Whoops in the reloading room

[Addicting]

Walked downstairs today and heard something running. After a quick search my tumbler was still running, from 3 days ago. Here is a pic from my normal 3 hours and 3 days.

What has been your whoops?

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

A 7mm weatherby case snuck into my .264 win mag reloading process and got stuck in the press.

 

[np307]

I was depriming brass on a single stage. As I was pulling the lever, the I noticed the case was off center and instinctively reached to adjust it. I also instinctively kept pulling the lever. Ended up punching a hole straight through the base of my thumbnail.

 

[MJE2083]

Years ago I accidentally left powder inside my RCBS power dispenser. I can't remember exactly how long it was in there, but it was either weeks or months. The powder ended up pitting the plastic and I was left with dozens of flakes of powder almost melted into the plastic. I never did get it totally clean, but managed to use it for several more years until the motor went out.

 

[ShadowFast1]

That's some beautiful brass!

I had some brass in my reloading tray that I thought I had resized, I even chambered one in my rifle to be sure, but after filling the cases with powder and going to seat a bullet, it fell right into the neck. I hadn't run them through the collet die. Oops.

 

[rtraverdavis]

When we were kids my brother put a marble in our dad’s powder measure. He had to break the whole thing down to see why the powder wouldn’t drop, and when he figured out what the problem was he was PISSED.

 

[Sask hunter]

Just a very stuck 22-250 brass in the sizing die. Nothing too majour

 

[Dinkshooter]

Couple years ago, a 4 year old loves the powder dump, why isn’t this freaking thing working FFS

 

[Brian in Montana]

I haven't been handloading long enough to have had a real major oops. But once I charged about 5 rounds that I'd forgotten to prime.

And a couple times I've poured powder into my autocharger with the emptying spout (not sure what you actually call it) still open. Yep, my desk was immediately covered with Ramshot Big Game. Couldn't have been something like H4831, both times I did that it was with Big Game, the tiny little spherules just go everywhere.

 

[noharleyyet]

Couple years ago, a 4 year old loves the powder dump, why isn’t this freaking thing working FFS View attachment 123642

No paternity issue whatsoeveh!

 

[BRI]

Haha. When I first started loading, I missed the primer step and put some powder in the case. That'll make a mess.

When throwing charges, I try to always start with the lower left case and work in order. Well apparently deviated from my process and skipped 4 charges in a row. Then didn't check each case for powder before seating the bullet. Then later that year had 4 misfires in a row (on an elk too). It was sure a WTF moment when I pulled the bullets and found no powder in the case. Now I look at each case with a flashlight before seating the bullet.

 

[Addicting]

Haha. When I first started loading, I missed the primer step and put some powder in the case. That'll make a mess.

When throwing charges, I try to always start with the lower left case and work in order. Well apparently deviated from my process and skipped 4 charges in a row. Then didn't check each case for powder before seating the bullet. Then later that year had 4 misfires in a row (on an elk too). It was sure a WTF moment when I pulled the bullets and found no powder in the case. Now I look at each case with a flashlight before seating the bullet.

Surprised the primer didn’t have enough umph to push the bullet into the rifling.

Did you get the elk on the 5th try?

 

[Jbotto]

Haha. When I first started loading, I missed the primer step and put some powder in the case. That'll make a mess.

When throwing charges, I try to always start with the lower left case and work in order. Well apparently deviated from my process and skipped 4 charges in a row. Then didn't check each case for powder before seating the bullet. Then later that year had 4 misfires in a row (on an elk too). It was sure a WTF moment when I pulled the bullets and found no powder in the case. Now I look at each case with a flashlight before seating the bullet.

The flashlight check is a super important step for me too. It has saved me a couple times both on undercharged and overcharged cases.

 

[BRI]

Surprised the primer didn’t have enough umph to push the bullet into the rifling.

Did you get the elk on the 5th try?

Fortunately I did get the elk.

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

Last winter I worked up a load with some brand new spendy brass that was driving tacks at the upper end of safe. I then took them out on a hot day to shoot and blew my first ever primer and ruined a few rounds of the brass. Now I have an uneven amount and it drives me nuts.

 

[memtb]

As I’ve been handloading for 52 years, I’ve had several “ooops” moments. Perhaps the worst, was when I was about 18. I had been handloading for 4 years (Lee Loader) but had just recently bought a bunch of used loading equipment. I had no assistance from anyone experienced in handloadiing, and apparently didn’t do enough reading. My powder dispenser was an old Ideal #55. With no written instructions and no real concept of exactly how it worked.....and being “young, dumb, and bullet proof”, I merely set it up to dump 2.6 (if memory is correct) grains of Bullseye for a lightload 148 grain WC, to be fired from my S&W Model 28. Thank God, it was a Model 28.

When I got the wanted 2.6 grain dump, I was content.....and never did any follow-up weighing of charges. I was shooting rapid fire “double action”....The loads quickly went from normal to “Magnum +”, including a “squib” that stuck in the barrel!

Surviving my stupidly, I carefully examined the powder dispenser.....learning exactly how it was designed. Since that time many years ago, I’ve never had another charge related issue. Sometimes wisdom is gained from surviving poor actions taken! memtb

 

[BRI]

Not really an oops but when I first started reloading, bought a cheaper model digital scale. I used it for about a year and dont remember what specifically made me check but it was consistently 2.7 to 3 grains light, even after calibration. Thankfully it was light instead of heavy.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Early in my reloading experience I had two that come to mind, one dangerous the other just irritating.

First was loading 25-06. Put 50 new 25-06 cases through FL die, after adding primers and powder went to seat the first bullet and it drop right into the case. After a double take I realized I had resized with .270 die. While I am sure I could have just resized again to 25-06 (after removing powder and primers), I was a little paranoid that over stretching the necks that far would make them weaker over future reloads and didn't want them mixing with properly handled cases so I pitched them.

Second, I must have failed to add powder to a round and when shot at the range the primer went off and was enough to send the bullet half way down the barrel. No risk of second bullet blowing up the barrel, as the distinct lack of recoil or muzzle blast clearly signalled the problem and I stopped shooting. The sucky part was that I could not push the bullet out on my own with a cleaning rod or other handy implement and had to have it "drilled out" but a gunsmith. I now do the "flashlight check" every time before seating bullets.

 

[jeff_gibbons]

My dad once mixed 45 acp and 9mm brass in the tumbler. We were all pretty surprised at how many 9mm cases found their way into 45 acp cases. Ruined that batch of brass

 

[bluespruce]

During a load workup, I somehow charged part of the series 10 grains too light e.g. 54, 54.5, 45, etc. Very light recoil and bullet hit about 6" low. Very confused as I was weighing each charge. So I shot another. Immediate "awww crap". Range is an hour away so plenty of time to contemplate my stupidity on the way home. I was using a beam scale so the best I can figure is that when I should have been going up to the next 5 grains, I moved the counterweight down for who knows what reason.

l also seated 50-some .223 too deep before realizing I was seating too deep. Not into safety issue territory but just not what I wanted to be seating to. Broke my impact puller about 45 rounds in and sent the head and round flying. A bit disconcerting watching a loaded round bounce off the floor and the ceiling.