Thread: A New Mistake...

Thought I had made them all. Mistakes I mean. But here is a new one for me - just loaded a bunch of .243 ammo using the shellholder from a .30/30. Didn't even notice. I sized them - no issues. I primed them - all the primers went in like normal. Seated the bullet, nothing funny.
I mean there is not much slop with a .243 case in the shellholder, just a tiny bit. But I wouldnt have thought I could prime them actually.

I am annoyed. How much difference could it make. I think it would only make a difference with bullet run out I speculate. But thats not a small thing. I want them to shoot properly...


I really dont want to go all the way to the range just to test this. I would pull them and do them all over again, but I only have a kenetic puller and it doesnt work on .243, too much neck tension, not enough mass in the bullet. And there is another reason why not...


...and then, I went and jammed a .243 case inside the die because I didn't use enough lube. This is an old mistake. Quite familiar with this one. Nothing to learn here. Then I pulled the rim off the case trying to get it out, using that .30-30 shell holder.


So, upshot is now all my .243 ammo is suspect - and I can't load anymore. Some days I should just sit in a chair.

I feel your pain

It will make absolutely no difference detectable in the real world.

Originally Posted by gimp

It will make absolutely no difference detectable in the real world.

Yeah I used to use my 6.5x55 shellholder for everything.

I'd like to think so. But Ill still have to waste time and fuel to shoot it and see just to stop the obsessive compulsiion from ruling me.

All the sizing / seating force is applied on the up stroke so it wont make any differance.

Unless you get that stuck case. As you found...

For sure, not a great day, but not all of them are.
Maybe runout is a bit suspect. My mind is likely similar to yours on that possibility as I would think so too. Doesn't mean the rounds won't shoot well and trying a few won't hurt. I remember once checking runout on some Norma 30.06 factory ammo. It was all over the place. I shot some against my handloads with minimal and corrected runout. I was shocked the Norma shot far better at 100 yds. You just won't know until you try.
There is a way to get that stuck case free too. Can't exactly remember the method but think it involves freezing and generous use of WD40 / CRC.

Heres one for your OCD JD,

My new rifle arrived just as I was shifting islands in a long process that had my reloading gear packed away for months.

A mate helped me sort a load using his gear and powder/projectiles etc.

We settled on a load using speer hot cores, He had a small sample box of them and in development we used all bar one, which I put in a bag for later use.

He went home and loaded up fifty, which Im just about through using. I bought the box of projectiles that he loaded from so I could continue the load, and opened it the other day, and realised they were not Hotcores, but standard speer boat tails.

Now I dont know my velocity except that when I sighted in first time after I got down south, I recalled that it was shooting flatter at 300 than it should have. And I have a suspicion that groups tightened.

Originally Posted by John Duxbury

I'd like to think so. But Ill still have to waste time and fuel to shoot it and see just to stop the obsessive compulsiion from ruling me.

Make sure you check for nodes

Removing stuck cases isn't terribly difficult if that's any consolation.

Tap and bolt for the stuck case issue and run your loaded rounds through the action for fit, on the other one. Should likely be no issue, we’re all getting on…..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by -BW-

I feel your pain

I went to modify my 32/20 shell-holder because I had 121 cases fired in an old lever gun and the primers were protruding.
I noticed that it was marked Number ! as was my old 30/06 shell-holder and the 357 mag shell-holders so no consistency there.
Now I try to keep shell-holders with dies.I like that all LEE dies come with shell-holders.

I once destroyed some Hornady 25/06 dies with a stuck case - the spindle expander totally stripped all of its threads! I wrecked another when I got the case out but still on the expander, so had the bright idea of hacksawing the case off. Which worked fine, except I put a hacksaw cut through part of the [expander ball itself.

The other week I blew my ramrod out the end of the flintlock. Just blew it to flinders. I atomized it. I couldnt believe I was so dumb that I kept searching for it even though I knew what must have happened. It is a revalation to discover after decades of assuming that you are reasonably intelligent, that you are actually dumb as a hammer. This was an honest surprise to me. I wont be caught out thinking Im smart any more. Not this guy. Not with this kind of evidence.

With the stuck case...With the proper case holder in place, can you wind out the die a few turns then raise the ram until the stripped part of the case rim enters the proper case holder, then rotate the die until a new section of rim is grabbed then try & withdraw the shell?....otherwise the old drill & tap the primer pocket trick will need to be done.
Send it to me & I'll have a go removing it for you if there's any issue.
Phil.

Originally Posted by John Duxbury

Thought I had made them all. Mistakes I mean. But here is a new one for me - just loaded a bunch of .243 ammo using the shellholder from a .30/30. Didn't even notice. I sized them - no issues. I primed them - all the primers went in like normal. Seated the bullet, nothing funny.
I mean there is not much slop with a .243 case in the shellholder, just a tiny bit. But I wouldnt have thought I could prime them actually.

I am annoyed. How much difference could it make. I think it would only make a difference with bullet run out I speculate. But thats not a small thing. I want them to shoot properly...


I really dont want to go all the way to the range just to test this. I would pull them and do them all over again, but I only have a kenetic puller and it doesnt work on .243, too much neck tension, not enough mass in the bullet. And there is another reason why not...


...and then, I went and jammed a .243 case inside the die because I didn't use enough lube. This is an old mistake. Quite familiar with this one. Nothing to learn here. Then I pulled the rim off the case trying to get it out, using that .30-30 shell holder.


So, upshot is now all my .243 ammo is suspect - and I can't load anymore. Some days I should just sit in a chair.

Greetings @John Duxbury,
I am pretty sure I have done the same thing with a .308. Won't make any difference. The shell holders are a little sloppy to let the case self centre in the die. I too have days like that and have inserted a few extra steps to guard against the occasional brain fade. I suspect that you are like me being able to recall trivia from decades back but the whereabouts of our car keys is a perpetual mystery. Just back from a nice leisurely stroll in the bush, the first for quite some time. I seem to need to use my trekking pole more and more for balance or perhaps the topography has changed.
Regards Grandpamac.