Another's Loads!

[joatmon]

I don't shoot others reloads but was reading questions about it here the other day and got to thinking, I do buy reloads at estate sales, gun shows and such for the componets. Later that night I thought about my son and if something bad happened to me he would assume I had loaded them and sooner or later would shoot em! I looked at some 30-30 lead reloads I had planed on breaking down for the primed brass and lead (to melt down) and thought I'd better do it now!
Shell holder in the press, loaded round raised enough to clamp the cheep wire strippers on the lead (little RN) pull up on the handle brass comes down, about 6 EMPTY lube grooves and a gas check evolve (checks stayed down on about 30)
powder was 10gr of flake. Glad I pulled em, wonder what the first loader's barrel would of looked like after about 10 of those? Wonder if that's why they were sold? Aaron

[Trapshooter]

I picked up a 12 gage slug reload in a box of misc stuff. I had no intention of shooting it but I opened it up to see what was in it. It had a Lyman sabot slug, one of winchester's orange wads, almost 50 grains of Green Dot, and a Federal primer. That would have been something in the old 870!

Trapshooter

[BruceB]

I think the vast majority of us adhere to this philosophy concerning loads from "other" sources. In my case, it also includes not letting MY loads get out from under my control, due to possible liability issues.

And yet.......

Few of us will ever see, anywhere else, the incredible swapping of guns and loads that occurs at the Nevada Cast Bullet Shoot each year. Everyone is gleefully running about, hollering "SHOOT THIS!", or happily trying out someone else's pride and joy. It goes on all weekend, as if we all have agreed to suspend our 'normal' concerns as raised in this thread. I haven't been able to understand it, because I'm at least as concerned as anyone else.....but it doesn't matter.

Probably several hundred thousand rounds have been fired over the various years of the Shoot, and I'm unaware of any technical (i.e.: safety) problems to date. We just have one heck of a fine time.

Naturally, there is a certain degree of "anality" that goes into prepping ammo for the Shoot, as we know that everything we roll out in public will be under the VERY interested scrutiny of knowlegeable handloaders and shooters. It just adds to the fun.

[Harry O]

I bought some 30-06 reload cheaply at a gunshow once. When I broke them down, I found two very different powders mixed together. One was a standard stick powder like I use for my 30-06 (although I could not say which one of the several IMR powders it was). The other powder was a flake type powder like Unique or something similar. This was not a duplex load. The two powders were mixed evenly. Glad I did not shoot them.

[Blammer]

I have all my ammo labeled accordingly.

The stuff I need to break down and haven't has a big ole sign in the middle of em saying!

BAD LOADS DON'T shoot, disassemble!

[Dale53]

Shooting reloads from an unknown source is just playing Russian Roulette. If you doubt this, just look around you while driving. How many "Idiot" drivers do you see on every trip? Now, just imagine these "idiots" reloading? If that doesn't give you pause, then you just lack any sense of imagination:mrgreen:.

Dale53

[StrawHat]

Shooting reloads from an unknown source is just playing Russian Roulette. If you doubt this, just look around you while driving. How many "Idiot" drivers do you see on every trip? Now, just imagine these "idiots" reloading? If that doesn't give you pause, then you just lack any sense of imagination:mrgreen:.

Dale53

And even those of us who are not idiots reload ammo and make mistakes.

I know I've loaded cartridges with no powder, or with the bullet deeper than I intended because lube built up in the seating die.

I'd be willing to bet other, more knowledgeable loaders than I, have done similar.

[Dale53]

StrawHat;
you're right, of course. Even factories make mistakes (recalls on mismarked powder, high pressure rounds, etc - we have seen them all). I'll take the hit when I screw up but I have no desire to take the hit when someone else screws up...

Dale53

[StrawHat]

I agree with you on that point.

It just seemed like some of the post were not acknowledging the fact we all are human.

[Dale53]

StrawHat;
Just to clear the air here, I am not an elitist. I number amongst my friends, people from all walks of life and various and sundry ethnic origins and genders. However, a number of them would not be on my recommended list of using THEIR reloads:mrgreen:. Reloading is not an activity to celebrate your creativity....

So, I draw the line pretty firmly in this matter[smilie=1:.

It just seems to be practicing good sense to not use reloads from an unknown source (kind of like picking food from a garbage can on the street and eating it - not really recommended).:roll:

Dale53

[runfiverun]

i personally dont even like to pick up [constructed] components.
you just dont know,ya know.

i have also noticed the experience on this board, seems like i get to reading someones problems on here, think been here, and before i can answer i see four other ways posted to fix thier problem.

this board has definately got the best advice about all reloading/casting/equipment.etc..
and i am very glad to have found it
at least i can talk to others with an opinion and not just a blank stare when you
ask

good job and thanks all
runfiverun

[montana_charlie]

I number amongst my friends, people from all walks of life and various and sundry ethnic origins and genders. However, a number of them would not be on my recommended list of using THEIR reloads
I hear that!

My very best friend is about ten years my senior. He has been reloading about that much longer than I have, and has probably built a hundred rounds to one of mine.

Still, I have watched him reload, and I would never shoot one of his in my rifle.

To my knowledge, he has only blown up one rifle...
CM

[mroliver77]

I have a couple buddies that I would trust loading for me. If they gave me a box of .38 and it listed 3gr clays and a 158 gr boolit I would trust them just as much as my own. Like has been said other people or unknown loads I take down. Kind of along the lines of what Bruce B said, it is funny how carefull we can be but then buy a case of ammo with foreign writing on it and cram it through a milsurp. I bought some Turk 8mm a couple years back and it was scarey hot stuff!!
J

[ArkyJack]

Hi Y`all
The following may or may not be true, but I do know the results are true!
A few years back, my son was working at a Guest Ranch in Cody,WY. The boss had some .45-70 loads that he said Elmer Keith had left there years ago, and he gave them to my son. About 40 rounds as I recall. They were the old balloon head brass and I can`t recall what powder or grain was used. We were shooting them in his new model 1895 Marlin (1973 vintage) and they were all going `bang` and printing fair groups. I was standing behind him as he shot and one round went`klunk` instead of `bang`. It took a second or two to realize what I`d heard (or didn`t hear!) He said "I thought I had chambered a round, but guess I didn`t. Upon which he ejected a case and chambered another one, sighted, and about the time I was telling him to hold it, he fired. The result was a burst barrel just even with the magazine plug, bent mag tube, a lost mag spring, and split forearm wood. At the point of rupture, there was 2 bullets jammed together. Long story short, a trip for the rifle to Marlin to be re barreled and missing parts replaced. $175 worth. SO--
I don`t use other peoples loads unless I see them loaded.
ArkyJack