Bonehead move

[Gibbs44]

For lack of a better place to post, what was the most bonehead thing you've done to date/recently while reloading.

I'll start, I've not reloaded in a very long time, of coursei remember the safety stuff. I was prepping cases for the .44 mag and the .357 mag, which means I was depriming the cases with a low universal depriming die. Afterwards I resized the 44s and reloaded them and put the 357 away for another day. Well I pulled them out and went ahead and primed them and expanded the case mouths, filled them with powder and started setting bullets. I do this in two stages, I know it takes longer, but it's just what I do. Anyway, I started crimping them and noticed that some were loose even after crimping. I guess I was about 15 deep and something just still wasn't right. So I pulled the Blackhawk out and tried to chamber one if the finished rounds, yeah it didn't fit. Then I tried a different one and different chambers. Yup none fit. I forgot to go back and resize them.

So anyone have a preferred bullet puller?

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[cwtebay]

Frankford Arsenal or. National Metallic. Cheap!!! But you obviously have the shell holder so ain't nothin but a thang!

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[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I prefer the collet type puller over the hammer type inertia puller. But since you have just a handful the hammer type is going to be the cheapest. The collet pullers are nice for high quantity.

[iflyskyhigh]

Get a collet puller. Sooner or later you’ll make a BIG mistake and be glad you have it.

Only downside of the collet pullers is some pistol bullet profiles are tough for the collet to grab.

[Winger Ed.]

I use the shell holder for a single stage press and the hammer type puller.
I also go to great pains not to use it all.:bigsmyl2:

My big event with it was after getting the powder measure all set from using my new digital scale--
I rocked merrily along for about a hundred .223s.
I noticed the level in the measure was way higher than it should have been.
I checked and the charge weight measured good.
But the case wasn't nearly as full as I'd remembered it being on previous batches of 748.

I got out the beam scale, and yep--- the digital was about 60% of what the weight should have been.
I put a new battery in it, made sure it was measuring the right units, and it still lied to me.

The scale went in the trash, I got to 'un-load' at least a hundred .223.

[trails4u]

I've been loading 45acp recently, using Win231 fed through a Lee drum measure on a Lee turret press. No worries...until I decided to remove the entire turret from the press, and picked it up using the drum on the measure. Yep....dumped pretty much 1/3lb of powder into the bin of primed cases I was loading. No great loss....other than the time to clean it up and the shame of having done it... :)

[Rcmaveric]

Pliers on the press. Take the dies out. Use the currect case retainer. Raise ram until bullet comes out of die hole. Grip. Push ram down in a clean smooth move. Toss bullet back in pot. If i know the powder, it goes in its jug. If not the yhe powder goes into the garden.

I have to break down lots of rounds before. Tried a kenwtic puller. Good for one or two, more than 3 then I use vice grips. Cant afford the Hornady on press puller, my birthday is coming though lol.

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[725]

Tried to size a .458 Win Mag case with the hastily grabbed .45 Win die. It had me baffled for awhile, but finally my uncaffeinated brain kicked in.

[trails4u]

Pliers on the press. Take the dies out. Use the currect case retainer. Raise ram until bullet comes out of die hole. Grip. Push ram down in a clean smooth move. Toss bullet back in pot. If i know the powder, it goes in its jug. If not the yhe powder goes into the garden.

I have to break down lots of rounds before. Tried a kenwtic puller. Good for one or two, more than 3 then I use vice grips. Cant afford the Hornady on press puller, my birthday is coming though lol.

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I'm with Ryan on this one.... Side-cutters and using the leverage of the press works. I've done it 100s of times...maybe more?

[David2011]

If you don’t want to use the boolits again, side cutters work great. I’ve had no luck with a collet puller with cast pistol boolits but inertia/hammer pullers work well and leave the boolits reusable. For rifle, collet pullers are my favorite. They normally don’t damage jacketed. My rifles are all .30 cal or smaller and while I could, I don’t use cast in them so I haven’t tried a collet puller on cast rifle boolits.

[Walks]

If you're going to use a inertia hammer, do it quick. It takes no time at all for those PC'd to "weld" themselves inside a case. You'll need several HARD whacks to break the seal and pull those bullets out out their cases.

[imashooter2]

I left my index finger on top of a .44 mag case once while I ran it up into the sizer. It’s a lesson that is as clear and sharp today as the day I learned it.

[jetinteriorguy]

For more than twenty I use the Hornady collet puller, works great. If less than twenty I use the hammer, and I’ve been through a couple, so far the all plastic RCBS works best and seems stronger than the ones with a metal handle. There’s something about the polymer they use and the design that it pulls the bullets with a lighter whack and the plastic just seems stronger.

[dverna]

I do not pull many rounds, but when I do, I use the inertia type tool by RCBS. I have had it for at least 25 years, and it was not expensive.

If I was to break down a lot of jacketed rifle rounds, I have a collet type tool (RCBS IIRC) that I have used a couple of times. It was bought in case I ever wanted to rework a bunch of cheap military ammunition. But those days are gone.

[Gibbs44]

The ones that I did crimp, I crimped good, so they're probably ruined. I'll probably use the side cutter truck for them. The others, I'm betting I can figure something out, I know some I can pull with my fingers. I'm still not sure what I was thinking, I guess I wasn't.

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[ioon44]

I have used the inertia type tool by RCBS for years and if it breaks RCBS has great customer service.

[Baltimoreed]

Inertia bullet puller will pop them right out, the only thing holding them in is the crimp. Dump the powder back in the hopper, remove the decap pin from your sizing die, resize-expand-dump the powder-seat a bullet and you’ve fixed your brain phart. You should be able to reload the bullets even if they’re lead. Using my Dillon or Lyman turrets I start with a piece of fired brass and end with a loaded round. Don’t pre anything. With my rifle reloading I’ll do a block of 50 starting with mty brass in a wooden block but as I process all 50 they get turned over after each step until the powder gets dumped and bullets seated. I don’t handle the brass any more than I have to.

[mdi]

I tried a collet type puller but it wasn't consistent on lead bullets (which for a long time was all I loaded.). If I tightened it down enough ot hold the bullet, it ruined it (no big deal, I just remelted it) and it was a pain squeezing the collet down. I once pulled about 100 HXP rounds to reload cases with premium bullets and went back to an inertia puller, as it was slow screwing the collet down. A couple things that made my FA inertia puller easier/better; I made a longer, more comfortable handle. I used a 1 1/2" wooden dowel, about 8" long and it makes whacking much easier and more comfortable. I use a lead ingot/puck as an anvil. Not soft enough to lessen inertia and much quieter, and the blow is dampened, not too much, and less vibration o my hands.

At one time or another I've tried all the common methods; collet, dikes/pliers/wire strippers on my press, dedicated "bullet pliers" on my press, a spring type (that had flat "springs" on an angle, push the bullet through enters OK, pull bullet out and springs dig into the bullet and removed as the case is lowered), and inertia/hammer type. I've got most of the pullers in a drawer somewhere and use the FA Hammer (with standard shell holders) exclusively.

[brassrat]

It was such a shock that the memory was really not imprinted. This was in Nov. I believe I was decrimping with a RCBS on my Classic Turret. I must have been sliding a .223 case up in place and the handle fell. I guess the little swage tip slammed into my thumb. I released my hand and went on. As the weeks went on, things only hurt more and really was swelling. I needed professional assistance for the infection that was extremely evident even with no cuts or entry.

[Joe K]

I was loading 10 extra rounds before rifle season and priming on the press due to the low count.
295268
Took it to the garage and popped it out with a small punch at the vice. Definitely a bonehead move.

[Winger Ed.]

infection that was extremely evident even with no cuts or entry.

As a kid, when I did something like that, for lack of a better explanation,
my Mom would tell me I had made it angry.

[15meter]

I've got a bottle with about a half pound of 700X in it.

Problem is the bottle weighs about 4 pounds from the #9 shot I poured into the wrong side on the MEC.

Wouldn't be bad, but this ain't my first trip down this road.

And I don't remember how I separated powder from the shot the last time.[smilie=b:

[j4570]

Would a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die in 357 Mag fix these rounds? It has a carbide ring to size the case for consistency.

If it’s only a few rounds, I agree use pliers and pull them.

[NEKVT]

Been reloading for 47 years and have never mixed up powder until a couple months ago when I broke the rule for one powder only on the bench and emptied the remaining Unique from a powder measure into a bottle of 2400. The 2400 bottle was a third full so ended up with about a 4 to 1 ratio of 2400 to Unique. Both are too fine grained to sift one out so have been using it up in low level plinking loads. I have another bottle of straight 2400 for any serious loading. The bonehead bottle is marked 2400 + Unique. Let this post serve as a friendly reminder!

[Winger Ed.]

4 pounds from the #9 shot I poured into the wrong side on the MEC.

:

A wire screen tea strainer might do it.
I had some mixed loose shot one time and made a sifter by drilling holes in the bottom of a green bean can
to let the smaller ones out, and hold the larger size.

Or maybe roll it all around in a shallow pan like a gold miner, and scrape the shot off the top.

[lightman]

I've forgotten to close the drain hole on my ChargeMaster and dumped powder in the hopper! Once!!!

I was changing dies on my 450 sizer and had the handle fall with my thumb under it. The top punch punched a neat 30 caliber hole in my thumbnail! :(

[Gibbs44]

I've forgotten to close the drain hole on my ChargeMaster and dumped powder in the hopper! Once!!!

I was changing dies on my 450 sizer and had the handle fall with my thumb under it. The top punch punched a neat 30 caliber hole in my thumbnail! :(That sounds like it hurt.

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[kevin c]

Forgot to clamp the powder hopper to the tool head of my progressive after I emptied it. The next pull of the handle dropped the whole pound of powder I had refilled it with all over the bench and floor.

That’s second only to forgetting that the primer feed tube doesn’t have anything to hold in the primers once pulled out of the mechanism. Amazingly, I found all 100 primers (please don’t ask how long it took).

[georgerkahn]

For lack of a better place to post, what was the most bonehead thing you've done to date/recently while reloading.

I'll start, I've not reloaded in a very long time, of coursei remember the safety stuff. I was prepping cases for the .44 mag and the .357 mag, which means I was depriming the cases with a low universal depriming die. Afterwards I resized the 44s and reloaded them and put the 357 away for another day. Well I pulled them out and went ahead and primed them and expanded the case mouths, filled them with powder and started setting bullets. I do this in two stages, I know it takes longer, but it's just what I do. Anyway, I started crimping them and noticed that some were loose even after crimping. I guess I was about 15 deep and something just still wasn't right. So I pulled the Blackhawk out and tried to chamber one if the finished rounds, yeah it didn't fit. Then I tried a different one and different chambers. Yup none fit. I forgot to go back and resize them.

So anyone have a preferred bullet puller?

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I have the RCBS Collet pullers; a couple of Quinetic hammer-type; and a couple of the plier-type which grip the bullet in press as you raise the handle to remove bullet.
One note is with most military commercial loads, I generally "seat" the factory-loaded bullet a smidgeon deeper (technical term) to break the "varnish" seal. With all else, I generally put the cartridges in a Quinetic type puller, with the cavity filled with a piece of soft foam rubber. I then give three counted good raps to concrete basement floor. The foam prevents the bullet from leaving the case. I HATE it when the bullet PLUS the powder are dumped! As a btw, too, I use the respective shell holder to hold the case as opposed to the supplied "universal" rubber-banded thingamajig which came with the tool. I then -- dependent upon case (and collets I have at hand) -- I either use a collet puller or brass pliers to hold bullet in press as I lower case.
This may sound like a lot of work -- but -- as stated I don't care for the powder+bullet mess. And, I do not care for now-deformed/scratched/dented bullets using other methods. I get 99% reusable bullets and no mess.
What I do,
geo

[Walter Laich]

I was loading 10 extra rounds before rifle season and priming on the press due to the low count.
295268
Took it to the garage and popped it out with a small punch at the vice. Definitely a bonehead move.

for backward primers I just run them through the depriming die again--just very SLOWLY and save both brass and primer

[Jaaymar]

For lack of a better place to post, what was the most bonehead thing you've done to date/recently while reloading.

I'll start, I've not reloaded in a very long time, of coursei remember the safety stuff. I was prepping cases for the .44 mag and the .357 mag, which means I was depriming the cases with a low universal depriming die. Afterwards I resized the 44s and reloaded them and put the 357 away for another day. Well I pulled them out and went ahead and primed them and expanded the case mouths, filled them with powder and started setting bullets. I do this in two stages, I know it takes longer, but it's just what I do. Anyway, I started crimping them and noticed that some were loose even after crimping. I guess I was about 15 deep and something just still wasn't right. So I pulled the Blackhawk out and tried to chamber one if the finished rounds, yeah it didn't fit. Then I tried a different one and different chambers. Yup none fit. I forgot to go back and resize them.

So anyone have a preferred bullet puller?

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I have always wondered if a lee factory crimp die (with the carbide ring) could resize a case, it could be used rather than taking the decapping pin out of the sizing die.
You could try running the unsized loaded cases through and see if they chamber.
Then see if the shoot worth a darn with the possibly inconsistent “sizing”.
I don’t see any danger as the die is meant to be run over loaded ammo.

I have done this as well however the case was expanded enough that the issue was unmistakable. I didn’t get to crimping.

I have used the inertia (Lyman) and collet puller (forester universal). Both work well but the collet die is tricky to set up. If you only have a couple to pull just get an inertia puller.

[gunluvver]

I grabbed some corn cob bedding from the feed store to put in my vibratory polisher. Tossed a hundred .223 brass in to pretty them up. All I did was pack those shells solid with corncob. It doesn't blow out. Spent a few hours digging them out as a lesson to myself. Corncob is only for straight cases.

[Gibbs44]

I grabbed some corn cob bedding from the feed store to put in my vibratory polisher. Tossed a hundred .223 brass in to pretty them up. All I did was pack those shells solid with corncob. It doesn't blow out. Spent a few hours digging them out as a lesson to myself. Corncob is only for straight cases.Hmm, that's a good bit of info, I've not run up with that yet, but hopefully I'll remember that when I go to run some brass through the tumbler. I'm pretty sure I've got a big bag of corn cob somewhere in the shop.

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[Cosmic_Charlie]

I recently spoiled the last of my 2400 by accidentally pouring some HS 6 into it from my powder measure. Never did that before.

[Baltimoreed]

Started cranking out .45 cowboy special loads the other day only to realize that my Dillon powder hopper was the 5.2 gr Clays that I use for my .45colt rifle loads not the 3.5 gr Bullseye that I’m using in the smaller cowboy special brass for my revolvers. While they are too short to cycle from the magazine they shot fine out of my Marlin’94. Seemed to hit low though. Only had about 20. I’ve labeled the measures better. I have clever quick release gizmos on my measures that allow me to move them around.

[beagle]

Had a batch of .22 Hornet all sized and ready to load several weeks back. Had several boxes of bullets laid out to load for several calibers. Grabbed a box of 225438HPs (i thought), set the scales up and dropped a charge of powder. Place it in the case and took a bullet, set it on top of the case and eased it into the seating die. Bullet didn't start. Pulled it back out. Must have missed expanding neck on that one. Got another case. It was expanded by look. Repeated process. This time i crumbled the case. Time to re-expand. I set up expander and decided I'd try starting to see if the expansion was enough. Used my old "try" bullet out of the die box. Worked perfect. Pulled another bullet out of the box I was trying to load. Wouldn't start. Bullet looked right. By this time. I was getting pretty frustrated. Sat back and fired up my pipe and thought about it. Looked at the box I was loading out of. Labeled 257463HP! Then it hit me. I looked at the other box and it was labeled 225438HP. The bullets look exactly the same except for the diameter. The next project was some .25/20s. Got the right bullet and all went well from then on.
Lesson learned. When things go wrong, stop, light your pipe and look for the reason. Would probably never happen again in 100 years but I just happened to be loading the Hornet followed by the .25-20 that day. Never happen again as I no longer have the .25-20 mould but it sure threw me for a look that day./beagle

[AnthonyB]

I am about to learn how Unique and H1110 work together as a very low level plinking powder in 44 Special/Mag. New mistake for me there - first ever powder can open violation.