Range days sometimes go poorly...as in Ka Boom!

[Hunter4752001]

I just looked at the Hodgdon website. Their picture for IMR 4350 shows a much darker label. I wonder if others had the same experience and they've updated the colour scheme as a result. Or maybe yours was just a bit more faded. Still a very easy mistake to make and why we all need to exercise caution when re-loading. Thankfully you've come through the experience without any injuries.

 

[sestoppelman]

My bottle is only a couple of years old too.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I’m glad you’re okay! I was thinking how low low of a charge 52 grains of 4350 is, I load 55 and I’m a grain off the max. I’ve made stupid mistakes too so don’t feel left out. Fortunately I caught mine before firing. Overcharged 4064 by 10 grains on 30-06.

 

[sestoppelman]

It makes for an interesting day....

 

[Safari Dave]

I have handloaded for many years and I really wish I could say that I trust my handloads better than factory ammo, but I can't.


It's probably the result of using spent brass and not trimming and resizing in most of my cases of failure, but a reloader needs to pay attention to absolutely EVERYTHING.

If you do not have OCD, then you probably would be better off just buying factory ammo, IMO.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Wow, glad you are ok. This will make me pay attention a little more as I pick up my tub of powder at the reloading bench.

 

[cash_tx]

Man, I'm sorry to hear that; but glad you're ok, and it can happen to the best of us. It's crazy the weird ways this hobby of ours can bite us sometimes; it's happened to me twice in the last year (40 year gun guy). Thanks for sharing your story, and a lesson learned for all of us.

PS - is it too soon to start dreaming about the replacement rifle? ;-)

 

[cajunchefray]

It makes for an interesting day....

I think we are all glad you are OK! Mishaps happen and can focus the mind.

My mishap involved my incorrect sizing of 30-06 brass-I pushed the shoulder too far back, and a VZ-24 with excess headspace. Ruptured case, gas flowing to my face, no injuries ( wearing glasses, with M98 design) but it scared me.
Read an article in Handloader describing mishaps reloading, and what to do, and not do.

Now. I label each bottle of powder with the type, written on painters blue tape on the lid and the bottle. I can verify the type.
I do this when checking my inventory, not reloading. Then I check again. I’m a little OCD.

Only ONE type of powder on my bench at a time .

It takes more time, but I check, verify and recheck that powder before I load the first round.
Then I re- verify the powder when I am complete and store it.
Never blown up a rifle and really don’t want to.

Glad you are OK!

 

[WAB]

Wow, glad you came through it unscathed!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Damn you are lucky your bomb making skills were not better than the rifles design.

Glad you walked away with just a shitty lesson and nothing worse.

Another heads up for all us reloaders.

 

[Aaron N]

When I saw you posted this I was worried it was the Ross!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

So glad you’re ok. I say good on ya for not being to proud to admit your error and thus reminding us all to be careful to ensure we are using the powder we think we are.

 

[sestoppelman]

So glad you’re ok. I say good on ya for not being to proud to admit your error and thus reminding us all to be careful to ensure we are using the powder we think we are.

We can all learn from my fouled up jackass maneuvers!

 

[Ku-winda]

@sestoppelman, first of all, so glad you are ok - this could have had such a different outcome! Secondly, thank you so much for sharing. You easily could have chosen to keep this to yourself, but instead provided a very valuable lesson for a brand new reloader like me. This literally scares the hell out of me (in a positive way) and is something I will check and double check from now on. Many thanks again!

 

[TOBY458]

Glad it all worded out! I have several bottles of both powders you mentioned, and they indeed look identical other than the numbers. Color is the same on both bottles. Very easy mistake to make. I wonder what kind of pressure your load was running???

 

[K E Johnson]

Really glad you are OK!
My Quickload with a 180 Sierra and 52 grains of IMR 4198 shows 101649 psi. It is a compressed load. SAAMI is 60,000.

 

[BigGame]

Glad you're not hurt and a lesson for all of us... Thank you and the Lord above.

 

[sestoppelman]

Really glad you are OK!
My Quickload with a 180 Sierra and 52 grains of IMR 4198 shows 101649 psi. It is a compressed load. SAAMI is 60,000.

I dont think it was actually compressed, loaded at 3.310", QL probably had it shorter.

Either way, anything approaching 100K psi is serious stuff and the playground of the stupid.

 

[sestoppelman]

@sestoppelman, first of all, so glad you are ok - this could have had such a different outcome! Secondly, thank you so much for sharing. You easily could have chosen to keep this to yourself, but instead provided a very valuable lesson for a brand new reloader like me. This literally scares the hell out of me (in a positive way) and is something I will check and double check from now on. Many thanks again!

Well its a tough job but some idiot has to do it! Code name, Danger Man!

 

[cash_tx]

Thanks guys, I did discover what happened and it was entirely my fault! Yes, wrong powder, notice the similarity in color of these two bottles and the imagine 52 grs of the wrong one!!
Rookie mistake by a 50 year reloader.
View attachment 587514

This post prompted me to pull out some of my older powder cans from the 1970's and 80's for comparison, alongside a newer can of 4350. The IMR 4198 and 4350 looked much more different from each other back then.