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Wrong powder - same number - boom

bheadboy

Denny K recounts his mistake using a pistol vs a rifle powder in a new Savage, Varger Vs Tightgoup and boom serious damage to hand and gun.

I have a story to tell, been reloading 70 years, and just 10 years ago in my basement was loading 221 fireball for PD to be shot in my 40x hart bbl,

I went to the cabinet where I store my powder and took a bottle out with the number "7' on it -- one problem it was AA7 and not aliant 7 --loaded 3 to shoot through Crono next to the home, 50gr Sierra BK at 3840fps

needless to say first shot the bolt froze, extraction was a bid difficult, rifle went to Hart for rehab. I was lucky, the 221 loaded in this manor was not explosive enough to blow the 40x action, and I was safe --badly shaken and embarrassed

I now take a sharpie and on the tops of all powders mark - pistol or rifle, regardless of the number --too bad manufactures use the same number on such drastically different burn rates.

be CAREFUL

Bob
 
You're lucky. Not all are. Know one shooter that made a similar mistake and now has only one eye, as well as a piece of his skull missing. He now shoots LH and is a lot more careful.
 
A good friend of mine had the same thing happen a while back. Working up a load for a 20-250 and was intending on using R17, instead grabbed a jug of reloaded 7x.
The stiller predator action was a complete loss along with the bottom metal. My friend was not hurt. It was a real eye opener. The action sits in my shop for a daily reminder.

Kyle
 
Buddy of mine blew up a 4570 w/a full case of the pistol #7 instead of alliant rifle 7.
He fired a few before she blew....we all wish he'd have been using a chrono. Lots of left hand damage but no face/eye trouble. Terribly unlucky yet it could have been worse.
 
I blame myself, -- do wish the manufactures would consider the potential danger of their selling a powder that has the same number on it and is not of similar burn rate.

I have masking tape with "pistol" or "rifle" on each bottle cap and a sharpie mark on the labels.

we just need to pay attention.

bob
 
Years ago a gentleman in our area blew his Weatherby bolt into his head on his range at his house. He lived for a few hours before dying. He was a long time shooter and experienced reloader.

Our gun club tried to get detailed info on the accident from the state police to no avail. We were told numerous law suits were filed by the family against Weatherby and the powder manufacture but no information was ever made public that I know of.

I highly suspect this was a case of using the wrong powder with the predictable results of extreme pressure and not a defective firearm or powder.

The older I get the more I appreciate the old IMR packaging in different colored cans versus everything being in a black jug. The bottom line is pay attention and don't reload if there are any distractions in your loading area.

T W Hudson
Virginia
 
When I started rolling my own in 1968, I was a sophomore in high school, and the only powder I thought I could afford for my 243 from our local dealer was WWII surplus H4831 at 80 cents/lb. Things were significantly simpler back then, at least out here in western Kansas. My old friend kept 125lb cardboard kegs of Hodgdon BLC-2, 4895, and 4831 in his basement, along with a bunch of empty, cleaned glass 1/2 & 1 gal apple cider jugs in case a shooter showed up without an empty jug of his own. Art would fill a gallon cider jug nearly to the top with 4831, then charge me $6.40 for "oughta be close to 8lbs". Those three surplus Hodgdon powders covered the bases for all my rifle loading back then, and Unique pretty well took care of loading the fairly mild loads I shot in my 357 Blackhawk.

The vast selection of smokeless propellants we have available today never ceases to impress me when I think back to how simple things had to be on a high school student's budget. But with that many numbers available to handloaders today, it demands your full attention when pulling a jug out of storage for a loading session. I feel a thread like this one is a good reminder to all of us - from newbies to greybeards - to pay attention! I read about guys who have TVs running in their loading rooms, and wonder about someone who's texting while loading. Leave that crap alone when you're working at assembling ammunition, and focus on what you're doing!
 
I had this happen about 8 years ago. I was loading my 7 rem mag. Powder got changed in my dispenser so I loaded 65gr rl2400 behind a 154 interlock instead of rl19. I no longer share my reloading table. I did a post called savage kaboom on it
 
I have about 40 pounds of misc powders in 8 pound jugs, that have been accumulated over the years from "stuff" forgotten in the measure, or pulled down but not really super sure what it was - it is just not worth the risk.
 
I kinda' hated to see Alliant change their powder container markings a while back. They used to be different colors for the different types but now they all look the same.

Not long ago I grabbed a can of RL19 when I meant to grab RL15.
 
tjtjwdad said:
I kinda' hated to see Alliant change their powder container markings a while back. They used to be different colors for the different types but now they all look the same.

Not long ago I grabbed a can of RL19 when I meant to grab RL15.
Click to expand...

I think I remember a time quite awhile ago when most powders were different color cans. I realize you should READ the markings but there were a lot fewer powders then. There is really no reason that I can see for having similar numbers either. Maybe they followed the DOT with brake fluid.....e.g. 5.0 and 5.1.....two totally different fluids, not compatible, and a costly error.
 
Me being a newer handloader, have incorperated some extra safeguards against incorrect powder (or a double) powder charge. I will mark both my thrower and my trickler with masking tape id'ing the current powder. I also leave the jug right next to my press setup for clear identification. I also do not charge all my rounds at once in a loading tray. I like to inspect, charge, and seat the bullet all in sucession one round at a time.
 
What works best for me is to empty the measure, trickler, etc back into the powder jug ASAP after finishing a loading session. The only exceptions are the measures on my Dillons - and I tape a little label on their measure caps to identify powder & the charge weight the measure's set for.

I don't like leaving rifle powders in my measures for any length of time beyond what's convenient for three reasons - 1. humidity has an effect on volume/weight ratio 2. I work with a bunch of different cartridges & powders, so will almost certainly be using a different powder for the next loading session anyway 3. it's too darned easy to forget what you were loading a week or more ago.
 
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