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Posted: 5/15/2011 4:11:13 PM EDT
What do you do when you've just realized your powder measure slipped somewhere in the middle of 1,000 rounds of .45, to somewhere below minimum safe powder weight, and all you've got is a kenetic bullet puller? 
I'm using a Dillon 650, originally had it set to 5.8 gr Unique, now they're coming out at 4.9. I haven't fiddled with it since I started the batch, so I have no idea how it slipped almost a grain, or where that happened. Oh, and I've thought about weighing the loaded cases, but I'm using mixed brass, so there's not a lot of consistency across the 1K. Any ideas that'll avoid roughly 5,000 hammer blows against the floor to pull all of these? |
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Time to buy a collet puller? Yup, And now you have learn to check every so often the same way I and many others have. Been reloading for years, and I usually do...but this time I did all 1K in roughly one sitting, and got in the zone. One of the curses of a progressive press, I guess. |
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What do you do when you've just realized your powder measure slipped somewhere in the middle of 1,000 rounds of .45, to somewhere below minimum safe powder weight, and all you've got is a kenetic bullet puller?
I'm using a Dillon 650, originally had it set to 5.8 gr Unique, now they're coming out at 4.9. I haven't fiddled with it since I started the batch, so I have no idea how it slipped almost a grain, or where that happened. Oh, and I've thought about weighing the loaded cases, but I'm using mixed brass, so there's not a lot of consistency across the 1K. Any ideas that'll avoid roughly 5,000 hammer blows against the floor to pull all of these? I would use them for plinking. Low charge weight but not so low that they will get stuck in the barrel. |
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What do you do when you've just realized your powder measure slipped somewhere in the middle of 1,000 rounds of .45, to somewhere below minimum safe powder weight, and all you've got is a kenetic bullet puller?
Looks like you've learned an important lesson the hard way. You should always grab a case and check the powder weight every 100 rounds or so. I'm using a Dillon 650, originally had it set to 5.8 gr Unique, now they're coming out at 4.9. I haven't fiddled with it since I started the batch, so I have no idea how it slipped almost a grain, or where that happened.
Odd. Is the powder measure going through the full range of travel? Also are you using the Dillon powder check system? |
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Had a similar experience, only more dangerous.... I started out loading 9mm with 4.2gr of Bullseye. The micrometer base on my RCBS Uniflow wasn't tightened down enough, so throughout the cycles, it started to back out. I didn't notice it until it was throwing 5.8gr of powder (max charge listed was 5.0) - my RCBS lock-out die wasn't going to lock up until about 6.2gr. So, I had about 250 rounds to pull down.
Using a Hornady cam-lock puller with the proper collet, I pulled them all down in a little over an hour, and the bullets (115gr FMJ) were in perfect condition. I set the puller up so that the case mouth would top out on the bottom face of the collet, so I'd just run the ram up until I felt resistance, pull tension on the cam lock lever, and lower the ram. This gave the collet the best chance of grabbing the bullet, where it's at it's flatest. After fixing the Uniflow (tightening down the micrometer base properly this time), I re-re-loaded all the rounds, and shot them all without issue. |
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When loading on my SD's or 550, I check the powder charge every 100 rounds.
Which is every time I refill the primer magazine. Also check powder level. A collet puller doesn't have anything to grab on to with pistol bullets. With 185 or 200 gr bullets, you could shoot those loads. With 230 gr bullets, you are below start loads, and you should pull those bullets. Should only take 1 or 2 hits with pistol loads. I know you won't ever do this again. 
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I dunno about others but I throw dozen or so charges before I even weigh one. Perhaps 6 or 8 or more dialing in the dispenser. And then I check the charge every couple dozen cases (start of a load block, somewhere in the middle, and at the end of a bloack of 50). You are throwing 1000 charges and never periodically checking charge wieght? Sounds like one of the many reasons I never shoot other people's reloads.
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I dunno about others but I throw dozen or so charges before I even weigh one. Perhaps 6 or 8 or more dialing in the dispenser. And then I check the charge every couple dozen cases (start of a load block, somewhere in the middle, and at the end of a bloack of 50). You are throwing 1000 charges and never periodically checking charge wieght? Sounds like one of the many reasons I never shoot other people's reloads. this i check my powder every 100th reload. only after getting 6 constant throws in a re when dialing it in during the initial setup. |
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I would use them for plinking. Low charge weight but not so low that they will get stuck in the barrel. I'm with Rich on this. Maybe invest in a very light recoil spring or just run your gun as is using these rounds for slow fire plinking. Avoid rapid fire with these just in case a squib comes along. |
| Last year friend gave me a SDB and 700 rounds that the previous owner (not him) had loaded all with 200 SWC and about 3.5 grains of a fast powder in each one. It would not cycle my XD, unless I removed the magazine so they eject thru the magwell. So 700cycles of feed mag, rack eject mag, shoot I have mastered mag changes and malfunction drills and have 700 mostly twice fired brass and the nice MTM Solid shell boxes. |
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I dunno about others but I throw dozen or so charges before I even weigh one. Perhaps 6 or 8 or more dialing in the dispenser. And then I check the charge every couple dozen cases (start of a load block, somewhere in the middle, and at the end of a bloack of 50). You are throwing 1000 charges and never periodically checking charge wieght? Sounds like one of the many reasons I never shoot other people's reloads. I ALWAYS do this when setting up. I've been reloading for years, and had the 650 for 11 of those. I also usually check about every 200 rds or so, but I openly admit I've gotten complacent in this, because I've NEVER had the powder measure move on this press before. But I've also never sat down and loaded a thousand in one sitting before; usually it was 1-300 at a time when I had a spare hour, come back in a day or two and check the powder measure, reload the primers and go back to town. That's what actually got me to this place....I only loaded 900 and had to stop with one set of primers left to reload, so I cleared everything, came back yesterday and found this little land mine as I was starting over. And since these are 230gr FMJs I'm shooting, I'm glad I had to stop before I shot any of these. I'm also glad it didn't move the other way. 
Gonna try to weigh the fullly loaded rounds; hopefully, as I get to the bottom of the ammo can I'll have some I won't have to pull. Anything below 324 gr total is DEFINITELY underweight, regardless of brass, maybe I can figure out a "definitely over" total weight. Lesson reinforced. Believe me, no one's going to kick my ass for being inattentive any more than I am. I did NOT need this "diversion" at this particular time!
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What does"minimum safe powder weight" mean? If you are saying its the suggested starting load, don't be surprised if they work in your gun. I would just use them for practice if they work and only break them done if they don't. "Minimum safe powder weight" = minimum charge listed in my Speer reloading manual for that bullet weight. Listed as 5.5 for a 230gr bullet, I'm half a grain under that. Basically, I'm not willing to put an $800 pistol at risk for two-tenths of a penny's worth of powder difference. |
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Odd. Is the powder measure going through the full range of travel? Also are you using the Dillon powder check system? Sorry, missed these questions. Yep, powder measure's doing it's thing. And no, not using the powder check system. From what I understand of the system, not sure if it would register in this situation, because the difference between what I'm trying to throw and what's in the case isn't that great. I thought the powder check system looked for significant differences in powder level in the case (like, 1/2 charge, or double-charge). |
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What does"minimum safe powder weight" mean? If you are saying its the suggested starting load, don't be surprised if they work in your gun. I would just use them for practice if they work and only break them done if they don't. "Minimum safe powder weight" = minimum charge listed in my Speer reloading manual for that bullet weight. Listed as 5.5 for a 230gr bullet, I'm half a grain under that. Basically, I'm not willing to put an $800 pistol at risk for two-tenths of a penny's worth of powder difference. Is your concern that the load will damage the pistol? IMHO, I really doubt it. The worst it will do is not cycle. I go under min load all the time when working out loads. |
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Quoted: A collet puller doesn't have anything to grab on to with pistol bullets. +1 Something similar but of a much more minor magnitude happened to me last week. I was loading 9mm brass that I had cleaned with the SS media a while ago and doing the weight check every 10 rounds and notice all a sudden that the powder being thrown was light. I looked in the case and notice that the problem was not how much powder was being thrown but that there as moisture at the bottom of the casing and the powder was sticking to the casing and so did not make it to the weighting pan. The fault was mine as I cleaned about 300 casings at a shot and did not dry it enough over the dehumidifier. As a rule, I use to let it sit for at least 24 hours over the drying but because of the number of pieces of brass, the ventilation must have been inadequate, the rule now is at least 3 days. I trashed the rounds and tried to take them apart with the Hornady collet puller using the correct collet and dryflash3 is correct – because a 9 mm round basically is only exposing the ogive part of the bullet once it is loaded, it is very difficult if not impossible to pull the bullets out and when you do, the bullets are significantly scarred that you would not want to shoot them at least for a match. Of the 10 that I attempted to pull, three did not come out and the rest were damaged. So you have been warned before you purchase this tool and think that it is going to work wonders, it is not all smooth sailing. BTW, the tool does works wonders if you are pulling rifle bullets like 223 or 308 (the two I have tried), it just does not work anywhere as well for handgun bullets. |
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I trashed the rounds and tried to take them apart with the Hornady collet puller using the correct collet and dryflash3 is correct – because a 9 mm round basically is only exposing the ogive part of the bullet once it is loaded, it is very difficult if not impossible to pull the bullets out and when you do, the bullets are significantly scarred that you would not want to shoot them at least for a match. Of the 10 that I attempted to pull, three did not come out and the rest were damaged. I don't know what to tell you... I successfully pulled down 200 or so 9mm rounds that were loaded with 115gr FMJ bullets, with the Hornady cam-lock puller, and a .358 collet (collet #9). None of my rounds were damaged, and when reloaded, all chambered and shot just fine. |
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Quoted: Quoted: I trashed the rounds and tried to take them apart with the Hornady collet puller using the correct collet and dryflash3 is correct – because a 9 mm round basically is only exposing the ogive part of the bullet once it is loaded, it is very difficult if not impossible to pull the bullets out and when you do, the bullets are significantly scarred that you would not want to shoot them at least for a match. Of the 10 that I attempted to pull, three did not come out and the rest were damaged. I don't know what to tell you... I successfully pulled down 200 or so 9mm rounds that were loaded with 115gr FMJ bullets, with the Hornady cam-lock puller, and a .358 collet (collet #9). None of my rounds were damaged, and when reloaded, all chambered and shot just fine. That is good news. I don't know either, but just passing on what I have seen. Our difference could be due to different degree of crimp. I use a Lee carbide Factory Crimp Die on my 147gr DP rounds. |
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Time to buy a collet puller? Yup, And now you have learn to check every so often the same way I and many others have. Been reloading for years, and I usually do...but this time I did all 1K in roughly one sitting, and got in the zone. One of the curses of a progressive press, I guess. Not the presses fault, its the mindset developed from over confidence. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Time to buy a collet puller? Yup, And now you have learn to check every so often the same way I and many others have. Been reloading for years, and I usually do...but this time I did all 1K in roughly one sitting, and got in the zone. One of the curses of a progressive press, I guess. Not the presses fault, its the mindset developed from over confidence. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Not a thing I can say to that, except "I agree completely." 
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Something similar but of a much more minor magnitude happened to me last week. I was loading 9mm brass that I had cleaned with the SS media a while ago and doing the weight check every 10 rounds and notice all a sudden that the powder being thrown was light. I looked in the case and notice that the problem was not how much powder was being thrown but that there as moisture at the bottom of the casing and the powder was sticking to the casing and so did not make it to the weighting pan. The fault was mine as I cleaned about 300 casings at a shot and did not dry it enough over the dehumidifier. As a rule, I use to let it sit for at least 24 hours over the drying but because of the number of pieces of brass, the ventilation must have been inadequate, the rule now is at least 3 days.[/span] I usually solve this problem by washing my brass in really hot water after cleaning, then baking the brass in the oven at 250 degrees for about 1/2 an hour. Bone dry. BTW, don't use your wife's Pampered Chef cookie sheets when you do this. 
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Quoted: Quoted: Something similar but of a much more minor magnitude happened to me last week. I was loading 9mm brass that I had cleaned with the SS media a while ago and doing the weight check every 10 rounds and notice all a sudden that the powder being thrown was light. I looked in the case and notice that the problem was not how much powder was being thrown but that there as moisture at the bottom of the casing and the powder was sticking to the casing and so did not make it to the weighting pan. The fault was mine as I cleaned about 300 casings at a shot and did not dry it enough over the dehumidifier. As a rule, I use to let it sit for at least 24 hours over the drying but because of the number of pieces of brass, the ventilation must have been inadequate, the rule now is at least 3 days.[/span] I usually solve this problem by washing my brass in really hot water after cleaning, then baking the brass in the oven at 250 degrees for about 1/2 an hour. Bone dry. BTW, don't use your wife's Pampered Chef cookie sheets when you do this. Yes, that of course does work, but if one has patience, the dehumidifier fan method works just as well and you don't have to pay the electric bill to boot. Here is a photo of my setup. Basically the brass sits in a perforated basket that sits over the fan of my basement dehumidifier. That puppy is always on 24/7 and so it blows dry air all the time. My problem was just not waiting long enough. I have cases and cases of 9mm brass and so I should never be in a hurry to dry the stuff, just need to wait a few more days - its part of the learning process.  |
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