Ok what you’re about to read is embarrassing as hell. I decided to post this because I want people to see what happens with complacency.
A little background, I reload and have for years. My shooting partner, good friend, partner at work have been reloading together for the past 3 years or so. We have reloaded 1000’s and thousands of rounds together.
We have a system. Whenever something is changed, the other checks it, regardless of how simple. I measure he measures the same thing to confirm, powder changes, primer changes, any component, seating depth…..the works is always double checked.
The last cal was 223, we loaded 500 and were struggling a little with our digital scale. Sometimes they drift a little , some say from static.
So this week’s caliber was 10mm auto.
You all saw the pics I posted and I am sure you put together we were questioning the fullness of the cases and wondering why they weren’t considered a compressed load…… now I know.
This week we decided since we were loading just under the top end that we would break out the beam scale and not mess with the digital for these, haven’t used in a little while.
I set it to 10.5 grains and had my partner check it “yep, 10.5”.
I loaded in the first throw and man it looks full. I thought I don’t remember that but it’s been almost two years since I loaded Blue Dot so I thought it was so, we double checked the scale, it must be……..
Loaded up a bunch, as per my hand written data of a favorite load, 180 fmj, 10.5 grains of Blue Dot, Fed GM LP primer, 1.260” COAL……all is good, powder was throwing good, we measure every 5th round or so to make sure it keeps in the desired grains.
Today I went out and grabbed another friend to go with me to shoot some AR and 10mm……like I do a couple times a week at least.
I set up a target stand to 15 yards, pull out the 29 and pull off the first round, “wow” I thought, I don’t remember these being so stout, but it felt good I like a stout recoil and load in this caliber, just about got the bull. I was impressed. Shot 5 more and was taken by the load and the sonic boom they provided sounded like a 12 gauge 3” mag.
I handed it over to my bud for the last 4 shots. He doesn’t shoot the 29 much but he has shot it. He pulls on the first shot and about lost the gun. I was like, “you got to hold onto that baby” he said “I was holding it tight”
I went out and found a brass real quick and was shocked to find a smiley…..a badass one, like almost a blown case bad. I quickly found the rest and all 10 were jacked up. I was puzzled…..I thought “do I need an aftermarket barrel ?”……that is how sure I was I couldn’t have done anything to cause this. Then it hit me in the face like an overloaded 10mm……the barrel adjustment on the scale.
I instantly call my partner in crime and told him to go look at the scale to see if it is 10.5 and if so measure it against the digital, I am on my way over.
He ran out to the garage and said “oh shit dude”…..it is set for 15 grains.
I had moved the barrel adjuster to 5 instead of .5…..we were loading 15 grains of Blue Dot the entire time and we both checked the measurement…..commented on it, posted here and commented on it again , found damaged cases and still didn’t think I was wrong…..complacency at its best.
I posted this here for reloading community to just be a reminder to triple check and slow down a little……these were extremely close to blowing the ass end off the brass and who knows……for the record the highest published load I have is 11 grains of Blue Dot for 180 Gold Dots and TMJ’s.
At the end of the day I lost 10 cases, could be worse….and I have to take apart a couple hundred rounds, hours of work blown and all but all the components are still good so I will reload them ……properly
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A little background, I reload and have for years. My shooting partner, good friend, partner at work have been reloading together for the past 3 years or so. We have reloaded 1000’s and thousands of rounds together.
We have a system. Whenever something is changed, the other checks it, regardless of how simple. I measure he measures the same thing to confirm, powder changes, primer changes, any component, seating depth…..the works is always double checked.
The last cal was 223, we loaded 500 and were struggling a little with our digital scale. Sometimes they drift a little , some say from static.
So this week’s caliber was 10mm auto.
You all saw the pics I posted and I am sure you put together we were questioning the fullness of the cases and wondering why they weren’t considered a compressed load…… now I know.
This week we decided since we were loading just under the top end that we would break out the beam scale and not mess with the digital for these, haven’t used in a little while.
I set it to 10.5 grains and had my partner check it “yep, 10.5”.
I loaded in the first throw and man it looks full. I thought I don’t remember that but it’s been almost two years since I loaded Blue Dot so I thought it was so, we double checked the scale, it must be……..
Loaded up a bunch, as per my hand written data of a favorite load, 180 fmj, 10.5 grains of Blue Dot, Fed GM LP primer, 1.260” COAL……all is good, powder was throwing good, we measure every 5th round or so to make sure it keeps in the desired grains.
Today I went out and grabbed another friend to go with me to shoot some AR and 10mm……like I do a couple times a week at least.
I set up a target stand to 15 yards, pull out the 29 and pull off the first round, “wow” I thought, I don’t remember these being so stout, but it felt good I like a stout recoil and load in this caliber, just about got the bull. I was impressed. Shot 5 more and was taken by the load and the sonic boom they provided sounded like a 12 gauge 3” mag.
I handed it over to my bud for the last 4 shots. He doesn’t shoot the 29 much but he has shot it. He pulls on the first shot and about lost the gun. I was like, “you got to hold onto that baby” he said “I was holding it tight”
I went out and found a brass real quick and was shocked to find a smiley…..a badass one, like almost a blown case bad. I quickly found the rest and all 10 were jacked up. I was puzzled…..I thought “do I need an aftermarket barrel ?”……that is how sure I was I couldn’t have done anything to cause this. Then it hit me in the face like an overloaded 10mm……the barrel adjustment on the scale.
I instantly call my partner in crime and told him to go look at the scale to see if it is 10.5 and if so measure it against the digital, I am on my way over.
He ran out to the garage and said “oh shit dude”…..it is set for 15 grains.
I had moved the barrel adjuster to 5 instead of .5…..we were loading 15 grains of Blue Dot the entire time and we both checked the measurement…..commented on it, posted here and commented on it again , found damaged cases and still didn’t think I was wrong…..complacency at its best.
I posted this here for reloading community to just be a reminder to triple check and slow down a little……these were extremely close to blowing the ass end off the brass and who knows……for the record the highest published load I have is 11 grains of Blue Dot for 180 Gold Dots and TMJ’s.
At the end of the day I lost 10 cases, could be worse….and I have to take apart a couple hundred rounds, hours of work blown and all but all the components are still good so I will reload them ……properly
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