Stupidity with a lucky ending

[allen529]

Thank goodness it wasnt detonating primers... if that had been me I might not touch another one.

Anyway, yesterday I was doing a load work up for my 6.5x47L (THANKS KWPrecision!) And as I loaded the first 140 ELD into the chamber the bolt was slightly tight rotating down. First shot 8 inches high! (WTF!) Second shot 10 oclock 8" high! So i crank down some on my scope. Bam, third shot 4 inches high 12 oclock. Those were at starting load 33.5 grn H4350.

#4 was 34.0 grns but as I closed the bolt I did so slowly and felt the bullet seat deeper. Ahha! #$%#@$^! I apparently misread my seating die and seated them about 20tho into the rifling instead of 10 tho out! I am glad those were not max loads. Of course when I pulled the case of course I got a powder spill. So after driving 25 miles to shoot I was done in 10 minutes.

Its always the simplest tasks that bite you.

 

[PatMiles]

We learn from our mistakes, some sooner than others. I am the poster boy when it comes to mistakes, fortunately no blood letting yet.

 

[centerlineseal]

Over 40 years ago, in my first experience with reloading and under the guidance of a couple of other inexperienced reloaders, we built some 30-06 loads for an Oregon Elk hunt.

Opening morning, after getting up super early and arriving at the "honey hole" I'd been scouting, I loaded up and chambered a round to begin the hunt.

Didn't feel right so I ejected the round, ... case and powder everywhere, with bullet still in the throat. End of hunt before I even started.

I now ALWAYS check chambering ease for all hunting situations and have the means to clear the barrel while in the field.

 

[ireload2]

Are you sure? If your bullets seated to zero when you closed the bolt you are only talking about .010 longer.

I had to ask because I have had to deal with other's trouble shooting skills a lot. Specifically CNC programmers make mistakes and they draw the wrong conclusion when diagnosing the errors. After the fix they have masked the original problem and created another. After about 3 iterations of mistaken fixes the problem gets totally out of control.
The original error is often not the original error. The original error is not developing systematic proofing and double or triple checking your work. Otherwise you are just backing out of the driveway without looking first.

Thank goodness it wasnt detonating primers... if that had been me I might not touch another one.

Anyway, yesterday I was doing a load work up for my 6.5x47L (THANKS KWPrecision!) And as I loaded the first 140 ELD into the chamber the bolt was slightly tight rotating down. First shot 8 inches high! (WTF!) Second shot 10 oclock 8" high! So i crank down some on my scope. Bam, third shot 4 inches high 12 oclock. Those were at starting load 33.5 grn H4350.

#4 was 34.0 grns but as I closed the bolt I did so slowly and felt the bullet seat deeper. Ahha! #$%#@$^! I apparently misread my seating die and seated them about 20tho into the rifling instead of 10 tho out! I am glad those were not max loads. Of course when I pulled the case of course I got a powder spill. So after driving 25 miles to shoot I was done in 10 minutes.

Its always the simplest tasks that bite you.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Otherwise you are just backing out of the driveway without looking first.

9 out of 10 cars will stop.

 

[Rsadams]

It's 38 miles one way for me , it's irritating to have to load up and go home but it happens to all of us.. Glad your ok and you figured it out... When something goes wrong or unexpected , stop...

I am glad also it wasn't another primer story , that's what I thought when I saw your post...lol
I was primer shopping yesterday and all they had was federal and the picture of that man's thumb popped into my mind...

 

[ireload2]

The one that does not stop is always driven by a lawyer's wife.

9 out of 10 cars will stop.

 

[allen529]

Ireload2,

I am sure that was the issue. They measured 2.770 when I got home COAL. I reseated them to 2.750 AND cycled each one thru just to make sure no more stuck in the throat. No rub marks on the ogive either. The heel is just at the junction now without compressing the powder charge.

Ive been reloading for accuracy since 2010. Before i did it for a rifle not relatively popular in the US. I have no idea how many rounds I have loaded so if someone else stops and thinks hey I saw that bonehead messed up the other day and then takes an extra minute measuring his loads I am happy to have helped.

Allen

 

[MNbogboy]

9 out of 10 cars will stop.

Nope, nowadays with all the cell phones out there only 3 or four might see you in time to stop!

 

[JEFFPPC]

Thank goodness it wasnt detonating primers... if that had been me I might not touch another one.

Anyway, yesterday I was doing a load work up for my 6.5x47L (THANKS KWPrecision!) And as I loaded the first 140 ELD into the chamber the bolt was slightly tight rotating down. First shot 8 inches high! (WTF!) Second shot 10 oclock 8" high! So i crank down some on my scope. Bam, third shot 4 inches high 12 oclock. Those were at starting load 33.5 grn H4350.

#4 was 34.0 grns but as I closed the bolt I did so slowly and felt the bullet seat deeper. Ahha! #$%#@$^! I apparently misread my seating die and seated them about 20tho into the rifling instead of 10 tho out! I am glad those were not max loads. Of course when I pulled the case of course I got a powder spill. So after driving 25 miles to shoot I was done in 10 minutes.

Its always the simplest tasks that bite you.

Aren't they really light loads?

 

[mr45man]

You might have nonsholontly set the rifle on vertically on the bench and slowly pulled the round.,

 

[Monte F]

9 out of 10 cars will stop.

Or you back over a kid on his bicycle! (Saw this happen to one of my friends when we were kids.)

 

[Texas10]

I annealed a bunch of 6BR brass the other day, got'm all cleaned up, trimmed and chamfered and proceeded to start loading. Poured the powder in the first case, set the bullet on top and seated it with my micrometer die. Measured it with my OAL gage and it was waaaaaay off.

Now how is that, I sez? Bullet went in very nice, a bit different, but smoothly. Hmmmmm...

Looked again at the box and realized I'd grabbed the 6.5 mm 130 grain Berger instead of the 6mm 105 Berger Hybrid.

So glad I didn't pull the trigger on that mistake.

 

[dkhunt14]

I annealed a bunch of 6BR brass the other day, got'm all cleaned up, trimmed and chamfered and proceeded to start loading. Poured the powder in the first case, set the bullet on top and seated it with my micrometer die. Measured it with my OAL gage and it was waaaaaay off.

Now how is that, I sez? Bullet went in very nice, a bit different, but smoothly. Hmmmmm...

Looked again at the box and realized I'd grabbed the 6.5 mm 130 grain Berger instead of the 6mm 105 Berger Hybrid.

So glad I didn't pull the trigger on that mistake.

That brass must of been soft. I know with an arbor press I would of noticed the seating pressure difference. It would of taken a lot of pressure on that little handle to seat them. Matt

 

[Zero333]

I always chamber check 10 cartridges when reloading.

I've never had such high pressure spikes from loading 20 thou in the lands. Then again I don't load into the lands on a brand new chamber.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Thank goodness it wasnt detonating primers... if that had been me I might not touch another one.

Anyway, yesterday I was doing a load work up for my 6.5x47L (THANKS KWPrecision!) And as I loaded the first 140 ELD into the chamber the bolt was slightly tight rotating down. First shot 8 inches high! (WTF!) Second shot 10 oclock 8" high! So i crank down some on my scope. Bam, third shot 4 inches high 12 oclock. Those were at starting load 33.5 grn H4350.

#4 was 34.0 grns but as I closed the bolt I did so slowly and felt the bullet seat deeper. Ahha! #$%#@$^! I apparently misread my seating die and seated them about 20tho into the rifling instead of 10 tho out! I am glad those were not max loads. Of course when I pulled the case of course I got a powder spill. So after driving 25 miles to shoot I was done in 10 minutes.

Its always the simplest tasks that bite you.

I would want more freebore than you have for the long bullets. I have my chambers throated so with the longest bullet I plan to shoot the pressure ring is half way up the neck to start, that leaves me plenty of room to go in or out to find what the barrel likes.

 

[allen529]

I have a .167 fb to use with both 130 and 140 tho I know I am losing a little on the 140's. I am probably going to stay with the 130s anyway but it never hurts to have backups unless you mess up measurements.

I have a promising load for 130 hybrid and am going to dial in the seating depth carefully.

Thanks for the replies

Allen

 

[SmokinJoe]

And when you chamber check, you do remove the firing pin from the bolt, right?

 

[Jackal2016]

Or you back over a kid on his bicycle! (Saw this happen to one of my friends when we were kids.)

That is a perfect example of why it's safer to back into your driveway. There is less time for things to change behind you as you reverse into driveway compared to hopping into vehicle, starting and reversing. One also has a much clearer field of view as they drive out forward.

 

[fguffey]

So after driving 25 miles to shoot I was done in 10 minutes.

You drove 25 miles with one rifle and one load? I have taken 12 different loads for one rifle to the range with 7 other rifles and different loads. I am the fan of the running start, I want my bullets to have that jump start. If the rifle is not accurate with the jump/running start it does not make it to the range.

F. Guffey