The dumbest reloading thing I'd ever done survey.

About 8 years ago I loaded up 100 rnds of .45 Colt. Went to the range, loaded 6 rounds into the cylinder, pulled the hammer back and fired, completely missing the target. Hmmm...thats odd I thought. Fired a second shot that hit the bottom right corner of the target and thats when I realized something was wrong. The shot sounded more like a .22lr as opposed to a .45. After a few seconds, I shrugged thinking it was just my imagination. I fired a third time. No bullet impact on the target and again, it sounded like, and recoil wise, felt like I was shooting a .22lr. I was just about to fire a fourth shot when that little voice inside my head said "WHOAAAA...hold up there pardner!!!" I removed the cylinder from the gun and shone a flashlight done the bore. Complete darkness. Packed up, went home and spent a half hour with a wooden dowel and hammer tapping out the bullet stuck in the bore...and another 2 hours pulling bullets with an RCBS inertia bullet puller.

To this day, I still have no idea how I managed to load 100 rnds without a powder charge.:eek:


Second dumbest thing I (almost) did: I thought a .311 Sierra 174gr HPBT would make a great bullet for the 7.62x39mm.

There was that voice again!
 
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Darren,

I've done the same thing-once! Did it with my .250 Savage in a Ruger 77 Ultralight. A round that sounded light stopped my loading-pulled the bullets and found one not charged with powder. I attributed it to two things: using a single stage press and how my components were lined up on my bench.

Best solution (and actually pretty quick) is to do a quick weigh of each round to determine if any are light. I have several scales: RCBS 5-0-5, a Frankfort Arsenal digital and an old Ohaus balance beam lab scale. Took only minutes to go through 100 rounds of .45 Colt this pst week to verify all were properly loaded.
 
@ Darren007

Wow, you might want to invest in a collet bullet puller for situations like
that, BEAT'S the hack out of beating with the inertia puller.
 
Wow, you might want to invest in a collet bullet puller for situations like
that, BEAT'S the hack out of beating with the inertia puller.
Click to expand...

Oh trust me, I have since upgraded! The inertia puller is fine for a couple of rounds, but 100? I ain't doin' that again!:p
 
Two of 'em

After my very first reloading session, I forgot to close the hopper on my powder measure before pulling it off my press... Powder went everywhere :mad:

Today, I went to Bass Pro to pick up a pound of Bullseye I ordered. On the way out of the store, I picked up the container by the cap from the shipping box and promptly dropped the bottle on the floor. The cap broke spilling powder everywhere...and the container is round so it rolled, spilling powder along the way. :eek: The manager was understanding and put a rush on a new container for me.
 
a few weeks ago I loaded up 300+ rounds of 5.56 with 55gr FMJ, and 24.9gr of H335 (or so I thought). I had apparently bumped the large weight on my beam scale to 25gr versus 20gr. End result, I had loaded 29.9gr of H335 and blew some primers and deformed a hand full of case heads.

I have since adjusted my processes to prevent and double check for correct charge weights.
 
So far the dumbest thing I've done in reloading is....I didn't start earlier in my life.

Of course, I'm about to get into casting so I'm sure I'll have something soon. Lol
 
Probably the single dumbest thing I have ever done, and still continue to do today, is to pass up components with the mentality of "I have enough of XXXX for now, I'll get some later".

Always seems to come back to kick me in the marble sack at some point in the future.
 
I used to have a bullet trap in my basement and could load one round at a time and fire it into the trap to check for pressure signs. Cost next to nothing to work up a max load. But one time I loaded 28 gr of 296 under a 200 gr JHP for my SBH and forgot to put my headphones back on before firing into the trap. Old house with concrete basement and 7' ceiling. I thought my head exploded when that round went off, and I had tinitus for over a week. I scared myself good with that one.
 
I have a trapbox in my basement too. Very loud, my basement \garage has steel beams and the whole house vibrates after a shot....brriiiiiiinggggg

I must say, I put a lot of work into that box, but rarely use it. Maybe seen 15-20 shots. But I like having it anyway
 
Got something now.

In post 129, I mentioned I was about to get into casting and only dumb thing I've done is not start reloading sooner. Well, I can cross off not doing something dumb.

The first week of casting was going good. Well, it was a really hot and humid day here in Arkansas, so I decided to not wear the welding sleeves I bought to wear when casting.

I can tell you, that a hot mold can leave a 3rd degree burn pretty quick on the inside of a forearm. I accidentally touched one of my molds to my forearm and talk about hot!!!

Won't ever not wear those sleeves again when I'm casting.
 
The dumbest thing

Buying all factory ammo and not reloading to begin with, my biggest goof. So I decided to repent. Now the dumbest thing one could do is not read every slam one of these posts FIRST, not pausing to laugh at the exploits of 1006, and ignoring the collective wisdom of those who precede us
 
Back in the 80's reloading the Ruger Blackhawk 44, so I was good I thought.
Well hit the range the next day shot about 7 cylinders full , on the next 6 well pulled the hammer and bang saw fire come out the side and front of the cylinder, said wow, well I pulled the rest off, and had to beat the empty cases out the cylinder, till today I don't know what I did, I guess my scale might of shifted a tad on the load weight, using a RCBS 505 scale and a RCBS Powder measure.
Maybe should of stopped , but young , and well young.so maybe foolish.
In the military at the time.
Another one I was resizing the 44 mag cases not enough lube, on one, the press an RCBS Rock chucker was clamped to a brand new Kitchen table in the Apartment, well snapped the end of the table off trying to get the case out, holding the press and the table in one hand, I did get a slight chuckle out of that one though.
Landlady did not think so though.;)




Jeff
 
Was loading a box of 6mm. First time at the bench for a couple months. Started putting primers in got to 18 and decided to look to make sure everything was good. Ended up forgetting the last time I reloaded was 222 which was the 1st time I used the small primer ram and forgot it was still in. Primers seated just fine except for a small moon on the 1 side of the primer. Loaded up anyway didn't look to bad.
 
Just a couple months ago I loaded some 9mm with 122 grain LTC bullets, and messed up bad. For some reason, I loaded 1 grain more powder then usual. Using Titegroup (a little goes a long way) I was pushing lead bullets out at what was very near +P ranges. Needless to say, after about 20 rounds, the barrel was so badly leaded the bullets were key holing at 10 yards. Took me a while to clean the bore, but no damage done.
 
Not the dumbest, but pretty stupid: about a year or two ago, I "organized" components and then forgot I "organized" them! Net effect, I forgot how many primers, how much powder and how many rounds of .22 LR I had stored. Now I have duplicates of duplicates and I'm left thinking "did I hide a cache of cash somewhere, or didn't I?".
 
Needed a mold to cast Minies for a Colt BP musket I have.

I really thought I had bought a new one several years before, so I went through my
60 some molds one at a time looking in each box.
No luck.

So down to the black powder shop I go and buy a new one.

Got home, walked to the reloading drawer to set it down while I dug out handles.
I set the orange Lyman box right next to the identical one (with dust on it) I had bought years before afterall.

LOL Tony Z!
Upside is that it feels like Christmas morning as you find all the goodies you had stashed away and forgotten.

JT
 
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