scale. Wat's going on?

Then I check the large jug, on know it's H335!!

Damn it!

I keep my rifle and handgun powder separated but put this jug in the wrong place and know I looked at the label twice. So it was a expensive pound of fertilizer!!

I am very anal and OCD so it can happen to anyone.

Only problem was my Wife was not home so I could not blame her.

Be careful out there!

 

[njl]

As much as that sucks, at least you didn't mix HP-38 with H335 and then load some .223 with the mix and blow up a rifle.

 

[R.Ph. 380]

Painful. Nice grass will grow, though..................................Did some H110 and W231. Knew it as soon as I did the pour. Started to light it off, but put it out in the yard. Reinforced my rule to have only one bottle on the table.

Bill

 

[Rodentman]

In my advanced middle age I make darn sure I don't confuse True Blue and Blue Dot. Or any two powders. I've found that my memory isn't what it once was. And I am supremely careful at the bench. Glad you caught the issue!

 

[kcofohio]

Rule3, at least you listened to the alarms going off in your head.

 

[Reloadron]

You caught it right away because of good practices and hand loading habits. That is what I see as the important thing. It's like checking your work as complacency kills. Eating a pound of powder or more beats looking up at the flowers.

Ron

 

[dnfd737]

so work up a load for the mix???? might be a good powder????

 

[gamestalker]

I hate it when that happens.

I've only made this mistake once, but it was a costly one none the less, and it was in my early beginnings. Ever since, I now keep only the powder I'm using on the bench, no more mistakes for me.

GS

 

[rcmodel]

Proud to say, I've never done it.

YET!!

Knock on wood.

But that does remind me.
I've had a pound of unopened W-748 and a pound of unopened W-231 setting beside my powder measures for going on 2 years.

I know!
Do what I say, not what I do!!

rc

 

[otisrush]

Just today I taped labels onto the lids of each container of powder I own identifying which calibers I use that powder for.

 

[Rule3]

I do only keep one bottle on the bench that I am using, this came out of my stash closet. I know I looked at it twice but I guess I saw what I wanted to see. All those 8lb Hodgdon jugs look the same, I have filled that 1 lb container many many times.

Getting senile I guess.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

It happens, I mixed some Power Pistol and Unique together one time because the containers are so similar. Same circumstance as yours.

I did work up a load for the mix only because they sit beside each other on the burn rate chart, then used it for low pressure loads in my .327 FM.

The mix shot really well and at low pressure it extremely clean for Unique, I could shoot 100 rounds and wouldn't have to clean the gun.

I was kind of sad when I used it all up but didn't try to duplicate it even though I new how much Power Pistol I put in the Unique.

Rifle powder mixed with Pistol powder would get burned in my fire pit , just too dissimilar. Nothing good could ever come from trying to use it.

 

[jmorris]

That's why I leave powder in its original container, yep even 20lb kegs.

I never let two open bottles be next to one another.


As far as looking the same at least you were not the fellow that mixed up these two.



Rifle charge weights of TG don't treat rifles very well.

 

[Hangingrock]

I myself inadvertently mixed W231 into a container of Unique. Even thou the volume of W231 percentage wise was less than approxmently 3% compared to the volume of Unique the mix became fertilizer. Lesson learned!

 

[spitballer]

Good man. Happened to me once, too - having to throw it out taught me a valuable lesson!

 

[Rule3]

That's why I leave powder in its original container, yep even 20lb kegs.

I never let two open bottles be next to one another.


As far as looking the same at least you were not the fellow that mixed up these two.



Rifle charge weights of TG don't treat rifles very well.

A little JB Weld and I could fix that!

 

[fouled bore]

Wow! That is a humbling picture, I hope no one was hurt. It is good to see this, it will keep me aware when I am grabbing powder.

 

[jmorris]

No, he was hurt but not as bad as he could have been.

This is a photo of his right hand.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/650/IMG_4185_zpsebpsqx0n.jpg

Didn't

 

[Rule3]

Damn, I would PTSD after that. Can not imagine the moment of that going kboom. See lots of pistol kbooms but not to many major rifle ones like that!

 

[jmorris]

Yeah, that's why I saved the photos. I have a bunch of kaboom photos but none that have the firearm in that many parts.

 

[konertjm]

Very humbling. Will be very careful with different powders.

I have a 4 lb jug of 700X, and a 4 lb jug of W231. Jugs are identical. When sitting on the shelf, you can't tell the difference without looking at the label on the side.
Used my label maker to make LARGE type labels to go on the ends of the jugs just to keep from making this type of mistake.

 

[Rule3]

I know have a new system, I shall read out loud in a Military voice, HP 38 powder Check, several times. Open, Check! etc etc.! Verify !:banghead:

 

[usfan]

Yeah, i don't have 2 open containers around. I pull one off the shelf, & keep it next to the reloading bench. Any i pour will go back, when finished, or if i go to another powder. If i have only one powder out, i can forget about it for days or weeks, & i know which is in the hopper.

of course, it is good to NOT leave powder in the hopper for more than a few days. Pour it back in the jug & seal it.

 

[fouled bore]

Wow! I could have not have imagined this catastrophic failure before I got into reloading. The more I learn, I find there is no room for error.

 

[Hardtarget]

So strange to see this thread tonight! My co-worker just discussed this during lunch today. He shoots some but has never considered reloading. We talked of keeping the process safe and "controlled" and part of it was powder mix up and the danger of that mistake. He will not believe it when I tell him I read this tonight.!

That ka-boom rifle is scary!

Thanks for showing it...keep me thinking!

Mark