Another reloading error and another reloading rule

[joeb33050]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009, the cast bullet cartridges for the Savage Striker and Competitor pistols were obviously loaded too fast, recoil was much higher than usual. I fired the first, then a second cartridge to see if the first was a fluke, in both pistols.
The powder charge for each was 10 grains more than planned. The cause was that my powder scale was set 10 grains higher than it should have been. Thus a 12.5-grain charge became a 22.5-grain wrong charge, and a 16-grain charge became a 26-grain wrong charge.
I thought the scale was set at 12.5, it was set at 22.5. Then setting for 16, I set the scale for 26-in error.
About 18 years ago I had my first reloading error resulting in my blowing up a NEF Handi-Rifle and blowing off a lot of my trigger finger. It was my fault, I was in too much of a hurry while reloading. This was my only reloading error in 49 years of reloading mostly cast bullets, until last Wednesday.
I don’t know why this last error happened and wonder if it has to do with my age, I’m 71.
At an Old Colony match Marlin Bassett asked me about all the details of my first accident; mentioned that he had had a/some problems, and said that if it happened to him again he’d quit the game. I’m not the only one.
Another reloading rule
Each time I use the scale, I will put it on zero, check the zero, then set the scale to the desired weight. Means that if I’m going to load 13, 14 and 15 grains of a powder, I’ll set the scale to zero and zero it EACH time I set the scale.

[Trey45]

Sir,
Excellent adivce on resetting zero before weighing charges! Thankfully nothing serious happened and you're here to tell us about it. I'm relatively new to reloading and casting, this is a perfect example of why I read this forum EVERY DAY, to learn as much as I can from others.

[felix]

Amen, Joe! The older we get, the harder it is to decipher **** from shine-ola. Unfortunately, the girls (scales) do get prettier at closing time. ... felix

[atr]

thats a good rule to follow....I would like to add that only the one powder you are using be on the loading bench.
I'm glad you were not injured

[Big Boomer]

joeb33050: Sorry both accidents happened. We can't be too careful. Yet if we learn from our and others' mistakes, it is a relatively safe hobby. Glad there were no consequences with the second set of errors and that the first was no worse than it was. Like you, I'm getting older - I'm 69. Too, like you, I've now got enough sense to second guess myself and verify, even if I have to do it two or three times. God bless! 'Tuck

[Dale53]

Joe;
You have mentioned before that you had problems reading the micrometer on various powder measures. It may be that you have bit of dislexia. I have had some serious vision problems in my right eye and I notice that with mostly having to use one eye, that I have to exercise more care simply because I can't see as well with only one eye working well.

However, there is a solution for the powder scales. Several years ago I purchased an RCBS digital scale. It's reading LCD has large lettters and it is extremely easy to read. It is also quite accurate. You might want to try that before you think about "bowing out".

Dale53

[swheeler]

JoeB; close call and glad you are ok! Not so many years ago I sold my RCBS 1010 and bought a new 505, after many years of using the 1010 it was just too difficult to read the numbers on the thumb drum scale. I always check zero on my scale, note it and say it out loud, my wife has asked many times whom I'm talking to, that CRS can be bad ****!

[archmaker]

Thanks for the story. It has made me realize that I need to re-evaluate the "habits" that I have for making sure I am doing things safe.

I have always started at zero, because my reloading area serves several functions besides reloading so I have to pack away my scale and set it up before I start.

But I think I will make it a new "habit" to evaluate my reloading process at least once a year from now on. Just so I do not get to comfortable with my process.

And continue to read this board.

Also I am glad to hear that you were not harmed, or that your gun wasn't either.

[Throckmorton]

Very glad that you were not hurt this time,and that you had the sense to stop when someething did not seem right.
Setting the scale to zero sounds like a good idea,but still could be mis read,I'd also suggest an eloctronic,even if just used to verify the beam scale.We do this with one of those small 'pocket' scales,but they are not easy to read,and you must remember to set the mode to 'grains'..it's the 'mode' that is hard to read for my weak eyes,so I'd with a dedicated powder measure if money allowed.

A lesson for us all there,to be even more diligint than we think wer'e being.

[Springfield]

Whenever I am setting up a new bullet and weigh the charges, I always double it to check. If I am running a 12 grain charge, after I get it set right I will set the scale to 24 and measure 2 charges. If it is still good I will reset and measure 3 charges. Makes it very difficult to get it wrong. Haven't blown up anything yet.

[felix]

That is my technique, but I use the multiplier suited to make 10 throws fit within 500 grains which is the scale limit. ... felix

[wiljen]

I use two scales - and RCBS 505 and an electronic to check the weights. If they dont agree - time to see why.

[.45Cole]

Maybe my method?
When done charging a run of cases, I reset and "tare" the pan out and then reset the charge bar (weight) and pour a case of powder back into the scale to check and make sure that the scale was readng correct and the charge weight of the batch is correct. Balance scale.

[S.R.Custom]

Another good reason to only use powders that almost fill up the case with the desired charge.

[Rocky Raab]

Joe, I made the very same error more than 30 years ago. Luckily, though, I caught mine before shooting any. I was putting the balance scale away when I happened to look at the 10-grain poise and went pale when I saw that it was in the wrong notch. I pulled one of the 50 rounds. Sure enough, ten grains too much powder.

I'll STRONGLY second the digital scale suggestion. There are those who say that digital scales aren't quite as accurate as a balance beam. Well, maybe, but they sure as heck are better than ten grains off!

[shooterg]

Thirds on the get a digital to check with - and if you use a digital, get a beam scale to check that with ! Worst I ever did was pop some primers trying for too much gofast, but stuff can happen anytime to anybody. Glad you're still in the game.

[MtGun44]

Went digital a few years back.

Push the "zero" button, then weigh. No way to get off 10gr like with a mech scale.

In industry, this is called a 'human factors accident', and we try to make it less likely that
normal human errors will result in bad products or injury. Fortunately, your 'bad product'
did not result in injury. However, we all need to do whatever it takes to try to make
normal human errors harder to cause a serious outcome. Frankly, old fashioned scales
are a human factors accident waiting to happen.

Nowdays you pretty much can't crash an airplane with doing at least 2 and normally 3
things wrong - the systems/procedures are set up to try to compensate for the fact that we
are ALL human and we WILL make mistakes. That is the way to think about your reloading
practices. Try to set up a routine, and always follow it, that will permit you to detect your
errors before they become hidden and can cause damage or injury.

For example, my biggest concern is a double charge if fast pistol powder in a progressive.
I have a light set up so I can look at each powder charge and think about it a second just
before I put the boolit on top.

Glad you are safe!

Bill

[JW6108]

There was a similar issue back in March at the range where I usually shoot. A guy down the line from me had a Springfield XD .45 let go on him. A section of the frame about the size of your thumb on the right side above the trigger was blown off, parts rattling around inside, locked halfway open, etc. I ran into him a couple of weeks later and he said that his load of whatever he was using was supposed to be 4.0 grains, so he set his measure with the 0-5 side of the scale; he didn't notice that the set weight on the left side of the balance had jumped over on to the 5 grain stop, so he wound up with 4 + 5 grains. I think his wallet was hurt getting that squared away with Springfield, but that was all. Lucky.

Any more, I am thinking digital is the way to go.

[Recluse]

I use two scales - and RCBS 505 and an electronic to check the weights. If they dont agree - time to see why.

Same here.

I'm still using the same RCBS 5-0-2 scale I've used for over twenty years. On new loads or new powders I haven't used before, I back up the first scale with my little Lee Safety Scale. It's slow, but it is still deadly accurate and I trust it 100%.

Just not sure I trust digital scales yet. . . Guess I can back them up with the beam scales.

[sharps 4570]

Joe glad it was not any worse. I set myself a rule load because i want to not because i have too. If i feel out of sort i stay out of my reloading room. I always start from the beginning every time.