SOP for gifted reloads?

[sawinredneck]

A neighbor bought a .40S&W pistol, it came with a box of reloaded rounds, the data seems in speck?
The guy I bought the Dillon and MEC has several boxes of reloads his dad had made before passing, the data seems alright?
So what do you do? Tear them down and load with knowns? Tear one down or just shoot them? Seriously, I've no idea!
Thanks in advance.

[ShooterAZ]

Pull them apart, and re-use what you can except the powder. I won't ever shoot someone else's reloads. And since you didn't list any of the data, we have no way of knowing if it's in spec or not. Not worth the risk IMHO.

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

Is the free ammo worth more to you than you gun, or your hands, or your face? Pull them apart and reuse the components and fertilize your lawn with the powder.

[bedbugbilly]

Pull it, throw the powder and reuse the primed casings and boolits/bullets if you can salvage them. Personally, I wouldn't trust another person's reloads that you know nothing about nor do you know if what is written down is accurate information. You mention a "box" . . . is 50 rounds of unknown worth possible damage to gun or injury? Life is too short . . . .

[BigMagShooter]

I'd shoot it.

[sawinredneck]

The info is, 165grn rn, actually truncated, "comp"? 4.8gr of Titegroup. Per the manuals, not a terrible hot load. I don't own a .40, so these don't matter to me per se. Seem to be well done, but??????
I'm not trying to start a pissing contest, I assure you, been in one recently on here, I'm just curious how you guys deal with these "gifts" I guess?

[Bookworm]

Why not pull one apart, and weigh the projectile ?

Then weigh the powder.

Then compare the supposed Titegroup to known Titegroup.

Then take a decision.

[sawinredneck]

Why not pull one apart, and weigh the projectile ?

Then weigh the powder.

Then compare the supposed Titegroup to known Titegroup.

Then take a decision.
All good, until comparing to "known Titegroup", I have none on hand!

[Moonie]

I only trust my own reloads, no one elses. Break down and reuse components.

[RugerFan]

Pull them apart, and re-use what you can except the powder...

This is what I do.

[lightman]

I've seen these arguments on other sites. The last one involved thousands of rounds. Personally, I shoot a few reloads loaded by close friends and my oldest Son. Not very many from others and none from unknowns. I don't feel comfortable shooting others and I only let a chosen few shoot mine. Might be a good excuse to buy a bullet puller, or a bullet puller collet in a caliber that you don't own yet. I would pull them down and reuse the components minus the powder.

Makes you wonder what will happen to all of the loaded ammo that you labored over and leave behind, don't it.

[rl69]

I have 3 close friends that reload. I would shoot anything bob or Jeff made I wouldn't shoot factory ammo from the third guy

if your going to shoot reloads know the reloader

[Plate plinker]

Two choices.

1. Tear them down and rebuild with know powder.
2. Get out bible and pray a bit then shoot them.

[sawinredneck]

I have a puller, no problem there, if I tear them down I'll most likely hot rod the bullets for my 10mm, because I can lol! Then load some casts in the 40 cases. 165grn fmj's should move pretty good in the 10.
I had a decent idea what the concensus would be, but thought it was worth asking.
Thanks all.

[Outpost75]

Give the rounds to somebody you don't like. [8-)]

PULL THEM!!! NEVER SHOOT ANYBODY ELSE'S RELOADS BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN!

[wv109323]

I would pull a few bullets(more than one) and weigh the powder and make sure they are consistent. There are few powders that are faster burning than Tightgroup. Even if the powder is Bullseye or another faster powder the loads,if 4.8 gn. does not seem out of line. My manual lists 5.0 Tightgroup as a starting load and 5.2 for Bullseye.

[runfiverun]

especially titegroup loads.
they might look good, the powder could be spot on, everything could be to the book.
except the neck tension might be off, or they are 5 time resized glock brass.

then you got trouble.

I have some loads I wouldn't want someone else to shoot in their guns.

some of my 44 special, 45 colt, or 12 ga loads could well be more than their gun is able to handle.

[FISH4BUGS]

Makes you wonder what will happen to all of the loaded ammo that you labored over and leave behind, don't it.
That's why I label clearly all my reloads. I am not planning to go anywhere in the short term but you never know.

[Bookworm]

Several months ago I posted a thread about a Ruger Security Six that I had purchased. It came with some ammo - a selection of unknown reloads. Maybe 40, all mixed stuff.

I was shooting the "new" revolver with a friend of mine. This guy is the kind of guy whose car is shinier than yours, his wife can cook better than yours, his boat is faster, his gun can shoot farther, and his fire engine is redder.

You know the type.

Anyway, he saw the old handloads, and asked what I had planned for it. I told him I would break it down and reuse what I could.

He wanted to shoot it. In his S&W. I told him to have at it.

He fired a cylinder, and said something like "that last round sure stung", or some-such.

Here's what we found -

191412

These were un-marked, unknown loads. The overall length was all over the place, different projectiles, just a pile o'carp.

He wasn't all that interested in shooting the rest of them.

[Smoke4320]

YMMV I would not risk mygun, may hand or my life to save a few rds.. pull down toss powder use components

[country gent]

I will shoot reloads from close friends I know very well. (usually in their guns LOL). They may want another set of eyes hands and person when testing loads or a firearm or some such. Unknown reloads get weighted for an idea then disassembled if I take them, I normally find a reason not to if at all possible. As part of a club members or friends estate I will take them and disassemble them selling or reusing the components. Less the powder and primers off course. Bullets even though you know the weight you still don't know the manufacturer ( jacketed) or alloies lubes ( cast) and its my luck Ill stumble on a top performing load with these components and not be able to duplicate it.

[clum553946]

Titegroup is easy to double charge, pull them apart!

[jonp]

A neighbor bought a .40S&W pistol, it came with a box of reloaded rounds, the data seems in speck?
The guy I bought the Dillon and MEC has several boxes of reloads his dad had made before passing, the data seems alright?
So what do you do? Tear them down and load with knowns? Tear one down or just shoot them? Seriously, I've no idea!
Thanks in advance.

How do you know the data is in spec if you didn't see the guy load them? They could be anything including double charges. Pull them and dump the powder.

[jonp]

Titegroup is easy to double charge, pull them apart!

I just loaded up 3gr in 38sp. I'm pretty sure there was room for 9grs in there.

[GhostHawk]

I have a box of 50 .357 Mag loads from my father in law that a neighbor loaded. I gave one box to a poor neighbor who shot a few of them. Pretty warm I would say.

Likely no problem with my .357 mag Handi Rifle, but I am in no need of them either.
So they sit on the shelf. If needed they could be fired, or they could be broken down, recast, reloaded.

I really feel no pressure to do anything with them either way. They are just part of the stash.

[trails4u]

I'm amazed this thread lasted after ShooterAZ's first response.... As far as I'm concerned, he said it all.

[Remiel]

I will occasionally reload for my dad's 30-30 or his 20ga, but that's due to who has more time and components on hand, we were both taught by the same guy on reloading nd both are super picky( I check every 5th to 10th round for powder charge), but when it comes to other reloads we tear them down, I am even known to pull down surplus ammo for components, I am cautious about reloading for others besides dad and generally avoid it for various reasons. The only person who shoots my reloads regularly is my spouse and that's because it's cheaper to whip up a couple hundred 5.56 than to buy it,

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A neighbor bought a .40S&W pistol, it came with a box of reloaded rounds, the data seems in speck?
The guy I bought the Dillon and MEC has several boxes of reloads his dad had made before passing, the data seems alright?
So what do you do? Tear them down and load with knowns? Tear one down or just shoot them? Seriously, I've no idea!
Thanks in advance.
it all depends.
What do they look like, it you have an eye for detail, you can see a lot of warning flags just by looking at a loaded cartridge...and how they are packaged and labeled. If they look great, then how well do you know the person that loaded them? I've shot reloads from other people, but I've pulled far more than I've shot.

[Electric88]

I've seen these arguments on other sites. The last one involved thousands of rounds. Personally, I shoot a few reloads loaded by close friends and my oldest Son. Not very many from others and none from unknowns. I don't feel comfortable shooting others and I only let a chosen few shoot mine. Might be a good excuse to buy a bullet puller, or a bullet puller collet in a caliber that you don't own yet. I would pull them down and reuse the components minus the powder.

Makes you wonder what will happen to all of the loaded ammo that you labored over and leave behind, don't it.

Yep. The same question has often crossed my mind, and whether I should reload more than I need at a given time.

[54bore]

if your going to shoot reloads know the reloader

I fully agree with the rl69, and many others. Pull them apart, save components EXCEPT powder

[bubba.50]

loaded by & gifted from someone I know well & trust I'd say "thank you kindly" and shoot them.

ANY other source the bullets would be pulled & the powder dumped.

[lightman]

All of my ammo is labeled as to what it is. Some of it is in MTM boxes and some is in bulk, in 50 cal ammo cans. But its all labeled. But no one knows if I labeled it correctly or if I was distracted and used the wrong powder, bullet weight or data. I hope my friends and family will have a big range day and enjoy it after I'm gone.

[fatelk]

The "correct" answer is tear them down, of course, but JonB certainly has a point, too. You can tell a lot about a person by studying their reloads closely. I've seen some hideous reloads in my time (including mine starting out). I have on occasion found a box or two of ammo that I loaded long ago that I've opted to tear down instead of shoot!

I distinctly remember some 12 gauge rounds from when I got my very first shotshell loader, that were super sketchy because I used the wrong powder. I have absolutely no doubt that they would have completely destroyed a weaker gun than my old Mossberg.

[Blanket]

Several months ago I posted a thread about a Ruger Security Six that I had purchased. It came with some ammo - a selection of unknown reloads. Maybe 40, all mixed stuff.

I was shooting the "new" revolver with a friend of mine. This guy is the kind of guy whose car is shinier than yours, his wife can cook better than yours, his boat is faster, his gun can shoot farther, and his fire engine is redder.

You know the type.

Anyway, he saw the old handloads, and asked what I had planned for it. I told him I would break it down and reuse what I could.

He wanted to shoot it. In his S&W. I told him to have at it.

He fired a cylinder, and said something like "that last round sure stung", or some-such.

Here's what we found -

191412

These were un-marked, unknown loads. The overall length was all over the place, different projectiles, just a pile o'carp.

He wasn't all that interested in shooting the rest of them. just sayin, I have seen factory 38spl split like that if they had a few years on them

[funnyjim014]

I would only shoot shot shells anything else gets pulled

[dbosman]

The inheritance issue is one reason I store components and not large quantities of loaded ammo. I don't want to leave my heirs more problems then they deserve. Our trash goes to a land fill so they can quietly dispose and not impose on anyone.

[bullseye67]

Good evening,
This is something we deal with on a fairly regular basis. Reloads from other people. I have shot, over the last 35 years, 1000's of other peoples reloads. Just last week we were evaluating a members reloads with a "new" bulk casting companies bullets. He had reloaded several boxes of 50 rounds for us to test. I worry much less about reloads than I do factory ammo.
One of our members was shooting in the Philippines and said he was able to tour a small ammo factory. They were making "PREMIUM" ammo for export. He said there were about 50 Dillion 650's and a bunch of teenagers pulling the handles.
When we were shooting 38 wadcutters. We would all get together and load all day on a Sunday everyone taking turns. We would have as many as 8 single stage presses and 2 or 3 powder measures going, it was a real assembly line process. A couple of Sundays and a 8lb jug of Bullseye powder and several 2000 count boxes of Remington wadcutters would be gone! The guys running the powder measures were the ones that we had to trust.
I have been given and have purchased target reloads from estates and retiring members. The only ones I don't shoot before checking, are unmarked rifle rounds. I will pull a couple and weigh the bullet and powder. If I can identify the powder and the charge is in a reloading book all is good. I was gifted over 1000 303 British reloads all in several cookie tins, NO DATA! I was able to see the powder containers and purchase some of the powder that was left, from the estate, and from that I was able to narrow down the powder. I then pulled a couple apart and it was the powder I thought and they weighted right in the middle of the powder range. I had no problem shooting them all. I would think that someone would "KNOW" the ammo I have reloaded and is "SAFE" for the guns I have. I do label all reloads with all information. Some I include a cross reference to my Reload Binder and Target Binder.
A random stranger off the street gives me some reloads, I am probably not going to use them. A fellow club member or their family, NO PROBLEM.

[FISH4BUGS]

just sayin, I have seen factory 38spl split like that if they had a few years on them
Just had a 357 mag do that. Split the whole length of the case. A bit hard to get out of the cylinder but otherwise no harm. It wasn't an overload, but a tired case.

[blackthorn]

Last gun show I got fifty 300 Weatherby Magnum reloads from a guy I know very well. I checked the load information he included and found he was a full 5 grains over the book maximum for that combination. I broke those all down, saved the bullets and powder, then reloaded them with a safe load (it's in the book) using the same components. Good deal for me!

[Ken in Iowa]

I have 3 close friends that reload. I would shoot anything bob or Jeff made I wouldn't shoot factory ammo from the third guy

if your going to shoot reloads know the reloader

I am with you brother!

[Soundguy]

A neighbor bought a .40S&W pistol, it came with a box of reloaded rounds, the data seems in speck?
The guy I bought the Dillon and MEC has several boxes of reloads his dad had made before passing, the data seems alright?
So what do you do? Tear them down and load with knowns? Tear one down or just shoot them? Seriously, I've no idea!
Thanks in advance.


others loads?

pull bullet, reuse case, primer and projectile.

powder becomes lawn fertalizer.