What would you do if you loaded too much powder??

[Texas10]

This thought came to mind with regard to your overcharge issue. I am shooting a 69 grain Lapua (223 Rem) in a bolt gun. My best charge of Varget fills the case so full, I can't seat the bullet off the lands without over compressing the powder. IOW, I can't get the bullet to seat consistently at .010 off due to powder being compressed.

If you can switch to a powder that fills your case to near 100 percent at the desired load, an overcharge will be immediately obvious.

Not sure thats possible with a gas gun, but maybe there is a powder that gives both accuracy and a level of safety. Of course, weighing each load is also a solution, albeit perhaps a bit too time consuming.

 

[Pwc]

"What would you do if you loaded too much powder??" Depends, do you want your bolt to brush your teeth, or do you already have a white cane?

If you know about it and do nothing you have violated the most basic safety rule. If you know about it and
pull the load to verify they are over charged, check the bullet and powder mfgr manuals to verify whether it is in fact an over charge or just a hot load for that powder.

If it is an over charge, break'm down, if not, do you want to hot rod your gun?

Most important question is how did it happen; op error or mechanical failure.

 

[DirtySteve]

I just crush the round with pliers... Then toss it..

 

[Just_Having_Fun]

For those that answered the what would you do, thank you for actually reading the post. For those that actually tried to TELL me what I needed to , learn to freaking read. I already had said I had pulled them, I already know what I am doing, I have been loading for a long time. It was just a question to see if others would actually do something different. I guess now we wait to see who the guilty are that try to explain their answers....

 

[Milo 2.0]

For those that answered the what would you do, thank you for actually reading the post. For those that actually tried to TELL me what I needed to , learn to freaking read. I already had said I had pulled them, I already know what I am doing, I have been loading for a long time. It was just a question to see if others would actually do something different. I guess now we wait to see who the guilty are that try to explain their answers....

You were testing us huh?
You asked at what point could catastrophic failure occur, no on can answer that question with any degree of accuracy. An out of battery firing can result in CF. Brass failure even if the load is midrange again can result in CF.
Some barreled actions may be able to withstand 125K and up pressures, doesn't mean you should shoot loads like that.
One word of advice, don't play games with people that are probably light years ahead of you in this game.

 

[Albany Mountain]

I'd pull and dump or trash the shells.

 

[JFrank]

For those that answered the what would you do, thank you for actually reading the post. For those that actually tried to TELL me what I needed to , learn to freaking read. I already had said I had pulled them, I already know what I am doing, I have been loading for a long time. It was just a question to see if others would actually do something different. I guess now we wait to see who the guilty are that try to explain their answers....

Welcome aboard,
Have you met Mr. Guffy yet

 

[Zero333]

Quickload predicts 62,135 psi for this load......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cartridge : .223 Rem.
Bullet : .224, 55, Hornady FMJ-BT w/c 2267
Useable Case Capaci: 26.531 grain H2O = 1.723 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.260 inch = 57.40 mm
Barrel Length : 16.0 inch = 406.4 mm
Powder : Accurate 2200

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 78 19.28 2448 732 32711 8475 85.4 0.978
-18.0 80 19.76 2508 768 34879 8758 86.8 0.952
-16.0 82 20.24 2569 806 37189 9035 88.1 0.927
-14.0 83 20.73 2630 844 39649 9307 89.3 0.899
-12.0 85 21.21 2690 884 42272 9572 90.5 0.872
-10.0 87 21.69 2751 924 45067 9829 91.6 0.846
-08.0 89 22.17 2812 966 48048 10077 92.7 0.821
-06.0 91 22.65 2873 1008 51229 10316 93.7 0.797
-04.0 93 23.14 2934 1052 54625 10544 94.6 0.774 ! Near Maximum !
-02.0 95 23.62 2996 1096 58254 10760 95.4 0.752 ! Near Maximum !
+00.0 97 24.10 3057 1141 62135 10964 96.2 0.730 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+02.0 99 24.58 3118 1187 66290 11154 97.0 0.709 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0 101 25.06 3179 1234 70742 11331 97.6 0.689 !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Too many variables to take any chances even if QL shows this load to be right at the ragged edge of maximum.

I don't like loads anywhere near max anyways. They just don't shoot as good.

 

[alinwa]

I had a situation the other day where I was putting in a new powder drop, measured everything out with test rounds and then started to load live rounds. After about 10 live rounds, I rechecked the powder and no clue why but was dropping almost 3 extra grains. I do not load hot to start with but this put me over the max recommendation. So, I ask you, how much is too much powder? Here the data:
I am loading for .223, using Accurate 2200. Their site for the FMJ BT has it at starting 20.4 to max 22.7 and the 10 were coming out at 24.1.

If you were going to shoot them from an AR, would you shoot them or not?

I then ask, in your opinion, at what point would be too much powder that it would cause the gun to explode, as in the upper cracks and the BCG is toast like I have seen on some Youtube vids.

No, I didn't shoot them, I pulled them but the question has always been in my head at what point will too much powder cause a catastrophic event to happen?

Some days I'm just blown away by the fact that the companies sell roll-yer-own components to the general pubic......

I ain't gonna' preach..... just using you to illustrate my point.

(Which I woulda' never done without "learn to freaking read!!" but that statement pushed me into it)

 

[Uncle Ed]

Yes you are 100% correct people should learn to read......................

Zerro333 just gave short throated .223 Quickload information and the OP is loading a "LONG THROATED" AR15 Rifle. And he gave the wrong case capacity of 26.5 because most cases have over 30.0 grains of H2O capacity. Meaning the pressure readings he gave are incorrect and a much higher pressure reading.

My copy of Quickload defaults to 28.0 grains of H2O capacity even before you adjust it to the corrected and actual case capacity. And the difference between 28.0 and 30.6 case capacity is 6,000 psi using the capacities below with the same powder charge.

And the mistaken over charge the OP made of 24.1 grains of Accurate 2200 is the max load for a AR15 in the online Accurate loading data.

So again the OP was using the wrong loading data for his AR15 and using short throated .223 data. And his loading mistake was the max listed load for his AR15 rifle.

There are two sections in the reloading manuals for the .223 and the 5.56 AR15. And again my Savage .223 bolt action had a longer throat than my AR 15 rifles at 0.0566 vs a .223 at 0.0250 and 0.0500 for the AR15. Todays rifles have room in the chamber for the cartridge plus the company lawyer.

I have two AR15 rifles, a A2 HBAR target rifle with a heavy barrel with a 1in9 twist and a AR15 carbine with a 1in7 twist. And both have a throat approximately 0.0500 and twice as long as most .223 rifles at 0.0250.

So what I would have done is dump the overloaded cases and make a workup load and stop when you get signs of pressure and back off 1 or 2 grains. And again my practice loads with 55 grain bullets is at approximately 50,000 psi and 5,000 psi below max .223 pressure and not 5.56 max pressure. Meaning I want my cases to last and at 50 to 100 yards the paper targets will never know the bullet velocity.

 

[Falfan2017]

Has anybody heard of an overcharge of correct powder in an ar cause a true kaboom? Most I've heard about were caused by 300 black outs being fired in a 556 chamber or barrel obstructions or pistol powder being used accidentally or out of battery fire. When you use full pressure 556 loads you are usually pretty compressed already and would be hard to get enough powder in there to blow a 556 long throated chamber.

 

[onelastshot]

The simple fact that you're questioning at what point will too much powder cause a catastrophic event answers the all important issue; when you are at odds as to what is an unsafe load it's time to take a step back analyze the basics. When you reach the point where you've gone beyond what is considered a hot load to a possibly catastrophic load you've already gone too far.

Even if the rounds don't cause a catastrophic event shooting then will provide you with no insight as to accuracy, hot loads are typically not as accurate as optimum loads.

You made the wise choice and pulled the bullets. In doing so you've lost nothing. The brass is still perfectly good to use and you've got peace of mind.

 

[270WinDude]

With a big jump in powder I’d say I’d pull them, but they’d end up in a bag somewhere to never be used or pulled. In that particular case I wouldn’t use them but more for ocd reasons then safety depending on what powder it was. After reading many threads from people with wildcat chamberings and finding loads with no manual, plus my own load development, I personally, would work up to anything with caution but still would work up... people do it. Just imagine how many people have got reloading equipment and thought the max load is the recommended load and then loaded “for a bit extra power”... considering that and some other things I feel a tad more safe about any working up that I myself would conduct. If I had questions about it I’d pull but if I was familiar with the powder, gun, chambering, etc, then working up wouldn’t be an issue. I’d never be caught useing red dot in a 300winmag so.... But I also like below max loads for practical reasons and will work hard to find them.

 

[muleman69]

I don't use a auto powder drop on any of my stuff, I weigh it all, even when doing a 1000 handgun loads,

I weight everything these days, more of piece of mind than anything. Took Dillion progressive off bench years ago as I was getting so anneal I would pull every case and weight each charge anyway, so progressive was not really gaining me much.

 

[muleman69]

The simple fact that you're questioning at what point will too much powder cause a catastrophic event answers the all important issue; when you are at odds as to what is an unsafe load it's time to take a step back analyze the basics. When you reach the point where you've gone beyond what is considered a hot load to a possibly catastrophic load you've already gone too far.

Even if the rounds don't cause a catastrophic event shooting then will provide you with no insight as to accuracy, hot loads are typically not as accurate as optimum loads.

You made the wise choice and pulled the bullets. In doing so you've lost nothing. The brass is still perfectly good to use and you've got peace of mind.

Good answer

 

[dcali]

Three extra grains in an AR is probably going to cause problems. Will you die or take shrapnel to the face? Probably not. Catastrophic failure of a firearm comes in many forms. It all depends on how you define it and which rifle you are talking about. Some are very, very hard to blow up (not that you won't lock them up). Others will come apart. I don't know of anyone who has studied firearms failures enough to be able to give good guidance on when that happens for any given design and pressure curve.

But you already know the answer to this question. Too much powder is too much. If you read a reloding manual, it tells you very specifically how to determine if there is too much powder - they give you tables of data and a guide to reading pressure signs. It's that simple.

Can you get away with a little more? Yes. IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. Most reloaders do not have that level of skill, and if you are asking this question, you do not have that level of skill. Stick to the book.

 

[JimSC]

lets see. I can shoot them and take a chance of wrecking my gun and possibly causing blindness and or mutilation to myself and others or I can spend a few minutes and pull the bullets... what a tough decision.

 

[Leo Smith]

I had a situation the other day where I was putting in a new powder drop, measured everything out with test rounds and then started to load live rounds. After about 10 live rounds, I rechecked the powder and no clue why but was dropping almost 3 extra grains. I do not load hot to start with but this put me over the max recommendation. So, I ask you, how much is too much powder? Here the data:
I am loading for .223, using Accurate 2200. Their site for the FMJ BT has it at starting 20.4 to max 22.7 and the 10 were coming out at 24.1.

If you were going to shoot them from an AR, would you shoot them or not?

I then ask, in your opinion, at what point would be too much powder that it would cause the gun to explode, as in the upper cracks and the BCG is toast like I have seen on some Youtube vids.

No, I didn't shoot them, I pulled them but the question has always been in my head at what point will too much powder cause a catastrophic event to happen?

Pull the bullets

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I know you say youre not new...

One tip i can give you is dump all your powder first. Dont seat bullets until youre done and have checked everything. Its easier to dump powder that way. Having worked in a high speed screw machine shop as a lad i learned another method that i employ in situations like this if i insist on seating while waiting on a chargemaster or something. Ill go ahead and dispense 10-15 cases then check- if its good then i know the ones before it are good and i can seat them. Same would work for a powder drop- if it starts drifting you know it was after your last check.