Sometimes you just need to step away from the bench
- Thread starter 6Creed73
- Start date
SSL
Gold $$ Contributor
Every loader will make a silly mistake at one time or another whether they admit it or not. I've made several, but the one that still makes me feel like a fool was when I was setting up a new set of dies for .22/250. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the case to enter the sizing die fully to size all the way to the base no matter how hard I pulled that handle. The more I tried things that didn't work, the madder I got. I hadn't quit smoking at that point so I went outside for a smoke. When I went back into my room it hit me. Now, most of you probably are ahead of me here and know what dumb stunt I pulled.
I had neglected to take the most basic step of all...I hadn't backed the decapping stem out and it was bottoming out on the case web. I called it a day and started over the next morning.
I had neglected to take the most basic step of all...I hadn't backed the decapping stem out and it was bottoming out on the case web. I called it a day and started over the next morning.
As Dirty Harry once said, "a man has to know his limitations." At my age, my limitations keep increasing!
By the way, the mental distractions you describe I sometimes experience while going to the range and it usually results in a bad range day. There is so much to the mental aspect to precision shooting that when I am not in the "zone" I usually have a bad range day.
Regarding reloading, I learned a long time ago the hard way that if you lack focus bad things can happen. I think we all have been there if you reload long enough. I also learned the more costly the mistake, the less apt one is to repeat it so you can recover something positive out of your recent brain fart.
WyleWD
Silver $$ Contributor
+1^^^ I'm with ya fella. NEVER more than one type of primer, powder, or bullet off the shelf at the same time for me. WDAs Dirty Harry once said, "a man has to know his limitations." At my age, my limitations keep increasing!
By the way, the mental distractions you describe I sometimes experience while going to the range and it usually results in a bad range day. There is so much to the mental aspect to precision shooting that when I am not in the "zone" I usually have a bad range day.
Regarding reloading, I learned a long time ago the hard way that if you lack focus bad things can happen. I think we all have been there if you reload long enough. I also learned the more costly the mistake, the less apt one is to repeat it so you can recover something positive out of your recent brain fart.
Anyone of us that says we never do such, is lying or has not been around to long. No matter how careful we are, we will make a slipup, here or there.
Like you however we must pay attention and at least catch the slip up and not get injured or worse.
And you are correct, step back on occasion and regroup.
Like you however we must pay attention and at least catch the slip up and not get injured or worse.
And you are correct, step back on occasion and regroup.
my first year of reloading I learned a every important lesson.
Never have more than one container of powder sitting on the bench at any time.
I made a similar mistake as the OP once, but immediately changed the way I did business but have not done it again in 20 years of reloading tens of thousands of rounds. If you don't have two containers out at once it is almost impossible to mix them
My old setup had the powder in a separate room from the reloading bench, my new setup has it in a closed cabinet on the other side of the room from the bench and only one container comes out of that cabinet at at a time. That container stays on my bench until I am finished with that batch then it is put in the cabinet and another powder comes out
Never have more than one container of powder sitting on the bench at any time.
I made a similar mistake as the OP once, but immediately changed the way I did business but have not done it again in 20 years of reloading tens of thousands of rounds. If you don't have two containers out at once it is almost impossible to mix them
My old setup had the powder in a separate room from the reloading bench, my new setup has it in a closed cabinet on the other side of the room from the bench and only one container comes out of that cabinet at at a time. That container stays on my bench until I am finished with that batch then it is put in the cabinet and another powder comes out
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Brain farts will always be there. Knowing that, you keep the opportunities for brain farts to materialize into a serious problem at a minimum. Everyone has their system, they vary in effectiveness.
Brain farts become more frequent with age. Take it from someone now passing age 76.In several years of reloading I've never made a stupid mistake like accidentally mixing powders...until today.
I'm a fairly meticulous person and everything on my bench that relates to powder is clearly labeled. I have a big batch of .308 to load with IMR4064 so I wanted to top off the measure. As you can see from the pic, they are labeled and I knew exactly which one was 4064. Yet inexplicably, I pulled the Varget measure and proceeded to dump a bunch of 4064 into the bottle that was already half filled with Varget. I put the measure back on the stand and immediately noticed the color difference and realized my mistake.
THEN...still pissed off from flushing money down the toilet. I was setting bullets on the necks after charging the cases. After I charge a case, I always set a bullet on the neck so I know that one is already charged. I charge the case, dip the bullet in graphite, and set it on the neck and move to the next one. For some reason beyond comprehension, instead of dipping the bullet in graphite, I went to dip the case neck in graphite as if I was running it through a mandrel (a step I already did). Well obviously, I dumped 4064 into the container with graphite and ceramic media. More money down the toilet
If your head is somewhere else, just step away. Safe loading, my friends!
View attachment 1494719
The main thing I have to look out for are distractions, particularly if they're self inflicted.
Murray Brook
Silver $$ Contributor
Also good fire forming loads.
It depends on how much I'll be using that powder for a period of time. I don't leave them in the measures indefinitely, but I do leave them for a week or so. They are enclosed, so the powder is not exposed. On top of that, I run a dehumidifier in my reloading room and humidity never gets above 50%.
I'll be honest...for a split second when I was saying to myself "did I really just f'ing do that?", I thought maybe I can use it to fire form new brass...but that goes beyond what I'm willing to do.
I have one powder measure. I have one can of powder on the bench at a time. When I am done loading I pour the powder into the only can on the bench. Storing powder in many different powder measures looks like an accident looking for a place to happen. Plus a lot of money and bench space. I put each empty sized and primed case in a 50 round holder block. As I fill each case I put it back in the same case holder block. Before seating bullets I look in each case with a small flashlight to see if they are filled with powder. I never seated a bullet without powder, but I have caught not filling a case because I walked away from the bench and came back later. I use the same block for empty and filled cases which makes it manitory to check each case for fill.In several years of reloading I've never made a stupid mistake like accidentally mixing powders...until today.
I'm a fairly meticulous person and everything on my bench that relates to powder is clearly labeled. I have a big batch of .308 to load with IMR4064 so I wanted to top off the measure. As you can see from the pic, they are labeled and I knew exactly which one was 4064. Yet inexplicably, I pulled the Varget measure and proceeded to dump a bunch of 4064 into the bottle that was already half filled with Varget. I put the measure back on the stand and immediately noticed the color difference and realized my mistake.
THEN...still pissed off from flushing money down the toilet. I was setting bullets on the necks after charging the cases. After I charge a case, I always set a bullet on the neck so I know that one is already charged. I charge the case, dip the bullet in graphite, and set it on the neck and move to the next one. For some reason beyond comprehension, instead of dipping the bullet in graphite, I went to dip the case neck in graphite as if I was running it through a mandrel (a step I already did). Well obviously, I dumped 4064 into the container with graphite and ceramic media. More money down the toilet
If your head is somewhere else, just step away. Safe loading, my friends!
View attachment 1494719
Your bench setup looks very neat and clean.
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I have a slight case of OCD, I can't stand a dirty, cluttered work area. Everything gets wiped down, put away, etc after each session. I have a cheap Lee press (not shown) that is dedicated to decapping so my main presses don't get dirty. They are all on Inline Fabrication quick mounts, so I can swap them in a few seconds.
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