Can you top this? NOPE.

[Lead Freak]

In the early 70's I bought a Lyman .36 cal Navy cap and ball revolver that I shot for about 8-10 years before regretfully selling it in a time of need (got married, had kids, you know the story). I kept an unopened 1lb can of DuPont FFG for years, until I got a great idea to dispose of it one 4th of July after dark. At the time, I was processing my own black & white film and prints, and had a few empty bulk 35 mm film cans laying around. I filled one with all but about a 1/4 cup of that lb of FFG, duct taped it every way but Sunday and poked a small flash hole in the top of the lid. I took it out behind the house in a courtyard that was surrounded on 3 sides by other houses, poured the remaining powder in a thin line (about 6 ft.) up to the flash hole, and touched it off. I think, even before the match touched the powder, the can ignited, instantly burning all of the hair off the right side of my body. Shorts and t-shirt right? After all, it was the 4th of July. I remember that the entire courtyard lit up like daylight, and I didn't stop running until I reached the shower in the basement. The next afternoon, I was in the back yard talking to the next door neighbor about the regular stuff, and he asked me if I heard that humongous blast last night. I shouted WHAT! The hearing slowly returned to my right ear.

[DRNurse1]

I did same thing with pellet rifle in basement.Missed caedboard box full paper hit wall and then it hit forehead didn't do that anymore. I wasn't 7 more like 40ish. Was also hit in fot with .600 rb Don't shoot at frozen tree stomps in Jan. anymore either. **it happens

Great thread. Here is my most recent addition in a LONG line of barely survivable incidents, only some of which were shooting/ reloading related:

Mr Goodsteel challenged us to a 100 yard pistol accuracy postal match before New Years...so I was on the range failing miserably. Decided to go to the 25 yard outdoor [covered] range for a little moral support...I can do THAT! So I was shooting timed fire strings (5 rounds in 20 seconds) and kept hearing thumps on the roof. Did not think much of it, fired off about 10 strings and packed up my gear. As I was making my second trip to the firing line to make sure I did not leave anything behind, I stepped on a clod...not a clod, a boolit...not just any boolit, a 225grain .451 beveled base SWC from a H&G mold!!! Hey, I shoot them. So, I walked along the back of the [covered] range and found about 20 more slightly deformed boolits of similar construction.

My best guess is the 'thumps' were my rounds returning to me from the frozen backstop.------ I thought it was just the squirrels since they drop acorns and stuff on us during the summer and fall months. Never mind that the squirrels are smart enough not to accept these crazy challenges in the middle of a winter freeze!

So, now, I have to figure out how to catch these returns in a bucket and also to get them in any weather, since this winter shooting is for penguins and 'I used to be a Bear....'-----

[Pistol Pete 45acp]

Mr. Corrigan,

Sir, I have been kicking around the idea of branching off on my own and buying a pot of my own. Up til now I have been using friends equipment. You sir are my new hero, anyone who is willing to cast over 6000 wad cutters without handles on his mold has my attention. I will be ordering a LEE 4/20 tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration.

[MaLar]

I have a friend (I didn't do it) he poured about a quarter can of BP in an ant hole then lit it.
He had sun glasses on at he time but they didn't cover his eyelashes or his head or his bare back.
Did you know you can get a flash burn on your back from BP if it ignites in front of you?
Guess it was all the very hot dirt landing on him. He didn't want to try a second time.

LaMar

[mold maker]

I'm so tired of battling those little tiny black ants, I'd almost be willing to try that, except the ant hill is under a finished porch. The little devils enjoy ant poison with no effect.

[woodbutcher]

Hi mold maker.Try Amdro(R).If that don`t do it MOVE fast,leave town or whatever.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Lead]

The love we have for this hobby is awesome. Not sure if I reload to shoot any more or shoot to reload. Lol

[mold maker]

I just found another source. About 8 years ago we cut a mature+ pecan tree that was close to the house, and dropping limbs. The stump was cut off below ground level.
I stepped on the spot today, and it caved in to a huge nest. There were literally more than a gal of the little buggers.
They're dug out and gone now. Roots from the tree, Im sure were also under the porch about 9' away.
I think I've found the source, and remedied the problem. I now have a big hole to fill in and grass over. There grading for a new construction across town and I'll bet I can get a pickup load of topsoil for free.

[popper]

Never had much luck with Amdro but the Ortho white powdered stuff works pretty well when it's dry. Or you could do like those guys who pour molten aluminum down the hole, dig it up and sell as art. Boiling hot water works but my yard is too big. Kind of like the blob, they're everywhere.

[a.squibload]

My Granpa used to pour a little gasoline in the hole, then cover it
with a coffee can (don't light it), fumes got 'em.

[Sweeper]

Found a live primer in my dirty pile a couple weeks ago, of course, I found it the hard way, thank god for heeding the long shirt/gloves and goggles advice! Liquid lead really splatters everywhere even if it's only a SPP in the mix!

[mold maker]

The wife found the one that I brought up stairs in my pants cuff. Problem is, it was the vacuum that actually found it, but it was me that got the point.

[4570guy]

When I was about 20 or so, I decided to shoot at the cut end of a large mesquite log with my 357. Boom-Wang! The round ricocheted on a course 90 deg to the line of fire and left a nice inch long groove at the base of my parent's propane tank located about 25 yards away. I learned an important lesson that day... Never shoot at hardwood like mesquite. I highly doubt that pistol round could have penetrated the propane tank wall but it sure got my attention.

[Grump]

Oh, man, this thread has me remembering a few things...

Buncha buds at BYU, I have a match-tuned Garand and a few rounds of AP ammo. A friend from the Engineering side has some 3x5 ish pieces of 1/2-inch scrap steel, one of them welded to a slightly smaller 1-inch chunk and impressively thick. Hey, I've shot a few matches and have some confidence in my hold offhand. But I'm SMART so I insist we put it out the paced approximately 100 yards from our roadside firing point looking up the mountainside. Beaned it with the first shot. Something bounces off my tennie-runners. It's the tungsten steel core. Still have it somewhere, used it as a center punch. It probably would not have even drew blood...

There are more, but I'll stop now. Props to the OP, that's pretty hard-core. NOT while doing quite the same thing, but I have added aluminum foil to a few things over the years for self-protection of the thermal variety.

[Bentracin]

That is one of the funniest reloading/gun stories I have ever read! :rofl: I can't top that, but I do have a few good ones to tell on myself.

Thanks for sharing it!!

[Bentracin]

That is something. Wow.

[fast ronnie]

When I was growing up, my brothers and I found part of a box of 22lr's. Did you know they would go off if you put them on a big piece of steel and hit them with a hammer?

[BST4227]

man there are some crazy stories here....WOW!! and Cashman Field too, haven't heard that name in almost 30 years now

[ISME]

My uncle and cousin went squirrel hunting when they were younger and had seperated when they got into the woods. My uncle had gotten several squirrels and had tied them to his belt. As he was walking back to meet my cousin he felt the need to step behind a tree and relieve himself. Upon completion he gave the regular shake which caused the squirrel to "run" around the tree. My cousin shot the squirrel hitting my uncle in the shoulder. Thats a mean surprise while trying to zip up .My cousin still claims that squirrel. I say he was a foot and a half high.

[g5m]

I can't top any of the stories but at one time I did buy some wheelweights from a metal dealer way back when and did find a live 22 long rifle round in the wheelweights. What it was doing in a batch of wheelweights from a metals dealer is anybody's guess.