What Happens When You Load Pistol Powder in a Rifle Cartridge
This is a grim tale. A man almost lost the use of his right hand, and did suffer terrible injuries to his fingers. All because he picked the wrong bottle of powder off the shelf.
Similar Labels, Disasterous Consequences
The shooter, Denny K., was assembling some rounds for his brand new 7mm-08 Savage hunting rifle. He thought he was loading with Hodgdon Varget. Instead he had filled his powder measure with Hodgdon TiteGroup, a fast-burning pistol powder. The labels are similar, so the mistake is understandable. But the results were devastating. Here’s what 41 grains of TiteGroup can do in a 7mm-08:
Posting on the Firing Line, in a thread entitled “Lucky to Be Alive”, Denny writes:
“This is the hardest post to post. I know if I had read it a week ago my comment would have been: ‘You have no business reloading’. I had everything perfect, except pouring the wrong powder in the powder measure. I type this slowly with my left hand, embarrassed but … possibly saving someone else a tragedy or, like me, a long drive to the Emergency Room and surgery to save my finger.”
CLICK HERE for bigger, more graphic photo of injury.
The Still-Sealed Bottle of Varget
Denny did not initially comprehend exactly why the kaboom happened. He thought maybe his new Savage rifle was at fault. Then, on his return home, he discovered something…
Denny wrote: “The seven-hour period it took to go to ER, transport to Trauma Center and surgery made me think it was a Savage rifle issue. Brand new rifle, new brass, triple-checked loading data. The next day I was humbled when I realized the Varget powder was still sealed.
I knew what powder to use. I thought [Varget] was what I used. Not until the following day did I realize the Varget was still sealed.”
At that point, Denny realized what caused the accident — “operator error”. He knew he had to warn others about using the wrong powder: “I knew I needed to share my mistake, even though it is embarrassing, just to remind people. I’ve been reloading for 30 years…”
Editor’s Comment: Denny was not a novice reloader. His experience demonstrates that this kind of mistake can be made by any hand-loader, even one with decades of experience. Be safe guys, take your time when you load your ammo. Remove powders from measures after your loading sessions (pistol powders can look very similar to rifle powders). And by all means CHECK the LABEL on the jug. As the TiteGroup label says: “A little goes a long way.”
It’s not a bad idea to separate your pistol powders from your rifle powders, or perhaps even load for pistol in a separate part of your workshop.
Similar Posts:
- Pistol Powder in a Rifle Cartridge — The Handloader’s Nightmare
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- Blood and Gore — Injury After Pistol Powder Loaded in Rifle Case
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good to know he got medical attention and is recovering. Sad about the new rifle. Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully your suffering serves a good purpose and behooves some people to double check and never slack on safety. Quick and full recovery.
Thank you for putting this out there. The impact of it is still sinking in. I had that very same Savage 7mm and to to see it like that was really thought-provoking. It occurs to me that the manufacturers could help out by making their labeling DRAMATICALLY different for each type provided to lessen the chances of this mistake happening. If it was my product that caused this terrible accident, I sure as hell would..
Hello! Thanks for showing the results. I don’t think that people show the results enough. Lots of people know what can happen, but actually seeing the results has a MUCH bigger impact on you as a reloaded. I hope that it heals quick. God bless, Paul B.
Mistakes happen to the best of us..
Here is a tip for quick heals, & a way to ease the discomfort that the scars will create..
Massage coconut oil into your hand..
Am I the only one that triple-checks EACH component before loading? Am I the only one that NEVER leaves powder in the hopper? I’m sorry you had such an expensive and painful lesson, but anyone that makes this mistake has only themselves to blame. Reloading is a potentially lethal practice, and all aspects of it should be treated as such. If you are not always checking, re-checking and triple-checking, you should sell your reloading stuff before you kill yourself. I have never had a problem reading *any* manufacturer’s label, Varget or otherwise. You think Hodgden labels are similar? Go look at IMR.
I was R O at a shoot when I heard a puff from the rifle of a new shooter . He was about to fire anther shot when I stopped him .on checking the rifle a bullet was stuck in the barrel . What are you loading ? 43grs of Varget , he said
well that should be O K
Are you shore I asked ? Yes he said I counted every grain! ,
Years ago I came close.
I sometimes load reduced loads of fast burning powder.after the almost blowup
I set up a separate measure for pistol powder that is restricted in the amount of powder it will drop.
Man, I found this page to find out what almost happened to me. I just finished some 223 thinking I had loaded 23 grains of H335, then I put the bottle back and saw “CFE Pistol”! If the label had been turned around, I would have never caught it. I am new to reloading and seriously scared to shoot my own stuff. Going to keep all powders off the bench unless in use and scrap everything made so far. Feel like a complete idiot but will be way more careful and complete all steps without interruption / distractions.
I feel bad for the guy, and it is a reminder to be careful, but I have to agree with the folks who say the labels are completely different. One clearly says “Varget”, the other one clearly says “Titegroup”. It wasn’t the manufacturers fault, it was the reloader’s fault. Reloading is serious business. Making a mistake can have dire consequences. It’s not like accidentally putting skim milk in your coffee instead of cream. I use w231 and w296, both powders look and smell the same, and the labels are similar. If you know much about reloading for pistols, you know that if you measure out w231 like it’s w296, you’re in for a big surprise. I pickup the canister, and read the label, out loud. I pour the powder in the measure, reseal it, and set it right beside the measure, and glance at the label periodically to reassure my self that I am using the right powder. I label the measure with a piece of masking tape. I use a loading block, and inspect each case with a flashlight and my reading glasses, to make sure each case has the same amount of powder. You can’t be too careful. It is easy to become complacent and careless. The only moral of this story is: “Don’t be careless.”
I load ammo professionally, rifle and Pistol, here in UK.
Pistol Powder is always kept in a drawer EXCEPT ONE BOTTLE which is being used when making pistol ammo.
No other powder bottle is on the bench area when pistol cases are being loaded.
As soon as the pistol ammo is done, the hopper is emptied back into the bottle, and the bottle goes back into the drawer.
As for confusions, they occasionally happen here too. When Nobel sold powders in UK, one of the most popular was ICI Nobel Rifle Powder No.1 known as “R1″, quite like 4064, RE-12 and so on. It was good enough, but varied a bit from batch to batch.
At that time, Norma sold a pistol powder called “R1″, which was a tad faster than Bull’s-Eye – like FAST.
It was inevitable huh? R1 and R1 ? (It was NOT me!)
The load was 40 grains of Norma R1 in a 243 Win with a 100 grain bullet. That much RIFLE powder would have been an overload. The man who loaded had never loaded before, but he was a real expert. He was known as Buffalo Bill. He was not the one who pulled the trigger.
No testing took place. Why would they do that with such PERFECT ammo? Let’s go and do it!
The first (and as it happens last) shot fired of this batch of 20 rounds was aimed at a roe deer at 120 yards.
Three things happened all together when the gtrigger was released:
1. the roe deer died, with a HUGE exit wound.
2. the barreled action fell on the ground because the stock split lengthwise, end to end.
3. the shooter was made temporarily deaf and blind, and almost knocked out, and was bloodied about the face.
The Mauser 98 type rifle action held up, but the wooden stock was destroyed, and the shooter spent a week in hospital getting his eyes and ears seen to.
They asked me to open the bolt, which was “stuck”, clean it up and fit a new stock! I refused. That action had done its job, and was never fired again.
Take care . . . lots and lots of care.
I think the title of this article is misleading. I have reloaded for almost 61 years and am even more cautious now that I am older and do forget some things as we all do irrespective of age. I keep all of my powder inside closed cabinets and only have “ONE” container of powder on the bench at a time. No exceptions. I use rifle powder in my pistols and pistol powder in some of my rifles. Read the loading manuals carefully, check and recheck. It is easy to make a mistake but easy to catch it if you develop a routine and stick with it.
I’ve always kept all powder off of my bench, except the one I am using. I double check the label before I load, and again as I return any unused powder to the container. I’m glad this gentleman was not hurt worse. I’m also very glad he shared his story. Never think you can’t make a mistake, it could be your undoing….
I am sorry that this happened to you and hope you get back on the gun (horse so to speak). Some advice for everyone is to triple check and have no distractions or hurry! Also keep your pistol and rifle powders on different lacked shelves or in a completely different cabinet! I have under charged pistol and almost double charged so I’m guilty of mistakes too! Freeloading cakes absolutely one hundred percent concentration and focus I learned that after undercharging and had to push a lead bullet out of my Kimber Barrel thank goodness I didn’t damage it!
Remember when rifle powders came in metal cans and each was painted a different color? Sometimes technology can be dangerous.
Sorry you had a accident reloading , and hope you recover to be able to shoot and load again . Reloading is dangerous . We all know that . And mistakes do happen . But I sure would like to meet those “perfect” people out there who’ve never made a mistake .
Been reloading since age 13 , and I learned several things from the man who taught me . My Dad .
1. One bottle on the bench at a time.
2. Powder is NOT stored in the same room as loading equipment.
3. Loading is NOT a social activity.
4. Read the label TWICE . Then verify before you pour it in the measure.
Any kind of distractions ; phone , doorbell …Anything . Start that round over . Dump it and begin again . Think the pictures explain why ..Let’s be safe out there .
Another thing to consider is exercizing extreme vigilance when a load is so small, that double charging doesn’t spill over the top of the case. A friend used a Dillon 550 to load .45 ACP, using Winchester 231. A typical charge is between 4 and 6 grains, but guess what? Ten grains can fit in the case!
I know this because a different friend’s Glock 36 blew up after using what my friend had clearly double-charged. My lesson for me is to double check the charges in all stations if I stopped the flow of the process, as it’s easy to become distracted and come back and double charge unknowingly. I had bought hundred of my friend’s reloads and now have to check for double charges.
Hey Bowen,
I know i read it and the guy said “Operator Error”. Obviously youve never made a mistake before but the rest of us are human beings n make mistakes so get off your high horse and show a litte sympathy….
A story I heard a LONG time ago was how US special forces in Vietnam deliberately left where the VC would find it a cache of AK-47/SKS rifle ammo containing some cartridges salted with RDX high explosive.
Big surprise when some VC pulled the trigger in a firefight.
Maybe just a myth, but thought provoking.
Im sorry to hear about the incident that took place and I wish you a full recovery. See I’ve been reloading close to 25 years and being retired military and police I have loaded just about everything. I personally never have more than one canister of powder at any given time. My youngest son age 9 shots a 7mm-08 so I tested powder combinations that reduced the recoil yet still gave great performance and accuratacy.Using Hodgon H110 25 grains. Accompanied by Hornady 139 grain SST. Great for kids or beginners that like the Bigger Bore than the 243.
Hey Bowen: You’re the kind of person that states they do everything right and then Kill three people. You are not invincible, and just because you “triple” check everything does not mean you won’t die or be injured the same as the man that mixed up the powders. Stop Being Arrogant and accept that your not perfect. I have reloaded for 20 years, i have made mistakes, but i am still here because i can admit i make mistakes and can learn from them