big reloading problem

[pahermit]

I've been reloading 11gr unique 245lead bullet in starline brass as my plinking 38-55 load.shoot this load in a ruger #3 and a marlin JEB rebore.Yesterday after loading about 150 rounds my powder measure started acting up.The point is I dont know if I have 11 gr unique or up to 15 gr.Before I start disassembling them .what is the limit for a unique load in my ruger #3 375 win?

[swamp]

To find the heavy loaded rounds weigh them all and separate the heavy ones. Pull a couple of them and check charge. I checked my Lyman manuals and nothing for the #3. Just the Stevens.

Sorry not more helpful.
swamp

[725]

With the combined possible variations and resulting compounded error, I would think a 4 grain difference is a mighty slim margin to hang your hat on. I have no idea about the upper limits of Unique under that boolit and in that cartridge. Good luck.

[bendad97]

Start pulling. It's happened to us all at least once.

[Hickory]

If you think there is a 4 gr difference you can weigh the cartridge to find any offenders without pulling any boolits.

[PaulG67]

Just brass and boolits can make a 4 grain difference, pull them all.

[garandsrus]

If you are sure that 15gr is the max you loaded, you should be fine. You may want to shoot them in the Ruger to add an extra safety margin. Here is a thread with some load data for Unique: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...5-70-Load-Data. This shows heavier bullets and charges than what you loaded.

[gandydancer]

I've been reloading 11gr unique 245lead bullet in starline brass as my plinking 38-55 load.shoot this load in a ruger #3 and a marlin JEB rebore.Yesterday after loading about 150 rounds my powder measure started acting up.The point is I dont know if I have 11 gr unique or up to 15 gr.Before I start disassembling them .what is the limit for a unique load in my ruger #3 375 win?

my Lyman book from 1973 shows a model 70 winchester a 249 grain lead bullet 18 grains of unique at 1525 FPS 43 years ago. so i would say your in good shape with your # 3 ruger & your marlin both. GD

[NC_JEFF]

I would pull them. I too agree that brass and bullets alone can make a 4gr difference.

[marlinman93]

I wont put any questionable rounds through my guns. My time isn't worth losing a gun, or hurting myself or others. I'd pull anything I was uncertain of.

[enfield]

If the measure was 'acting up" what are the chances it could have "acted up" more than you thought and put even more than 15 gr in some cases. Not worth the chance, worst case scenario pulling them is that you ruin the boolits, but hey, they melt and reform into new ones

[Tatume]

This is why I charge on a loading block, and then visually check powder levels with a flashlight.

[Motard]

I would pull them too. Brass can have huge diference and boolits too so I have never been able to ceck an over filled round only by wheight. I have always ended pulling the rounds apart. An RCBS style bullet puller die and a collet die would make redoing the rounds way fast.

[nicholst55]

What you decide to do is ultimately up to you. When I'm working with things that can seriously injure me, I tend to err on the side of caution. I would pull them all and throw new powder charges.

[Tatume]

What you decide to do is ultimately up to you. When I'm working with things that can seriously injure me, I tend to err on the side of caution. I would pull them all and throw new powder charges,

and fix the powder measure and check the charge levels before loading bullets.

[Toymaker]

Pull them, then switch to Trail Boss for your mouse fart loads - 7 to 9 grains and you may test up to about 11. Just do not compress the powder.
Unique isn't listed for the 38-55 anywhere. It is a fairly fast powder. Low volumes of fast powders have a tendency toward secondary detonation. Bad ju-ju

[rollmyown]

Even if they aren't dangerous break them down anyway. With such a big variation in charge weight they'll likely shoot all over the place making them not even good for plinking or practice.

[ascast]

pull them, why risk it what kind of powder measure did you use?

[str8wal]

With such a big variation in charge weight they'll likely shoot all over the place making them not even good for plinking or practice.

I agree. Even if they aren't dangerous, they wouldn't be of any practical use other than to just make noise.

[marlinman93]

A few things I've done as habit in my reloading over numerous decades. I charge all my cases, before seating any bullets. I check weight at the beginning, and every ten charges, I dump another on the scale to check that nothing has changed. Before seating bullets, I visually examine all powder levels with a flashlight. After all the various checks, then I'm comfortable to proceed with seating my bullets.