Hodgdon -- Safety "How To" Suggestions

[M-61]

Hodgdon – Hodgdon Powder Company

hodgdon.com

Interesting info.

Forum Boss: The link above goes to a page with five (5) subtopics. When you get to the Hodgdon website, click on any of the subtopic titles to display the information. It is not obvious that there is more to see/read. FYI, the second subtopic involves the simple tip: "Have only one powder on the bench at a time."

UNSAFE FIREARM AND AMMUNITION COMBINATIONS

SIMPLE TIP TO ENSURE YOU RELOAD WITH THE CORRECT POWDER

GUNPOWDER STABILITY

RELOADING DATA PRESSURE

GENERAL PRIMER SAFETY

 

[piie]

I can relate to the cluttered bench and the dangers of having multiple different powders on the bench. Reloading is typically very repetitive and while “therapeutic”, it can also get you into “auto drive” and that is when bloopers slip in.

The one thing I forced myself into to maintain discipline is to “punish” myself when I make mistakes- eg, if I accidentally break the process or sequence, I don’t allow myself to take a shortcut to rectify the mistake, I start from scratch again, even if I was at the last stage and only had to seat…

 

[Homerange]

Hodgdon – Hodgdon Powder Company

hodgdon.com

Interesting info

Interesting in that is so vague.
Not even a peep how the process itself is fraught with great risk of errors like those that charge lots of cases before seating projectiles.

 

[dryhumor]

Also helps to use one station. I was using two stations last week, same caliber different bullets. Evidently I added a second powder in the mix and didn’t note it in writing.

Couple hours later it crossed my mind that the charge weight was kind of low for that powder. looked at what I had written on my carry with notes for what I had built…

Pulled a bullet and sure enough it was a second powder.

 

[Laurie]

One powder on the bench only is a sensible rule and one I've abided by for a long time - ever since I had two bottles out together and poured the unused powder from powder #1 into the powder #2 bottle on finishing the first cartridge lot!

In itself this doesn't protect you from lots of other basic and dangerous errors of course such as use of the wrong powder grade either through a misread or brainstorm - FINALLY Vihtavuori is putting the grade number onto its bottle up front in big digits, not a barely legible typescript near the bottom.

However, there is one pitfall many don't even know of and certainly don't take enough effort to avoid. A recurrent theme in GB NRA accident investigations in recent years has been powder from one loading session apparently left behind in insufficiently carefully emptied powder measures after changing from a fast burning powder to a slower one. The first case to be charged in the subsequent session gets half a charge weight or more of pistol or very fast burning rifle powder mixed in with the correct grade. You should check a powder measure completely clear at the end of a session or before changing loads as carefully as checking a rifle or pistol clear before taking it off the firing line.

 

[Poconolg]

Buy a roll of grey or white electrical tape and with a Sharpie label the powder measure. Electrical tape is easy to remove and don't leave any residue.

 

[snert]

One powder on the bench only is a sensible rule and one I've abided by for a long time - ever since I had two bottles out together and poured the unused powder from powder #1 into the powder #2 bottle on finishing the first cartridge lot!

In itself this doesn't protect you from lots of other basic and dangerous errors of course such as use of the wrong powder grade either through a misread or brainstorm - FINALLY Vihtavuori is putting the grade number onto its bottle up front in big digits, not a barely legible typescript near the bottom.

However, there is one pitfall many don't even know of and certainly don't take enough effort to avoid. A recurrent theme in GB NRA accident investigations in recent years has been powder from one loading session apparently left behind in insufficiently carefully emptied powder measures after changing from a fast burning powder to a slower one. The first case to be charged in the subsequent session gets half a charge weight or more of pistol or very fast burning rifle powder mixed in with the correct grade. You should check a powder measure completely clear at the end of a session or before changing loads as carefully as checking a rifle or pistol clear before taking it off the firing line.

I use apermenant powder measure stand but remove the measure every time and store it upside down after dumping powder and clearing the tube and mechanism. I don't use an electric scale/thrower though

 

[joshb]

Good post, Laurie! Pistol powder seems to “stick” to the inside of my powder measure. Static electricity, most likely. Those light little flakes of Unique are the worst. When I finish a Pistol loading session, I disassemble my measure and give it a good cleaning. It’s amazing how much powder comes out.

 

[jimmymac]

Interesting in that is so vague.
Not even a peep how the process itself is fraught with great risk of errors like those that charge lots of cases before seating projectiles.

I don't shoot pistol, but for the rifle cartridges I reload it doesn't matter how many charged cases are in my loading block. I couldn't possibly double charge any of them without having powder spilled all over the place.

 

[D-4297]

Good post, Laurie! Pistol powder seems to “stick” to the inside of my powder measure. Static electricity, most likely. Those light little flakes of Unique are the worst. When I finish a Pistol loading session, I disassemble my measure and give it a good cleaning. It’s amazing how much powder comes out.

Good point , @joshb . I load Red Dot along with my other rifle powders and got to thinking about just that . Finished a session of pistol loading , and the turn-up handle seemed to be dragging . I looked , and the measure was empty , so I pulled it apart . There was enough Red dot stuck inside the stand for two or three pistol loads , and I was setting up for .308 ....RUH-ROH ! Don't think my Kelby eats Red Dot very good . And I've gotten more careful about everything after that . It only takes ONCE .

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Good post, Laurie! Pistol powder seems to “stick” to the inside of my powder measure. Static electricity, most likely. Those light little flakes of Unique are the worst. When I finish a Pistol loading session, I disassemble my measure and give it a good cleaning. It’s amazing how much powder comes out.

I bought a Lyman powder measure just for my pistol reloading. So far I have only run Alliant Sport Pistol through it, hope that it stays available to keep everything the same.