Reloading while distracted

[MOshooter]

I've done that too with kids when they were little, and enjoyed every minute of it.
But only on a single stage press and with handgun cases using a powder that would over flow the case if double charged.

When the oldest was about 4, he was helping one time and couldn't wait to stroke the handle.
I had some close calls, and finally asked him if he was trying to pinch my finger in the ram.
He said, "Yes". I always had to watch that kid......

I've been enjoying every minute with the grandson in the reloading room.
I've also been teaching him to shoot 22lr., we bought him a Savage Rascal and we try to shoot every weekend and always preach gun safety. He's a heck of a shot with his Savage Rascal that came with peep sights. This weekend I was able to get a bipod mounted, he learned to shoot prone and really liked the bipod off the bench with his Rascal

Hahaha That's funny lol
We had a discussion about Papa's fingers, nothing moves until Papa's fingers are out of the way

[GONRA]

As previously, GONRA sez - keep Wife, 3 kids, 2 cats & hamster off into SLUMBER LAND whilst reloading.! !!

[Wolfdog91]

If I don't have my heap pones or something to listen while reloading bad things tend to happen.

[fatelk]

Me too. I always have something mildly interesting on youtube, something in the background but not too interesting. Total silence doesn't work for me; seems to be distracting in and of itself somehow.

Different things work for different people, whatever keeps you focused is what's important.

[waksupi]

Without distractions, we would probably never be able to enjoy the experience of dry balling a muzzle loader.

[Willie T]

A good reminder about distraction to us all. It’s been 30 something years ago. I was a twenty something year old newlywed. On a Friday evening I was loading up 500 hollow base wad cutters with a light charge to go plink with a .357 revolver on the weekend. My lovely bride sashayed up to my bench and asked if I was ready to go to bed. I finished loading them up PDQ. Next day I found twenty something out of that batch that were the first backwards loaded wad cutter hollow points I had ever seen and the first ones I ever shot. They will blow the snot out of a water bottle! I don’t know what I was thinking about to miss 20 something upside down wad cutters…

[Winger Ed.]

I don’t know what I was thinking about to miss 20 something upside down wad cutters…

Just a wild guess, but I doubt you were thinking about getting a glass of milk and taking a nap.

[ukrifleman]

I load alone without any distractions, my wife knows to stay away while I am at the loading bench.
I always prepare and prime cases before breaking out any powder, I never have loose primers or powder on the bench at the same time.
My routine is to set up my Redding No.2 beam scale using check weights followed by the powder measure.
I load one round at a time, I put the next case to be loaded upside down in a powder funnel on the bench, which tells me it is empty and I can see that the primer is correctly seated.
I throw a charge into the case and immediately transfer it into the scale adjusting it if necessary, then back into the case and seat the bullet.
My last act is to shake every loaded round so I know that it has powder in it before putting it in the ammo box.

Slow and tedious maybe, but it has stood me in good stead for the last 53 years of reloading.

ukrifleman

[uscra112]

Only done a double charge once - loading .25-20 at the range with onlookers around. Fortunately the result was that I proved a Stevens 44 is stronger than people say it is.

At home I load in total silence. Curious cat excluded from room. Phone turned off. Weigh every charge, dump it, seat the bullet while the beam balance is settling with the next charge. Will never trust the practice of charging a whole block of cases before seating bullets the way some people do. Don't trust electronic scales. Don't trust powder measures either, after seeing how the dropped weights vary no matter what powder or how good my technique. Never leave powder in the measure after a session. Only one powder out of the storage drawer at a time. Uncharged cases always mouth down in the block. Beam balance is at eye level so I can see very clearly how the poises are set. Illumination from over my shoulder. Lots of other little details I won't bore you with.

Process control in auto plants was my career, and I still take it to extremes. We had to plan everything with UAW idiots in mind. At the loading bench I assume I'm the idiot.

[TNsailorman]

I like to listen to Glenn Miller music, reloading or not. Shows you how old I am. James

[MOshooter]

My biggest distraction is our 6 year old 130lb. German Shepard, named Axel.
He constantly comes in the reloading room, about every 5 minutes and keeps tapping my leg with his paw, wanting attention SMH

[fredj338]

Almost all catastrophic events due to reloading come from distraction. I try to never have anyone talking to me, no tv, radio is ok. Pay attention, dont reload when tired, no booze is obvious but often ignored by many.

[dogdoc]

My whole professional life involves working and concentrating with distractions. I learned long ago to tune out everything but the task at hand when I need to (much to my wife’s chagrin ). So a radio ,tv, dog barking, tumbler running, wife telling me to take trash out, does not bother me. However I do not try to concentrate on two things at once. I stop loading until I can concentrate on loading to the exclusion of everything else (tuning everything else out.)

[Slugster]

I do my best to ignore minor distractions. If I cannot ignore, then it's 'reloading game over' for the day. I once loaded a 10 grain overcharge for my Contender 16" .45-70. Upon firing the pistol muzzle pointed straight up, and the forearm detached ala ripped forearm tenon from slot. I had a load for 4198 and 3031 and got the two mixed up. I didn't check my notes and ASSumed that I had my facts right.

Always check your notes!

[Smk SHoe]

I have a 4 year old granddaughter that wants to help “Opa” make bullets. She is into everything on the bench. Sizing already sized bullets and sizing already sized cases. Putting casing’s in loading blocks and counting everything. She does all the working making the bullets and brags to everyone about it. “ magical elves do all the priming and charging when she is with mom and dad” few years and she can help with the dangerous stuff

[K43]

I don't like interruptions so I schedule early morning, like 5 or 6 am, when my Spouse is still in bed and no one is likely to come to the door.
Cases all prepped and primed, I do dispensing, checking powder levels with a flashlight, seating, crimping if required, all in separate steps so no going astray and errors can be caught.
Notebook, loadbook on the table. If the load came from a company website, the load is recorded in my notebook. Only one powder out of the cabinet and on the desk. I need that concentration and methodical adherence to steps to avoid mix-ups and mistakes. And I have made mistakes like undercharge followed by overcharge (powder bridge I guess) and an upside down bullet once or twice. I can see and correct them before I go on to the next step. Keep interrupting me and I don't just get grumpy; I quit, dump all the cases, and start over another time.

[Kent Fowler]

I bought a used Ponsness non progressive loader that I, absolutely, could not have ANY distractions when using it, or I'd wind up with a blooper. Gave it to a friend of mine with that warning. He told me later he threw the thing in garbage as he was having the same problem...

[2TM101]

Without distractions, we would probably never be able to enjoy the experience of dry balling a muzzle loader.

Or having a speargun. I'm glad I figured out how to make ramrods for $0.65

[Super Sneaky Steve]

We are all prone to distractions but we can try to mitigate the damage.

I charge all my cases with a Lee Auto Disk. Once it's set it should always throw the same charge.

I also like to make room for a powder cop die.