Confession time

[BruceB]

>>>>Written by BruceB, wherein the initial, "B", for today at least stands for "BOOBY".

A few facts:

-I've been an active shooter for at least sixty years, and a handloader for about fifty years.

-ALL my rifle reloads go into BLUE Midway boxes (just because I like blue... I likely have eighty or more of the 50-round boxes)

-My DSA FAL rifle is in .308/7.62 NATO

- My daughter has a Browning A-Bolt in 7mm-08

-I load her ammunition for that rifle

Soooo....today NVCurnudgeon and I went to the Carson City range. I took the FAL and he had his new-to-him 1914 #1 MkIII.

The FAL didn't work well at all, and I was fiddling with the gas adjustment for quite a while.Taking a break, I was sitting at the bench when I looked at one of those blue ammo boxes, from which I'd been loading the FAL mags.

On the end of the box, in (I swear) flashing neon lights, ( are you ahead of me?) were the helpful and informative numbers "7mm 08"!

Yep... I'd mistakenly grabbed a box of "daughter reloads", thinking they were .308s like the other boxes I'd brought along.

It's no danged wonder the poor rifle was short-stroking and otherwise messing up. That 7mm bullet rattling down a .308 bore simply didn't allow the pressure to reach a point high enough to properly operate the action.

The fired 7mm cases were in good shape, except that the necks had expanded large enough to slip right over the bullet AND neck of loaded 7-08 rounds. The rifle is fine, too, as we might expect. It worked flawlessly with the PROPER ammunition I tried after discovering my 'misteak'.

I've never done anything this dumb with a firearm in my entire career. Still, it happened, which goes to show that things can sneak up and bite our butts ANYTIME that we don't pay attention.

Okay... I went first, but I know that many (most?) of us have done equally-crazy things in our activities.... so, 'FESS UP! I hate this lonely, exposed feeling that I have, with only my own stupidity to contemplate! I need some company out on this branch that I'm slowly sawing-off.

Sheesh.... what a day.

(NVC was far more successful.... that 100-year-old .303, still with its original barrel, gave him a fifty-yard five-shot group of about one inch, with a Lyman 48 aperture sight and 78-year old eyeballs. I wuz impressed! This, with 314299 and 2400 powder.)

[454PB]

I pulled a similar prank......I fired a .44 magnum cartridge in my .454 Puma rifle. No harm done, but an interesting looking fired case.

[btroj]

Haven't done that yet. Did make a 45 minute trip to the range with no ammo once. Also went out to shoot my 1911, had ammo but no magazines.

Scariest I saw was a kid in deer camp trying his damnedest to fit a 308 into the 7x57 I was using. I had to mention that he had the wrong rifle......

[Pilgrim]

How about a 7X57 in a .270 Win. #1? Bullet hit about 6" from point of aim @ 100 yds. We (#2 son) and I were a bit confused as the 7X57 (his #1AB), and .270 (my #1B) were/are both < 1" rifles. It took a bit before we figured out what had happened. He had accidently grabbed my .270 and fed it the 7X57 round. The 7X57 case had essentially no neck after being fire formed in the .270 chamber! Imagine that...The rifle was OK after the "test". Hard to imagine a .284 bullet pushed thru a .277 barrel with no damage. Especially as it was a near max. load. It wasn't an experience we were proud of, nor one we repeated! Pilgrim

[blikseme300]

Bought a brace of Stoeger Cougar pistols in 9mmP & 40S&W some time ago. Nice economical pistols but not paying attention at the range and found that the magazines fit each other well. A 9mmP magazine fitted the .40 caused a much too small boolit hitting the dirt about 20yrds from the shooting point. Interesting case shape as a result.

Funny thing is I have found similar cases at an indoor range where I get free brass so I don't hold sole title to being stoopid.

[MTtimberline]

Once while elk hunting I took the bolt out of the rifle to look down the bore at the pickup. I didn't notice I forgot to put it back in until I went to put one in the chamber. Only had walked about a mile in though.

[alfloyd]

I was test firing a AR-15 rifle I was going to buy.
It kept chambering a round every once in a while but not firing it.
After a while I looked at the rounds carefully and found that my friend had mixed in some 222 rounds with the 223 rounds.
The 222 rounds would go into the 223 chamber far enough that the firing pin would not hit the primer.
I let him know about this, but I also bought the rifle.

Lafaun

[CastingFool]

A friend told me that he unknowingly fired a .308 W round in a 30-06. He noticed the recoil and sound was a little different, then he ejected the funny looking cartridge and at first he thought he had a head separation. then he looked at the headstamp, and realized what he had done.

[Wolfer]

I once fired a 30-06 marked case that had found its way into my 270 cases thru my 30-06. I saw the bullet hit about 30 yds out and on close exam of the case I knew what had happened. When loading my 45 colt cases I've found a couple marked 44 spl that looked like they might have been pregnant.
In my defense I didn't shoot those, a couple buddies were out and shooting my two guns.

My brother had a good rule at one time. For him anyway, wouldent be for me. All his cartridges had to be noticeably different. He had 22 mag, 44 mag, 45 acp 223, 270, 300 mag 416 rem. He has the over 40 eyes like many of us here and when he picked one up he didn't have to look at the head stamp.

[DRNurse1]

Bought a brace of Stoeger Cougar pistols in 9mmP & 40S&W some time ago. Nice economical pistols but not paying attention at the range and found that the magazines fit each other well. A 9mmP magazine fitted the .40 caused a much too small boolit hitting the dirt about 20yrds from the shooting point. Interesting case shape as a result.

Funny thing is I have found similar cases at an indoor range where I get free brass so I don't hold sole title to being stoopid.

LOL--I have a couple of those cases I use in my classes (found on a range in PA)! Used to re-enforce the 'match the ammunition to the label on the barrel' lesson.

[Sweetpea]

Went out spotlighting jackrabbits some years back.

Picked up my buddy at his house, and he handed me a 223 round, and asked me if I wanted to use his rifle, he was going to use his 22-250.

I passed, as I had a new rifle for the brand-new 17HMR, and I wanted to use it.

Apparently, he stuck the 223 shell in his pocket, and it ended up in his 22-250.

Brass and gas came back around the bolt, and he ended up with a bloody face, but luckily everything missed his eyes.

[Catshooter]

A very good friend of mine has been a gunsmith since 1958. He's told me that on two separate occasions two different people have brought him rifles 7mm mag that they had fired 308 rounds in. Both rifles were fine and showed no issues.

They both said that they almost got their deer with 'em too. :)


Cat

[DRNurse1]

Now for the Bubba oops:

Picked up a new to me 1911A1 and was setting it up for Conventional pistol semi-wadcutter in .45ACP. Fired about 50 rounds and had it pretty much where I wanted it. Tried it on the line at a league and it failed to cycle on the first round [!?!?]

Put it aside, finished with my Ball gun then took it to the range. Fired another box without difficulty [???].

Back to the league the next week, and another fail to cycle on the first round. The RO thought I was messing around with him: 'did you break your wrist or elbow....'

Back to the range, this time with the 'Match' ammo as well as the practice stuff. 10 rounds--no issue; first round of 'Match' failed to function [!!!].

Ammo and gun go back to the shop and while I was contemplating a lighter recoil spring and other modifications, I decided to pull some boolits. Guess who found 2.5 gr of Bullseye appearing powder in the Match rounds? I loaded about 500 rounds for a .45ACP revolver once about 20 years ago then, apparently, put them aside. Guess which Match ammo failed to function my 'new to me' pistol....(glad I did not start cutting down springs etc.)?

I pulled the rest of my loaded 45ACP cartridges, and checked a couple from each box I was not certain I could identify. Found the rest of those pesky light revolver loads and the RO was suitably pleased with the result.

[TXGunNut]

Seen some odd things at a pulic range, a few are scary. 300 win mag in a 300 wby mag happens almost every year, long about October. Believe it or not a 308 round in a 270 rifle actually works-once. We even got a calculator out to try to figure out how long that bullet was when it finally exited the bore.
To tell one on myself I had a squib in a revolver that cleared the forcing cone and stopped about 2" into the barrel. It was the 2nd or 3rd round of a 12-shot string in a big match, I gambled that it had exited the bore. I lost. Still using that Douglas barrel for a paperweight.

[bruce381]

""Did make a 45 minute trip to the range with no ammo once. Also went out to shoot my 1911, had ammo but no magazines.""

+1

shot some 41 mag through a 44 mag real funny looking expanded half front end on them

[Dutch4122]

I was 20 years old and home from college for the summer. On a Saturday off from work I went over to a High School buddies place to do some shooting. I had taken my 1951 M94 .30-30, 20 gauge Savage 311 Double, and a .22 Semi-Auto. My buddy had a 12 gauge over & under, .22 Semi-Auto, and a Remington 742 Semi-Auto in .308. When I got there he said his two little brothers were coming along to his shooting spot on nearby state land. They were aged 13 and 11 years. The younger one was a bit "hyper-active" but I didn't realize how bad until we started shooting. What I also didn't know was that apparently he knew nothing about firearms.

After we were there about a 1/2 hour he (the 11 yr. old) walks up to me with my .30-30 and the action was partially open. He announces that the "bullet's stuck in it." I thought that two things weren't right here; 1st of all he hadn't asked permission to touch my rifle, and 2nd of all I had just fired 3 or 4 rounds through the gun 10 minutes before and it cycled just fine from the tube to the chamber and extracted/ejected just fine.

I checked and saw that there was a cartridge jammed under the lifter! While I was wondering how the kid did that and how I was gonna clear that mess out my buddy walked up asking his little brother if he'd taken one of his .308 Winchester shells out of the box. He was holding a new box of shells with one missing. I looked at him and said yep, and I just found it.

Seems that little brother had managed to get a .308 Winchester round through the loading gate, but obviously the rim wasn't big enough to catch on the stop, and the tube magazine spring pushed it right out into the action. Of course, he had tried to open the lever several times before bringing the gun to me. We managed to get the cartridge out and the gun put back together; and there appeared to be no damage to the rifle, which functions fine to this day.

Apparently, little brother had "figured out" how to load the thing by watching me. Then after a few minutes he couldn't stand the urge to shoot the "cowboy gun" any longer and decided to give it a whirl on his own while my back was turned. He just "didn't know anything about different guns taking different bullets." And, apparently didn't know anything about asking first!

So, shooting fun was then over for everybody. My buddy apologized for his little brother, and smacked him upside the head; then lectured him about how he could've been seriously hurt or killed using the wrong ammunition in a rifle. We packed up and went back to their house. I went home shortly after.

Later that day my buddy called me to apologize again; and to let me know that the 11 yr old had taken a serious **** whippin' from his 13 yr old brother. It seems that the 13 yr old, who had shot before, taken hunter's safety, and had been having a good (safe) time shooting the .22 Semi-Auto decided that the 11 yr old needed something knocked loose in his noggin so this kind of thing wouldn't happen again. Of course, his little brother had ruined it for him. Who can blame the kid, eh?:wink:

I learned a valuable lesson too. Kids have to be watched at all times; and probably should not be along on certain shooting excursions. Especially other people's kids, younger siblings that you don't know anything about.

[Hunter]

That makes me think of the guy that tried to fire a 300 Blackout out of a AR 15 chambered in 5.56. That did not work well at all.
I am glad all is well with you and your rifle.

I did try .40 S&W out of a Glock 20. It worked but accuracy was poor (even for a Glock).

[Bullwolf]

I have left the magazine for a specific firearm at home before during a trip to a public range, only to realize it later upon arrival. I blame that more on taking apart and locking everything up for travel. It's a much smaller issue when you are shooting at home to just walk inside and get it.

Here's a better story still. One of my oldest friends who's still kicking came over to my family Ranch to show me his newest fantastic plastic pistol. If memory serves it was a Springfield XD in 40 S&W.

I had been mowing brush in the back 40 with the bushwhacker on the old Ford tractor at the time, and was carrying a stainless Smith & Wesson 4506 auto pistol holstered on my belt with a snake load on top.

Each of us was curious about the others pistol, so we unloaded our guns, did our safety checks and then tore both guns apart to take a good look at each.

I really don't like anyone handling my gun in general, even someone I know and somewhat trust. I remember intentionally pocketing the magazine for the 4506 since that pistol has a magazine removal safety. That type of pistol will not fire with the magazine removed.

My thinking was that as long as I had the magazines and ammunition in my personal possession there would be a lesser chance for any sort of accident to happen.

After looking over each others pistols and re-assembling I promptly re-holstered my 4506. Later in the day I went on about my business and finished mowing the back field. At the end of the day when I came in and hung up my pistol, and I noticed that there was no magazine in the gun. I had a senior moment (and a brief panic while I worried I'd lost a magazine in the dirt somewhere on the tractor) and then after thinking back I realized I never re-inserted the magazine in the gun after disassembling it. This was the first time I have ever done something like that, and I plan on it also being the last.

Yes, I realize it's a twist on the bifocals that you're looking for being right on top of your head the whole time, only since a gun is involved the episode shook me up.

I sure was glad I didn't need a pistol that day. Wonder how long it would have taken me to realize there was no mag in the gun had I needed it.

When I am not carrying a revolver now... I find myself double checking to make sure that a magazine is firmly seated and actually in the pistol when working on the Ranch. A somewhat embarrassing confession from me, with a lesson learned and thankfully a happy ending.




- Bullwolf

[Bad Water Bill]

Bruce

I keep loaded ammo in those nice plastic boxes.

Each box has been carefully sprayed thru a stencil made for that particular cartridge. Top and all 4 sides.

A 3 X 5 card and a set of stick on letters makes the job a lot easier. Place the letters and # where you want them then cut them out of the card. If you get to much paint on the card wipe the paint off with a paper towel and keep spraying. When you are finished wipe the card clean and store it in your card file.

Yes it does take time but better safe than sorry.

[kweidner]

I once took both 9mm and 40 and set them on the range table. Was going back and forth beteween the two. On one .40 mag I had a very weak round. Looked down to find the case and had an interesting looking 9mm that would hold a .40 boolit. No problems but I saved that case to remind me that crazy things can happen. It sits on top of my reloading bench.

[smokeywolf]

Done a lot of stupid things, but not with a firearm. YET...

I admire the moxie of all who describe their mistakes and oversights in this thread. I would be surprised if it doesn't help others be more aware.

smokeywolf

[BruceB]

Well, it sure is nice to have some company in my state of "How in blazes did I DO that?!?"

I figured there would be some instructional dialogue, to illustrate just how easily things can go belly-up in no time flat. Thanks to all for your contributions.

With regard to marking the boxes, I use a tape-type "Brother"-brand label-maker to create the specific labels for each box. I've used this machine for years and it works great. The ends of the boxes have the caliber I.D. semi-permanently installed, and on top I place a label with the basic info on the loads within. For example: "7mm 08 139 STX 40 H335 CCI 200 Jan 21 14''. This info fits on a single strip of the labeling tape.

This is enough information to allow easy reference to my Loading Diary, which is a loose-leaf binder with much more detailed data about the load.

The labeling tape is white and contrasts well with the box color, and the printer will make black letters up to about 3/8" in height.... plainly visible. Where I failed today was in NOT LOOKING at the labels. As I said earlier..... dumb!

Paint will certainly be more durable, but the stick-on plastic tape has given me zero problems over the years, even if it gets wet. Also, I like having the option of just pulling off the label if I need the box for a different caliber.

[oldarkie]

I missed a nice buck one day with my 25-06 at 50 yards , it dosnt shoot 257 Roberts very well at all.

[Cherokee]

I did the 41Mag in 45 Colt trick one day - took me half a box to figure that out. And the box was clearly labled, I got the gun's confused.

[white eagle]

one time sittin at the bench shooting my 45 colt and 44 mag I loaded the 44s in the 45 and proceeded to fire two rounds before I firured out what I did ...oops

[55BoysATR]

I saw the end result of a 300 win mag fired in a 7mm STW..... Gunsmith snapped the bolt handle on the Rem 700 trying to get it open. Action & barrel remained intact. The smith managed to get it open and showed me the fired cartridge case stuck firm to the bolt head from the pressure. Story goes that when the little Laotian guy touched her off at the range, the recoil knocked him off his chair.

[Anonym]

Yup, I keep my calibers consolidated and obviously different from one another for this reason. I did manage to add a 380ACP because I could interchange most components with my 9mm when reloading, just have to keep a careful eye on which cases I have.

[MOcaster]

I haven't managed any serious mess ups yet with a firearm. At least, not shooting one. I was taking apart my 1911 the first day I got it. I had done it probably five times already that day. The last time I was taking it apart, I wasn't wearing safety glasses and I didn't get my hand over the spring. A stock 1911 spring will shoot off the guide rod fast! It hit me just over the right eye. I had a black eye for a week.

[osteodoc08]

I've gone to the range and left ammo, hearing protection and guns (had others, but forgot a case)...all on seperate days.

My brother went through 3-4 magazines worth of 40S&W in his 10mm before he realized it. They all cycled, ejected and loaded fine BTW.

I went to check some 41 mag ammo I made up last night and was puzzled when I had plopped it in the blackhawk cylinder and it was very loose. My stainless Bisley 45 colt was next to my stainless bisley 41 and I picked up the 45.

I've been frustrated with a non functioning 1911 mag that turned out to be a compact mag in a full size 1911.

When I was a young teen, I was shooting at my 100 yard target and couldnt figure out why I didnt see my group. That's when my father piped up and said I had a good group.....on his target.

I shot a deer as a teen during buck only season. It ran about 20 yards, but fell into a creek. I walked up to it and didnt see any antlers. I was about tho $hit a brick. I then had a snake try to tag me as I was trying to get down to the creek as there was a 3 foot drop off. I took care of it with my 243. Dad heard a shot and I could hear him hollering for me. I didnt want to tell him I shot a doe. I went to drag the doe out of the creek and prepare for my butt whoopin only to find out it was a buck.....its other 4 pointed side broke off in a fight.

I was in a tree stand as my father was pushing deer towards us. My brother was below me. I thought it would be funny to act like I was spitting on him. He turned really quick and caught a tree peg in the face and knocked out a tooth. To this day, he has the straightest teeth of anyone in our family.....I needed braces.

Thats about it. I see I'm in good company.

[USAFrox]

Ok, I've got one to add. When I was brand new to reloading, I hadn't yet gotten down the rhythm of how everything works, nor had I built yet the good habits associated with reloading. As it turns out, I had somehow forgotten to put ANY powder in one of my .45 ACP cartridges. When I fired it, the explosion of the primer was enough to push the jacketed bullet out of the case and lodge it firmly in the throat of the barrel. It even ejected the empty case. But when it tried to load the next round, the round stopped against the stuck bullet in the throat, just shy of going fully into battery, so it didn't load or fire. It was quite lucky for me - if the bullet had lodged just a little farther in the barrel, and allowed the next round to chamber and fire... that would have ruined my whole day.

[Bullshop Junior]

I shot myself in the foot...with a rifle...

[USAFrox]

Bullshop Jr. wins. :grin:

[Bullshop Junior]

Bullshop Jr. wins. :grin:

That made me bust up laughing and now I have to wipe Dr. Pepper from my phone.

[gkainz]

After a 2 hour drive to an elk hunting area, opened up the bow case to discover all target point arrows in the case. Still don't recall switching out the broadheads for target points.

[country gent]

One of the early conversion tricks for garands was a chamber insert to make chamber 308 / 7.62 from 30-06. These little steel inserts were locktited and pressed in place. Made a inexpensive conversion but left a long "throat" to deal with. I believe the navey originally used these to convert rifles. I have seen twice on ranges where the insert has pulled out with a fired case and the next 308 is fired in the 06 chamber. Makes for a pretty much straight walled 308 case. I have found these cases occasionally on the local clubs range also. I have had gentleman tell me I can use 45-70 in my 45-90 rifle. Have been told 380 is a light load for 9mm ( guys reasoning was it was akin to 38s in 357 or 44 spl in 44 mag). Also seen seen a guy shooting 45 gap in 45 acp 1911. Theres alot out here that dont fully understand what they are working with, pressure headspace and mechanics.
And yes I have went to the range with the wrong ammo for the ifle I was using that day. Forgotten the spotting scope at home on the porch once also.
Most expensive opps was at the National at Perry, We were cleaning rifles a competitor and all his gear walked up and Leaned his NM M1A against the bumper of his truck alnog side the tail gate. Loaded his gear closed the tail gate and a friend came up they talked a few minutes. He climbed in the cab and backed over the cased rifle having forgotten about it. Always doing a double check of gear and equipment when ever you are loading unloading or have been interuppted/disttracted will help stop these incidents from happening.

[Foto Joe]

I have a good friend with grown kids and they took off this last New Years Day for some shooting. Apparently they weren't the first ones to try and load a .308 into a '94 Winchester 30-30. My buddy now knows a LOT more about taking one apart than he did last year.

Similarly a few weeks ago I was out with the same buddy and another friend. The friend apparently loaded 40 S&W into a Sig 45ACP magazine successfully and it even fired the whole mag without failing. The eye opener came when his girlfriend was picking up the brass a minute later and brought one up to me that was completely blown out. I'm looking at it and all of a sudden the little lightbulb in my head gets slightly brighter making me realize that it CAN be done.

[DRNurse1]

...I learned a valuable lesson too. Kids have to be watched at all times; and probably should not be along on certain shooting excursions. Especially other people's kids, younger siblings that you don't know anything about.

Not Just kids. I teach firearm safety and use the buddy system with the folks learning. Usually I start with a pistol session inert (practice) looks like a firearm blue guns, then air pistols, then .22LR, then if folks want, centerfire (.38SP, .30ACP, 9MM, .45ACP).

A long time ago, I had five couples in the class, so I borrowed a .22cal air pistol to go with the four .177cal air pistols in my case. The plan on the firing line is for each person to shoot 5 rounds with the other half watching and 2 RO's and myself available at an 8 x 11 sheet at 25 feet. Then the other half of the team shoots their 5, then the team repeats. Once each person has placed 10 shots in the required area of their target, they can move on to 22LR @ 50 feet.

So the first group finished with this process happened to be to be the pair shooting the 22cal air pistol. Ammunition and firearm removed from the bench and the same process started with the 22LR pistol. Well the RO stepped away after he was satisfied they were doing things right and was helping the group next to them. Shortly, no more reports heard form that point. I watched them load one round inthe chamber, close the action, stance, grip, sight, squeeze, CLICK!!!

Called a cease fire, stepped over to them and immediately noticed the box of .22cal pellets on the bench. Seems one of them did not care for the report of the 22LR and tried the 22cal pellet instead...four times!

Easily cleared, and a valuable lesson, plus I declined several subsequent offers to use other than .177cal air guns. Remember adults not kids and they just went throught the safety session.....go figure.

[Walter Laich]

I've reloaded .44-40 cases in my 45 Colt progressive. They shoot pretty well and when I find the brass I can give it to a .44-40 shooter and he's good to go. Try not to do this as a rule but Murphy and all....

[Djones]

When cleaning off the bench I mixed two live primers with my reject boolits. Well when you add live primers to 650F lead you get something that rivals Mt. Saint Helens on a garage scale. Molten lead everywhere! I'm glad that I had my safety glasses, long sleeves and leather gloves on. To say the least I have totally cleaned up and streamlined my alloy addition method.

I've also given primers the respect that they deserve.

[btroj]

Bullshop Jr. wins. :grin:

I'm not sure this is one I want to win.....

[Bullshop Junior]

I'm not sure this is one I want to win.....

Thats why it cracked me up. Maybe we should start a annual "gun dunce" award.

[Mal Paso]

I've seen 44 mag in a 45 Colt chamber several times. The one I don't get is how a 308 ever fired in a 308 Norma Magnum chamber. Bullet cleared the bore, no damage.

[kingemandigger]

I bought my first rifle when I was 13, a surplus swiss k31. I also go some of the accessories for it, including the brass barrel cap. We were at the range and I was about to fire my new gun, trying to make a good impression with the people at the range. The a range officer said Woah and grabbed the gun. It turns out I had forgot to take the cap off the end of the barrel.

[btroj]

Thats why it cracked me up. Maybe we should start a annual "gun dunce" award.
Maybe we can get the Admins to create a "Golden foot" award for the winner of the gun dunce award.

Wonder who wins the first one.....

[clintsfolly]

Was at a shoot and packed up to leave. Got home and the wife said your buddy call and said thanks for the new handgun. Yep left my new 454 Super Redhawk at the range. Glad I have good friends. Clint

[btroj]

http://i1348.photobucket.com/albums/p733/Btroj/image_zpsf09a9d78.jpg (http://s1348.photobucket.com/user/Btroj/media/image_zpsf09a9d78.jpg.html)

Congrats Daniel

[kingemandigger]

I was once switching Unique out of my lee powder measure and unintentionally poured it into a 1lb. Jar of WSF. Still have that jar, and cringe when I look at the powder and see little flakes among the ball type wsf. The two have similar burn rates so I will probably end up making some light loads with it some day; I'm not crazy enough yet though

[leeggen]

I beleive Bulshop JR. has it so far!!!! Bulshop Jr. don't feel bad my Dad when he was a kid was setting on a bridge railing shooting his 22 and shot the tip off his big toe. Was using his feet to rest the barrel on, just pulled back a touch to far.
CD

[fatelk]

Now I don't feel so bad having shot a couple mags full of .380acp through my CZ82 9mm Makarov. They are quite similar and it cycled fine, just not real accurate. I only noticed when I was picking up the funny-looking empties.

One time many years ago, when I had a 100 yard range out my back door (sure miss that), I had cleared out a bunch of vine maple with my chainsaw. I ended up with a bunch of branches 3-4 inches in diameter, so I cut them into soup-can-sized chunks and set them up to shoot at. It took a while to set them up, at about 20 yds in front of tall grass.

I went in and got my .45 and .22 pistols and shot the daylights out of them, until the thought popped into my mind that I didn't remember putting my saw away. Yep, you guessed it. I had left it in the grass behind the targets.

I still have it. It still runs great, and it still has a .22 bullet lodged in the plastic where it bounced off the cylinder head. I was just glad it was the .22 and not the .45. :)

[onceabull]

I didn't do this,but I was there for the "rest of the story".. Happened during a late season elk Hunt on the Salmon River side of the Seven Devils..Long enough ago that I still had a day job,which is why we didn't pull up at roads end until deep dusk..Hunting partner that day was (and still is)the guy with most seniority among those still living.. Was around 11:30 PM when we set up the Mountain tent about 300 yds east of the crest of Cannonball Mtn. BUT we were down on the ridge north side of Blue Gulch by 0 dark 30...Nothing legal tried to cross by 11 AM, so it's" What Next time".. Decision has him dropping down to the gulch bottom and working up while I patrol the horse trail across to the south side...I'm around halfway when I hear the 338 W. cut loose down and away...30-40 seconds later another round ( an aha moment,because that's the finisher)..But 2 minutes or so later there's another, and another in the next 5 minutes... OH, well he had to chase him through that XXXX down there..NO sound of gunfire or human voice for about 3 more hours,when I decide that If I'm making camp by nightfall I better start on the long uphill grind..With Camp finally in sight, I stop and look back,and here he steps out of the timber maybe 1500 yds away and 300 ft elevation drop... Supper was ready to serve when he finally approaches,bearing a blue grouse gutted and plucked...To ? about a lot of rifle for one blue grouse,and after recovering his breath, he says "it wasn't quite what you are thinking.." Turns out the first two rounds didn't seem to have any effect on the 6 x Bull at 60-70yds,but the bolt on the BAR had to be returned to battery manually.. After the second round the elk decided anyplace else was better..Now our hunter is certain that the elk is laying dead just out of sight,but golly, there's no hair/blood.. So, 3 rd is off at a good size tree out there 60-70 yds. but no visible effect.. time for round 4 ,same tree but at about 30 ft..NADA, but FINALLY a failure to eject.. up close and personal inspection shows that 7 MM Rem Mag.down 338 Win Mag barrel seriously lacks accuracy..IT was a Long hike back to truck and return, but he did have supper calories to burn..AND I am one XXXX of an elk camp cook..Some things are best done at the range by those whose attention wavers. !!!! There's a semi-repeat a few years later,but this is way more than enough keyboarding...Onceabull

[onceabull]

Epistle just above may remind some of Marshall Stantons' story about his "ONE ALL-PURPOSE MAGNUM"----onceabull

[RogerDat]

One time wife and myself were plinking away, I with 357 DA only, she with her 38. I stopped for a bit and offered to let her load some 38 in my pistol so she could get a feel for it without the recoil of the 357. So she loads and goes pop, pop, pop, BAM! a 357 round was left in from my shooting or loaded by her, how was never resolved. All I know is I would not have had to eat my own cooking for quite so long if it hadn't been a +P.

[LAH]

Haven't shot my foot but had a close encounter with my Stihl.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/Creekerpics/DSC03907.jpg (http://s66.photobucket.com/user/Creekerpics/media/DSC03907.jpg.html)

[tazman]

With Murphy so active with the crew on this site, it's a wonder we can all sit here and type about it.:grin:
I don't have anything to compete with these stories, at least yet.

[Bullshop Junior]

Haven't shot my foot but had a close encounter with my Stihl.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/Creekerpics/DSC03907.jpg (http://s66.photobucket.com/user/Creekerpics/media/DSC03907.jpg.html)

Ive dont that one more then once. When I was cutting wood for a living, i once took a chunk out my boot, and ripped my sock open with the saw, but never scratched my foot.

[pretzelxx]

I tried to put a belt of 5.56 on a 7.62 MG once. They were dummies, but I was awake for too many hours at the time. Just finished cleaning them and was doing a function check, no wonder it didn't load the rounds....

[fatelk]

I don't have anything to compete with these stories, at least yet.
You must be young. :)

Nice close call there with the boot, LAH. I had one closer once, wearing rubber boots. The chain chewed through the boot easy enough and snagged my sock pretty good, but not a scratch on my foot. I learned to wear steel toe leather boots after that. Come to think of it, I've learned to be careful the hard way in a lot of things.

Added: I swear I'm not a copycat Junior- looks like I was typing when you posted the same thing. I guess your feet are just chainsaw proof, but not quite bulletproof, huh?

[tazman]

fatelk wrote:You must be young.

At 62 I certainly don't feel that way! Perhaps it's just my Alzheimers kicking in. What were we talking about anyway?

[Djones]

fatelk wrote:You must be young.

At 62 I certainly don't feel that way! Perhaps it's just my Alzheimers kicking in. What were we talking about anyway?

I think you have part-timers you only forget things part of the time.

[LAH]

Sawed for a living a several years, both trees & firewood. Only cut once enough for stitches. Cut another boot once, took part of the sole off next to the toe, didn't know it till I was home & taking the boot off. Blame that one on Henry McKenna.

[frkelly74]

I'll take the 5th.

[LAH]

i'll take the 5th.

hee hee

[lwknight]

I was about 18 or 19 when I first started reloading. I bought some 2400 for my SBH 44mag loads. I read that it was a compressed load at 24 grains. So I loaded the powder and it would not fit so I reduced the load till I could get the bullet stuffed in. Never noticed that the flat noses were round from the seater die.

Went to the range and the first shot busted the cylinder. I went bach to the bench and figured out that I had missed the mark on the scales. I actually started at 34 grains and reduced to something like 30 so it was a compressed load alright.

Ruger fixed it for free. I guess they never thought that someone could actually bust a Ruger cylinder.

[Down South]

Had one with a S&W 624. I was target shooting at my range and fired a round that I knew was lighter loaded than should have been. I scratched my head wondering why. I figured it out 20 or so rounds later. I fired a round that was much hotter than it should have been.
I figure the powder funnel on my Dillon must have bridged on the light load and dumping a hefty charge in the next round. That's the first and only time I've had a problem like that.

[whisler]

"Blame that one on Henry McKenna." Ah, good sour mash!!!

[LAH]

"Blame that one on Henry McKenna." Ah, good sour mash!!!

Glad all that's behind. Haven't touched a drop in 13 years.

[lka]

I was weighing out the shot in the mec, I went through a bunch of times and realized I was pouring the shot into the powder tube, this was today lol, wife was talking to me while I was doing it. It took an hr shifting the lead out of the powder..

A couple weeks ago I was loading .223 in the lnl ap, I had a full tube of h-335 (Hard to find around here) again my wife goes to the garage door and starts talking, the damn tube fell over/off spilling powder all over the place, of course my floor had walnut all over from pulling the brass out before loading. I rigged up a tube full of screen stacked, cleaned it, there was still some walnut in the stuff, I loaded light .223s and took to the range, they all shot fine through the ar, no issues lol. (Don't ever do it, I'm a lucky idiot and should've blown myself up)

I may need a new wife. And a new pound of h-335.

[Down South]

Just loaded 300 rds of 5.56/223 this afternoon with H 335. I just popped the top off a new 8lb jug to start.
I know H335 and Varget are both hard to come by right now.

[ghh3rd]

When I got my first mold I was excited and wanted to cast at least one boolit. I got out the small backpack one burner coleman stove and pumped it up and lit it. Per procedure, after a minute I started pumping again to get it going strong, but the gas suddenly shot out of the pump and covered my hand. Before I could react my hand burst into fire, and I was waving it around, with loud swishing noises. Boy Scout training kicked in and I stopped panicking and smothered it promptly between my arm and winter coat.

I never figured out why the stove did that, but I did cast a few boolits that night, blisters and all (after the Oxycodone kicked in).

(No, I don't own that $%^U gas stove any more.)

[mpmarty]

Don't feel alone Bruce.
A few years ago, I got a phone call from my neighbors wife about some people in the woods shooting at her house. Her husband was in Alaska on a job at the time.

"Marty to the rescue" time:

I grabbed my Glock 21 and a handful of rounds and jumped on the polaris and scooted down the mountain a half a mile and ran around to the back side of her house where she was standing and yelling down the hillside for these idiots to stop shooting.

I ejected the empty magazine and started stuffing rounds in it from my pocket. Got about six or seven in and slammed it back into the G-21 and let off a round into the berm below the porch. Tried to shoot again and got a "click" instead of a bang. Racked the slide and caught the empty round. Looked really weird. Read headstamp and learned I had grabbed a fistfull of 40 S&W instead of 45acp. No harm no foul.

[pt4u2nv]

I was in the process of making a slug out of an empty 40 cal case to slug my barrel. I picked up an empty and proceeded to heat it up prior to dropping some split shot into it to melt when a loud kaboom scared the #### out of me. Just so happened the case had a live primer in it and the heat set it off . Luckily I did not drop the lead in it yet or I am sure the story would have been a lot different. Still not sure how that primed case got into my stash of fired cases.

[Digital Dan]

About 20 years back I was loading .38s for the wife's Ladysmith. She decided to supervise. Seated a primer upside down on one case and no powder in another. I was summarily relieved of duty in her behalf.

I found a new wife who doesn't supervise.

That's it. My only miscue in 44 years.

[wgaynor]

About 3 years ago, I was reloading for both the 7.62x54r and .30-.30. used the same 170 grain fp projectile and 10 grains of IPP for a plinking load.

While the 7.62x54r is a rimless and bigger case, I somehow placed a .30-.30 case in the rifle. Chambered it (noticed it was tight, but hey, it's a mosin) and pulled the trigger.

The case ruptured. Split down the side. Hot gasses flew back into my face (thank goodness for glasses) and left me shaking a bit. Bullet did leave the bore. Rifle was not compromised.

I now make sure I leave only one type of ammo on the bench at a time.

[Bullshop Junior]

The 7.62x54 is a rimmed case...

[paul edward]

Uncle once bought an 1894 Winchester at a very low price from a fellow who claimed it was not accurate. To make his point, he stuffed a .30/30 cartridge in it, and fired at a nearby cardboard box missing it completely. Uncle looked at the fired case, allowed the gun could be used for parts and made an offer. The seller was happy to get anything for it and left with a few dollars in his pocket. Next time uncle was in town he invested in a box of .38/55 shells and used that rifle for years.

[osteodoc08]

I second Daniel for the Golden Foot award. First Inaugural Winner.

Anyone work at a trophy shop?

[Bad Water Bill]

BUT---BUT ---BUT

That trophy does not have a hole in it.:)

[osteodoc08]

BUT---BUT ---BUT

That trophy does not have a hole in it.:)

Yet.....he did get his Puma back up and running.