Top 10 Reloading Fails — Do You Agree?
Shooting Times has released an article entitled “Ten Most Common Reloading Mistakes”. Listed below are the Top Ten mistakes hand-loaders can make, at least according to Shooting Times. What do you think of this list — does it overlook some important items?
Top Ten Reloading Mistakes According to Shooting Times:
1. Cracked Cases — Reloaders need to inspect brass and cull cases with cracks.
2. Dented Cases — Dents or divets can be caused by excess case lube.
3. Excessive Powder Charge — Overcharges (even with the correct powder) can be very dangerous.
4. Primers Not Seated Deep Enough — “High” primers can cause functioning issues.
5. Crushed Primers — Some priming devices can deform primers when seating.
6. Excess Brass Length — Over time, cases stretch. Cases need to be trimmed and sized.
7. Bullets Seated Too Far Out — If the bullet is seated too long you may not even be able to chamber the round. Also, with hunting rounds, bullets should not engage the rifling.
8. Burrs on Case Mouths — Ragged edges on case mouths can actually shave bullet jackets.
9. Excess Crimp — This is a common problem with pistol rounds loaded on progressives. If case lengths are not uniform some cases will get too much crimp, others too little.
10. Inadequate Crimp — This can be an issue with magnum pistol cartridges in revolvers.
Do you agree with this list? We think some important things are missing, such as not adjusting full-length sizing dies properly. This can cause the shoulder to be pushed back too far (or not far enough). Another common mistake is using brass that is worn out, i.e. stretched in the case-head area from multiple cycles of hot loads. We also think the #1 error a reloader can make is using the wrong powder altogether. That can be a fatal mistake. See what happens when you load pistol powder in a rifle.
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Tags: Mistakes, Over-Charge, Reloading, Shooting Times, Top Ten
This is a pretty vague list. How about not incrementally working up loads, starting low!
Comments that some things are missing seems to me to be out of place. You can’t create a list of “ten” reloading failures and not leave something out. What qualifies for the “Ten Most Common Reloading Mistakes” is anybody’s guess. I think the list is a good starting point, especially for the novice reloader who may have overlooked these important factors.
One of biggest issue I see at the range is shooters using brass that should have been tossed several firings ago.
I see lot of case separations due to over-doing FL sizing – that would be on my list for F-Class shooting. The Shooting Times list is attempting to cater for too many shooting categories I think. Problems will vary widely according to the category.
How about inserting primers backwards? Or rough hanldling primers, or not cleaning up spilled powder on your reloading table.
Not to forget, checking loaded ammo fit in chamber without removing the firing pin. Or, how about tumbling brass with live primers…
Point is: BE CAREFUL AND ALERT!!!!
Excessive powder charge WITH the wrong powder and bullet. Should be #1.
Assuming bullets can be substituted in listed load data based on projectile weight alone.
Assuming powder can be substituted based on similar burn rate alone is another.
Not annealing case necks is an expensive mistake.
Increasing pressures to dangerous levels by seating projectiles too deep in a case for an already hot load.
The list goes on and on…
I agree I see ppl who are chatting , doing all kinds of “multi tasking” while they pick out a random “Recipe” for their rifle , they ignore proper load work up and do not load anything but junk loads , why not just go by a bunch of the lowest cost “”Acme”” ammo you can findnif you dont do propper load development and stay on task, here in Alberta Canada they recently passed a distracted driver law to stop ppl from txt while driving to support thellegislation they didna huge study on multi tasking andfound that 99.9% of ppl can not do more then one intricate task at a time for 35 years iv loaded my owne and other precision hunting ammo useing for the last bunch of years Barnes bullets iv never ever loaded while distrated and with propper load developing all our rifles aremsub m.o.a with the best hunting bullets ever built and I oene rifles from 22-250 to 1886 45-70 the 1886 does shoot 2.5 inch but thats with my hard cast 405 gr bullets allmour other rifles shoot premium hunting bullets and as a retired guide I know the importance of good ammo one other thing on the list should be only hunt with F.L RESIZED BRASS I personaly only hunt with once fired full leigth resized brass it then goes into our general shootingnor s.h.t.f ammo after hunting season
1: Choosing powder and bullet arbitrarily without concern of published charge and pressure info.
2: trying to load the hottest loads for maximum velocity with heaviest bullets (leaving the least room for error in this case)
3: Depending on the art of tea leaf reading AKA analyzing spent precussion caps to guesstimate pressure and velocity
4: Assuming high pressure = high velovity
5: assuming more bullet weight = more powder needed
6: never buuying or using a chronometer to validate load data and expected speeds (implying predictable pressure range)
Bob, I totally agree with you on what should be number #1 thing to be wary of in reloading any cartridge. That the correct burning rate and quantity of propellant is used. I am lucky to be alive today. I took delivery of a brand new gunsmithed 6.5 BR based on a Tikka action. The first 5 rounds were ok. The sixth round blew the complete side of the receiver. How it missed my face while sitting at the Range bench I will never know. And I could not find the pieces. I made a mistake having 2 x powder cans on my bench. I will NEVER make any mistake again!!
Cracked cases. I keep my brass in groups of 20, all with same round count. When one cracks, they all get pitched. Others will surely follow. Sure way to mess up a nice group if you hang on to em.
Tumbling brass with live primers? Really? Well that is complete B.S. Do it all the time, have for many, many years.
No or not enough caselube when resizing
Failing to ensure the powder measure is completely empty when finishing a loading session, or on changing powders. We’ve seen a few accidents in the UK in recent years where components, load recipes and handloading practice have all been found to be good, but the common factor was that the handloader’s previous bench session had involved a faster burning powder used in the measure. If the tool isn’t entirely cleared, more than enough of the ‘old’ lot to cause major problems can be dumped into the first case charged in the ‘new’ lot.
There’s a big difference between most common and most dangerous.
While there are lots of common mistakes, we probably ought to focus on the mistakes that are most likely to get people hurt.
And there will be a lot more than ten of them.
For me its putting the occasional primer in upside down or seating the projectile a bit short are the biggest pains. Stuck cases are right up there too.
oh&s stuff.
Priming without safety glasses on. All the time for me. i do have a pair on the bench, but dont.
and i cant remember why? but had to hit a loaded round with a hammer while half drunk. is that bad? It worked out well, im obviously still here.