Just finished my first.50 bmg reloads...

....using once fired pmc brass, 200 grains WC872, and 690 gr SA surplus projectiles. The label on the jug says to use AA8700 load data as a starting point so I had to interpolate the starting charge weight based on Lee's data for the 750 grain Amax and 642 grain ball, hence the 200 grain figure. I can't wait to see where these chrono along with comparing them to the factory PMC I have.

Following the advice of the interwebz I had previously bought a Hornady. 50 powder measure, but for this session I decide to just weigh my charges with my RCBS rangemaster since I was only loading 20 cases. Definitely the slower way to do it, but am now not so sure the space that the hornady measure takes up on my bench is worth it, especially of I don't find myself doing a high volume of cartridges. Anyhow, if there's anyone in the market for a Hornady measure at a good price....keep your eyes on EE, mine may just show up there one day.

Also, I noticed that the surplus projectile crimp groove locations were all over the map. Since I won't be crimping for target loads with my M99, shouldn't be big deal, but figured someone looking at reloading these for an M82 might want to know.

Reloading for the win! I usually only make 50 in 25-30 round runs––then again I rarely make match projectiles. I too have an M99 and both myself and my wife absolutely love shooting stuff with it. If I remember correctly isn't 872 used primarily for 20mm? I have always used IMR-5010 because it lights tracers consistently and I have a really good data source for it. Unfortunately it meters like ass so I have to throw each charge onto the Rangemaster and trickle in the difference. So far I have gotten good results with most of the bullets out there so best of luck with everything.

––Check your email about the powder measure––

Here is my last run of Barrett fodder



L->R
M1 incendiary
M17 Tracer
M20 APIT
M8 API
M48-A1 Spotter Tracers
more M20s

Berry berry nice!....right now I will just be loading ball projo's. Yes, from what I read 872 is used for 20 mm....I bought it b/c it was really cheap for plinking loads.

ETA: Just re-inspecting the rounds I loaded last night and noticed that ALL the primers are high.........

They all felt flush, but as I sat them down on the counter I notice some wobbling. Sure enough, I put them on a straight edge and could see daylight. they are all about 0.005too high.

Can anyone recommend a good bullet puller? Am I risking serious injury attempting to chamber these rounds?

Bummer on the primers, hoping someone will advise you on a puller or if you can just fir the rounds the way they are.

I loaded 170, 175, and 180grs of WC872 and M48A1 bullets, loads of awesome, out of 25 rounds only 1 tracer did not lite. I didn't puncture the foil either.

PLEASE post your data after to fire, I originally planned to load just as you had but instead loaded with H5010 and now also have 4 jugs of the hotter 5010 also.

Will do on the data......

You reckon so long as I can close the bolt on these rounds (without having to force it), they should be safe to fire?

ETA: I see where you commented on that.....my reading comp sucks today.

Frankly I do not think that these rounds with the primer sitting high are a good idea to shoot. Over the past several years there have been a few OOB KABOOMS. Frankly I have seen what happens when an AR-15 firing the little .223 round can do. Just about a month ago seen this happen. The left side of the upper from the carry handle down to where it ends just above the lower half. And from under the hand guard retainer all of the way back to the charging handle was missing. Also the bolt was locked up. Could not pull it back with the charging handle. Because the top of the bolt carrier is exposed we could see that the bolt should have been unlocked due to where the bolt pin was located dead 12 O clock and the carrier was just a bit shy of pulling the bolt back.

So, just imagine what can happen if the 50BMG shell with about 9 X more powder was to detonate outside of the chamber. Let me tell you what happens from a few OOB KABOOMS. The bolt busted off the handle and proceeded to go through the stock, the guys shoulder, back another 20 or 30 feet and then through a cinder block wall. Thumb was ripped off and rest of hand had brass shrapnel embedded into it. I think he also lost sight in one of his eyes. This happened at a private club some miles out of town and he was by himself. He tells that he had to get himself into his truck and drive back to town to get help. Another I never really did hear just what happened to the guy, but it was just a few years ago. Disclaimer it was not the rifle but I remember that this one, the guy was shooting a BOHICA. And I think the first one was a ALS rifle. One or both might have been the raise primer thing that set it off.

This is nothing to chance, fix the problem before it fixes you right up. I dont think you mentioned what press you are using. But several of use LEE press guys have had to go on ebay and buy a 5C collet holder and a 13mm collet. I think that someone else found a english sized collet. All you do it put the shell in the press but leave out the seating or sizing die. Pull down on the handle and raise the shell. Put the collet holder on the bullet and active the holder to close the collet on the bullet. Now raise the handle slowly and pop out the bullet.

As for seating the primer. I do this and others might not agree, so be it. I raise the handle till I feel the primer stop. then just a slight stronger tug. this last little tug caused the dome to flatten and the primer gets a better grip of the primer pocket wall. Also this causes the anvil to seat on the bottom of the pocket. Otherwise the anvil is not in contact with the bottom of the pocket and it will take different levels of force to set off the primer. This will lead you to lower accuracy rounds.

TBH, and I don't condone anyone else to do this, but if I have an odd ball high primer I put the round back in the seating tool and seat it deeper, slowly.

Just wait, one day I'll blow my face off.

Max Paul.....much thanks for the kaboom warning story....definately cannot afford something like that going down.

I posted over in the reloading forum about this and after receiving helpful advice such as yours, I opted to pull the bullets, dump the powder and finish seating the primers with theLee priming tool. Turns out, they all just needed that litlle extra "oomph" you describe on the press handle to get thm below the base, while at the same time flattening them.

As far as tools go.....I simply used a large pair of vise grips, wrapped the beaks thickly with duct tape, then with the projo grasped whilst resting across the hole in the press, pulled them ram down and out came the bullets....I scratched up a few jackets until I figured to use a thicker layer of tape, though.

According to another poster in that thread, the CC I 35 arsenal primers may be slightly long, which require the flattening like you mentioned.

Here's a link to the thread if anyone is interested: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/347669_high_primers_____how_dangerous______.html

YIKES......I would definitely put on a bomb suit before doing that.

Molardog,
Thanks for posting that you have done the safe thing. Pulled and dumped then finished seating those primers. Ya, pain in the Ass. But better the ass than the face and hands if not worse. I can breath easier knowing that you are not going to have an OOB. Thanks for posting and letting us all know.

^^^^^^No problem.......One of the things I love about this forum is that it helps one to learn about all of their screwups and how to rectify them. Of course, not everyone is as like-minded as us, as evidenced by some of the posts in that thread I linked.....apparently I am the moron who wasted my time fixing those primers.

molardog,
I am glad you dealt with the issue in a way that you felt comfortable with. Your rifle - your ammo - your business.

I made two mistakes on the other post you linked:
1. I continued to answer your question on the technical merits and ignored perceptions held by you and others. Ultimately it is you that will chamber those rounds so you need to take whatever steps you feel necessary to do so with confidence that you are proceeding safely.

2. I took the bait dangled by another and responded with name-calling. I did not know the rules were different on the Reloading forum than the general AR or GD forums. Matter of fact, how could I as no rules are posted on the Reloading forum.

I hope that we ALL can get over this and move on.

Please feel free to IM me if you want to further discuss offline.

Regards,
dcat

No problem man.....glad to see someone own up to their errors. Just for that, here is some PRon for you....starring some of my first handloads for .50 bmg. In all seriousness, there is no reason any. 50 shooters here should be at each others throats. We have enough enemies to deal with on the outside as it is.

Just finished second batch of reloads with same components after this past weekend range run......noticed something with the K&M pocket uniformer. Apparently the pockets on the PMC brass I am using are really shallow, which I noted just how much better my second batch of primers seated after using the uniformer in a power screwdriver. Just thought I'd alert anyone else out there contemplating purchasing said brass.

Any how, the first batch I ran chrono'ed roughly 2550 fps.....that's a 690 SA surplus projo over 200 grains WC872, CCI #35 primers. Accuracy was about 2 MOA, which I think may be skewed due to scratched up jackets from pulling them, then re-assembling.

I think you're confusing some KB's. In one ALS incident, the shooter did lose a thumb, had shrapnel injuries to his hand and eye (the eye was lost), and the stock tore a fist-sized hole through his pectoral muscle. He did have to drive home from the range to call for help. The injuries resulted in 150k in medical bills. There was another ALS incident reportedly resulting in serious injuries but details of that incident were never made public. In the Bohica KB the shooter suffered a gash from his palm to wrist in the right hand from the bolt handle and his left hand was shattered by the shrapnel/force from a gas vent on the side of the receiver. In an incident with an early Serbu shell holder a shooter was "de-gloved" by an OOBD, and a shooter firing a home-made tube gun with an improperly heat treated bolt had the lugs shear resulting in a bolt firing through his shoulder and into a car in the parking lot. A hang fire ejected prematurely resulted in a Barret semi-auto having the receiver buckle heavily over the exploding round, resulting in a big, nasty laceration to the shooters face. Regardless, more than with any other rifles, safety is paramount.

Back to topic. My apologies for the interruption.

I've thought about doing this before. Seriously.


I'm just not that crazy.

Yeah I don't necessarily like doing it, but IMHO, its a very very long shot to set off the primer applying slow pressure over the entire exposed surface area of the primer. I don't force it, either. If it doesn't go (none haven't so far), I'll pull it.

That said, I've only had to do it to 2 rounds over the 200-300 that I've loaded. 99% of the time high primers get caught when I set the primed case on the bench after priming.

Did somebody say reloads?



I would not recommend seating a primer on a loaded round... I've had a primer go off while seating primers in resized brass.
I highly recommend hearing protection and safety glasses while repriming!

- Clint

I also turn my head as I seat each primer.

Clint, SHOW OFF!!! God how I love looking at that photo.

Rick,
It could very well be that I am mixing up some of the reports. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but so is a good bottle of Rum. All I remember is that the first incident that I remember hearing is from the guy himself that was I think out west. Swear I remember him saying that the bolt flew through his stock, shoulder and a cinder block wall. But I do remember the eye and hand bit. De-Glove, is that the one that I think I saw where almost all tissue is removed from the fingers and palm of the hand?

This aint nothing to be messing around with. Get careless with it and you might find yourself in a world of hurt.

I have had a .50 BMG primer detonate while seating. It was not fun.

As for disassembly, I use a 1/2 collet. Clamp on to the bullet, and use the press to pull the casing away from the bullet. I can get pics if you'd like.

It's not easy, but it's not expensive either. ~$20.

- Clint

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