Lookong for suggestions

[Thumbcocker]

Tonight I was loading .357's and noticed a couple of cases looked like they had less powder than they ought to. Press was set up for 14.5 of 296. Checked the cases and one had 13.4 and another had 12. something. Traced the problem to deterrent coating build up on the powder bar. A few shots of break cleaner and all was well. Now I am left with a bunch of rounds that may not have full powder charges in them. I am sure there are no over charges but a few might be a much as a couple of grains light. Am I risking a SEE situation? My gut says just shoot them in Rugers and keep an ear open for light sounding rounds and be ready to push out a stuck boolit.

Suggestions welcome.





r
ugers

[shoot-n-lead]

The danger with 296 is not a stuck bullet...the risk is detonation, with a low charge...and that would probably mean a catastrophic failure of the firearm.

I have no experience with shooting loads below the minimum charge, so I have no advice to offer other than, if in doubt...pull'em out.

My standard practice when loading 110/296 is to check one every five rounds...that way I will not have more than 5rds in question if find a discrepancy.

[shooting on a shoestring]

First, Kudos for paying attention and catching the problem before it got to the range.
Second, the safest thing to do would be to pull the boolits, reload.

If it were me, I'd do that and reclaim the powder, remelt repour the boolits.

Youre looking at some rounds with roughly 20% to light for w296 to ignite reliably. That's a serious problem with W296. If it were a flake powder, I'd shoot them. But W296, I vote pull them down.

If you do decide to shoot them, do it with a camera rolling please. Could be entertaining.

[Thumbcocker]

Yeah probably just better to pull them down. Darnit. They really loaded up pretty. Don't think I need to remelt the boolits though. Kinetic puller gets them out in good shape.

[Bzcraig]

What powder measure are you using? And good catch!

[Thumbcocker]

Dillon. This saved my bacon. https://inlinefabrication.com/products/skylighttm-led-lighting-kit-for-the-dillon-550

[trapper9260]

I say pull them and reload and you are usen the same kind of puller I have also and you will be good to go to use the same boolits.Also you know already what the powder is too so you can adjust the way you need to.Good catch also.

[psweigle]

I would pull them for sure. Not even think twice about it.

[dverna]

Any idea what would cause the build up on the powder bar? I have never seen it but I do not use 296.

Don Verna

[NSB]

You always have to ask yourself this question when it comes to safety: What's the worst thing that could happen? If it's an unacceptable outcome, don't do it. Even if the chance is very slim that it will go wrong, do you want to risk the consequences? Pull the bullets and do it over.....it's simply not worth any risk to save a bit of work and a few bullets. What price tag on your eyes or fingers?

[Mossy Oak]

When I started loading many moons ago, my motto was "When in doubt pull em out".

Joe

[rintinglen]

If that was Unique or red dot I'd shoot 'em up without a qualm, but given that it is 296, you are just begging for something bad. Whether a stuck boolit or a kaboom, you don't want to go there. Even if nothing bad happens, you still are going to worry while shooting them and that will take away from what should be a fun experience.
I'll join the chorus and say be safe and pull'em.

[ole 5 hole group]

Do whatever gives you Peace of Mind - with that said, I suspect there are many, many people in the reloading world that know nothing about the recommendations using H110 or WW296 and load light plinkers with those powders without "incident".

I think it takes perfect alignment of the sun, moon and a few stars for someone to experience a secondary explosion effect (SEE) and probably only with slow powders at very low loading densities. I've known hundreds of reloaders and some were very enthusiastic "experimenters" and none ever blew their revolvers/pistols up with low density loads - a few experienced wake-up calls with proof-test loads.;)

38 Special/357 Mags are a couple calibers that have been experimented with for many, many decades with different powders and mixing powders &%#?. Myself, I'd shoot those cartridges and for every "flier" I'd blame the flier on the powder charge.:-)

[Plate plinker]

Curios as to how many cases you loaded up? You could try weighing them but this might not work if you have mixed brass and depending on boolit consistency too.

[Duckiller]

If you used all one brand of brass you might try weighing the cartridges.
Look for 1-2 grains variation. If no variation , pull one and weigh the power charge. OK fire away , light then pull them all.

[9.3X62AL]

I had the same thought expressed by Plate Plinker and Duckiller.

[Thumbcocker]

All starline brass. Loaded a good batch (200 or so) but better to just pull them

[44man]

Never seen it in my Redding measure. I can throw 10 charges and get no more then 1/10 a grain off. Never had to clean it.
Dillon was a genius but still never solved all for a progressive. It always comes to you and how you work the machine. Dillon did all he could to match a mans failings. You fail in the end. Now a great man passed, a moment of silence. A prayer for the loss.

[40-82 hiker]

All starline brass. Loaded a good batch (200 or so) but better to just pull them

Good call. I don't think I have ever had any confidence in what is going on in the way of a powder charge by weighing a loaded cartridge, no matter the "sameness" of components. JMHO...

[gray wolf]

DILLON SAY'S THAT b/e AND h110 COULD BE PROBLEMATIC.
Why ? because they are so fine, and the dust they create is even finer.
It can and does accumulate between the sliding parts on the Dillon measure. Periodic cleaning
with Alcohol helps to keep it running.

also if the expander plug is worked up and down without a case present a little powder can build up inside the die and give a false reading until it catches up with itself.