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

[AimSmall]

Wow! Glad you are ok!

Ran a sample thru QuickLoad using 165gr bullet:

with 52gr IMR4350, 40k psi

With 52gr IMR4198, 93k !!! (not worth the extra 500fps!)

Thanks for sharing

 

[cash_tx]

Stuff happens. I clearly remember the day I was trying so hard to fire 180 gr 30-06 rounds out of a .338.

Reminds me of when my friend's kid was trying to shoot 338 WM out of his dad's 338 Lapua. Thank God it didn't go off.

 

[sestoppelman]

Wow! Glad you are ok!

Ran a sample thru QuickLoad using 165gr bullet:

with 52gr IMR4350, 40k psi

With 52gr IMR4198, 93k !!! (not worth the extra 500fps!)

Thanks for sharing

Only 500 fps??

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Wow! Glad you are ok!

Ran a sample thru QuickLoad using 165gr bullet:

with 52gr IMR4350, 40k psi

With 52gr IMR4198, 93k !!! (not worth the extra 500fps!)

Thanks for sharing

Isn't 52gr 4350 kinda middle of the road for 165gr 30-06? Imagine if he'd mixed the bottles for max load 4350!

 

[Beck]

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

They should really color code the lids

 

[sestoppelman]

Isn't 52gr 4350 kinda middle of the road for 165gr 30-06? Imagine if he'd mixed the bottles for max load 4350!

52 grs was my starting load with a 180 gr Sierra. I never made it to 56 grs which is not max either but getting close.

 

[sestoppelman]

They should really color code the lids

They do, all black! However the bottles are color coded, sadly there isnt much difference in color between 4350 and 4198, too close really. I let them know that.

 

[CoElkHunter]

If that was H4831, that charge should not have done what it did, I suspect you also had the wrong powder, perhaps a 4350, but even that slightly faster powder shouldnt have froze it up like that.
H4831 in any vintage is very slow and quite forgiving.
61 grs is pretty standard for a 130 in the .270, just shot the same load last week.

Yeah, I don't know? It's kind of difficult to over charge with 4831. I WAS also loading my two brothers' Rem 788s .308s with W748, but I'm sure I didn't substitute with that powder. That would have been catastrophic.

 

[mauserhunter]

Are you gonna try to salvage that floor plate, would be interesting trying to straighten it.

 

[sestoppelman]

Yeah, I don't know? It's kind of difficult to over charge with 4831. I WAS also loading my two brothers' Rem 788s .308s with W748, but I'm sure I didn't substitute with that powder. That would have been catastrophic.

Not as bad as what I did!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Here's another potential issue to be aware of. About ten years ago, my 16yoa son handloaded his .22-250 with W748 and shooting 55gr. V Max bullets in his Rem 700 Varmint rifle. Anyway, we went prairie dog shooting and after a couple of rounds, Kaboom! His bolt was locked and once the gunsmith got the bolt open, the case appeared to be "welded" to the bolt. Upon examination of his other unfired rounds, several bullets had been pushed down mostly into the cases. I guess insufficient bullet crimping caused the extreme pressure? I randomly checked the powder loads in other cases and they were where they should have been. The gunsmith had to send the bolt out to somewhere in PA to get it repaired and the rifle is now fine. The gunsmith there also put a Sako extractor in the bolt face. That God for Remington's 700 actions "three rings of steel". LOL

 

[CoElkHunter]

Not as bad as what I did!

Nope. Not even close. You win or lost! LOL

 

[sestoppelman]

Here's another potential issue to be aware of. About ten years ago, my 16yoa son handloaded his .22-250 with W748 and shooting 55gr. V Max bullets in his Rem 700 Varmint rifle. Anyway, we went prairie dog shooting and after a couple of rounds, Kaboom! His bolt was locked and once the gunsmith got the bolt open, the case appeared to be "welded" to the bolt. Upon examination of his other unfired rounds, several bullets had been pushed down mostly into the cases. I guess insufficient bullet crimping caused the extreme pressure? I randomly checked the powder loads in other cases and they were where they should have been. The gunsmith had to send the bolt out to somewhere in PA to get it repaired and the rifle is now fine. The gunsmith there also put a Sako extractor in the bolt face. That God for Remington's 700 actions "three rings of steel". LOL

Insufficient neck tension, crimps are not necessary except in really hard kicking rounds.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Insufficient neck tension, crimps are not necessary except in really hard kicking rounds.

That's what I meant. Just a mild taper crimp to hold the bullet? Maybe that's different too than just neck tension? I've only medium taper crimped my .416 Taylor shooting .400gr. Barnes Originals (no cannelure) under a moderate 70gr. load of RL15. Those bullets are heavy and long and the copper jacket is slightly "rough" compared with more modern slicker jacketed bullets. They don't move in the magazine under recoil. Kind of strange actually.

 

[sestoppelman]

Yes, neck tension is created by the expander ball, crimp is applied mechanically. Not the same thing.

There should be no need of any crimp on little rounds with almost no recoil, neck tension alone will hold the bullet in place. I dont crimp hardly anything unless its big or if it helps feeding or on pistol rounds.
So either the brass wasnt sized properly or the expander ball is too big. You can spin it down a bit with emory cloth to make it a little smaller and make the neck a little tighter.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

Like the Duke says, "life is hard, its even harder when you're stupid". LOL.

You weren’t stupid, unlucky, yes, could happen to anyone. Somewhere I have a photo of a 243 welded into the bolt face on a Remington, ruined the action, stock and the shooters underwear. That was pistol powder, because he thought he could get more speed that way, that is what I consider to be stupid
gumpy

 

[sestoppelman]

You weren’t stupid, unlucky, yes, could happen to anyone. Somewhere I have a photo of a 243 welded into the bolt face on a Remington, ruined the action, stock and the shooters underwear. That was pistol powder, because he thought he could get more speed that way, that is what I consider to be stupid
gumpy

Maybe not stupid, just lazy and inattentive that day, it cost me, but only in stuff.

 

[cwhuntsalot]

The only times I’ve seen something like that (barrel undamaged, case head and bolt face destroyed) was incorrect powder, pistol powder in two cases. It’s fascinating in a scary way. Glad you’re ok.
gumpy

I had an incident about 5 years ago that nearly filled my shorts.
I loaded up 100 rounds of some rifle ammo ( I have forgotten what cartridge it was) with what was supposed to be RL-7. When I was done and putting everything away I saw the powder was AA #7.
I immediately tore it all down, covered the labels on the boxes, and made it a law to NEVER do anything involving powder after 10pm.
I guess I was a little tired and not as diligent as I should have been.
Luckily none of that ammo made it into the vault.

 

[steve white]

Since pistol loading has been mentioned, I would vote it the most likely to have a mishap, because the loads of powder are so small--probably 2-3 charges would fit. And, if you are not watching, it is easy to double charge a case. Many manuals suggest placing the powder filled rounds into a loading block and looking down into the cases to see if any appear visually to have been double charged!

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

Since pistol loading has been mentioned, I would vote it the most likely to have a mishap, because the loads of powder are so small--probably 2-3 charges would fit. And, if you are not watching, it is easy to double charge a case. Many manuals suggest placing the powder filled rounds into a loading block and looking down into the cases to see if any appear visually to have been double charged!

I have the cylinder from a 38 S&W that had a couple of squib loads followed by a double charge, split the cylinder and the case had to be hammered out, as well as bulged the barrel, customer wanted the cylinder "welded up"
gumpy