Unsafe load data

[stimpylu32]

I have been per-disposed the last few days and a few posts have been made on this forum that may end up getting someone hurt , so i have removed one of them and will do so in the furture with any over Max loads listed .

Some of the load data that we use today came from people just like us who tried something new , BUT we must always use common safety practices .

Handloading is a great hobby so lets do our part to keep all safe , if anyone sees a post that they feel is questionable please drop me a PM , i try to read all the posts in this forum but sometimes i miss 1 or 2 .

Thanks for your help .

Richard ( AKA ) stimpy

[Selmer]

Thanks for doing your part to keep us GBers out of the Darwin awards line up!
Selmer

[GregP42]

Stimpy,

You mean I can't put all 200 grains of H-110 in my .41 mag?  Oh bummer! How ya been, I have been working over at our Springfield office for the last week.

Greg

[stimpylu32]

Greg

Only if you have a 20 round chamber . 

stimpy

[LaOtto222]

Thanks Stimpy...It needed to be done.

It still amazes me that people reload without manuals. Or they do not follow their good, and tested advice. My first one was  a Hornady, followed very soon by Speer and then by Sierra. I used and referred to them extensively (still do now and then). They have been replaced with newer manuals + there have been some added that I now use. There was no Internet back in those days and I did not know anyone to talk to that really knew what they were doing. I subscribed to a couple of magazines and soaked up any information they may offer about reloading.  When they did offer loads they had a disclaimer about starting low and working up...Duh! I made some mistakes, but I never came close to what some people are thinking about. I am talking about not having dies adjusted correctly and buckling cases or using a bullet too heavy for the twist rate type of stuff. Oh,by the way; I did not try to stuff more powder in the case in an attempt to stabilize a bullet that was too long. Lesson learned; do not use that bullet and go on. I had my brother help do some reloading and he did not put a powder charge in the case. The end result; a bullet was stuck in the bore. Learned a lesson there too. Do not trust anyone else to do your reloading. Do not trust anyone with load data either. Reasonable ball park info is OK. No two guns like the same thing anyway so what good is it to say 26.1 grains of this powder and this bullet seated at this OAL and primer will get you a sub MOA group. 99% of the time it will not work for you even if it is good data. There is no magic formula, you must find out what works by starting low and working up. If you do not get where you want to go when you top out the pressure, then start over with some thing different. Use reliable, tested and trusted load data, read, study and move slowly and methodically until you really know what you are doing. Above all...Do not trust anyone else with your life or the life of a loved one.

[Aardvark]

 I noticed my post got pulled.
I loaded 11gr of Unique in a 10" Contender .223.
I took it to the range yesterday and shot dead on groups at 50yd.
After 50 rounds the gun was never damaged, hardly any recoil or muzzle flash,and never a stuck or damaged case.
Clean primer pockets...Nothing to indicate dangerous pressure...
A box of commercial .223 ammo from Academy malfunctioned the gun at the third round.
But SOMEBODY thought it was too dangerous.
I wanna know who, and who else has actually tried this configuration to say it is dangerous.
We are all grownups here, let us decide and read all the comments about WHAT IS GOOD FOR US.
Of course this will probably be censored too, so no one else will ever read it anyways...
OOPS did I use the C word?

[Savage]

The moderator did what moderators do. He removed questionable reloading information, that potentially could cause injury or worse.
Thanks, Stimpy
Savage

[goodwrench6710]

I believe that alot of times when people see it in print on the Internet, they think it's the gospel truth. I sometimes may ask what some may believe are stupid questions, but that's how we learn. I started this hobby earlier this year & I'm still in the very early learning stages. It's a good thing we have someone like Richard to look out for our well being & safety. It's nice we have a place to share our good & bad experiences. It would be a shame to jeopardize it because of ignorance. Thanks again Stimpy.

[stimpylu32]

I pulled the thread , if you want to use questionable load data that is up to you but DO NOT post it here !!!!!

Richard

I noticed my post got pulled.
I loaded 11gr of Unique in a 10" Contender .223.
I took it to the range yesterday and shot dead on groups at 50yd.
After 50 rounds the gun was never damaged, hardly any recoil or muzzle flash,and never a stuck or damaged case.
Clean primer pockets...Nothing to indicate dangerous pressure...
A box of commercial .223 ammo from Academy malfunctioned the gun at the third round.
But SOMEBODY thought it was too dangerous.
I wanna know who, and who else has actually tried this configuration to say it is dangerous.
We are all grownups here, let us decide and read all the comments about WHAT IS GOOD FOR US.
Of course this will probably be censored too, so no one else will ever read it anyways...
OOPS did I use the C word?

[Lloyd Smale]

personaly i think that any loading data that is not backed up by a manual or by pressure testing is questionable. It may be safe as hell but then again your gun might be better then the next guys or you may be just lucky. Guns have been blown up using light charges of fast burning powders so its not just the heavy loads that are questionable. I myself use lots of unpublished loads but would never in a million years post them here. I dont care if i had shot them 10000 times and anyone that would grab an unpublished load off the internet and put it in his gun has a screw loose. You have no real clue as to how much experiece the guy has thats publishing it. To many people here that have been loading for 5 years and think there an expert at every facet of it.

[Lone Star]

I suppose in principle I agree with Lloyd - but really, a large part of the enjoyment of handloading - versus reloading - is the ability to experiment.  Sure, many reloaders are better off sticking only to published loads.  The "lawyer" in me says that is the only safe way to live.  But I am not a lawyer, and I accept some risk in life.  If we try to reduce all risk then we are acting just like the government - OSHA comes to mind.  I'd hate to see that here.

I have been reloading for over 35 years, have written for handloading publications and even wrote a chapter in a 'reloading manual'.  I often experiment with different loads and powders, but my experience in this and in my day job help me to understand the risks and the mitigation needed to reduce them.  There are plenty of 35-year reloaders who have no business experimenting, as is sometimes revealed on this forum.  I guess the real issue is how much risk are we willing to assume...how much responsibility do we accept?  Personally I accept a lot, but it is true that many do not do so and want to be seen as victims. 

I support GB's dictate of no over-max loads in these forums, but how to manage non-published loads?  Personally I'd like to see them, but they should probably be qualified.


.

[nomosendero]

I may quote a powder charge from a manual & mention which manual & that's about it, at least that is a resent & permanent decision. It makes sense to me to mention the components used, including which powder, but not the charge. After all, if they have all of the other info, they can look at a manual, back off 10-15% from max & work up slowly until you find the max safe load in YOUR gun with that powder & then it is good to back up a tad. It is good to remember that max in manuals can be over max in YOUR gun, so it is good to advise the reader to back off even then.

Besides, if you mention a load with the powder charge in great detail, with the velocity, someone who doesn't have a clue & has no experience with your gun or load will tell you what vel. you are getting with your setup anyway, so there is no need to state powder charge.

[jhalcott]

  When I started shooting sillywets a friend and I would load ammo for different calibers because ONE of us had that set of dies. He loaded some 44 mag ammo with HIS normal load of 21 grains of X powder. I had to hammer the empties from the cylinder.He shot a Dan Wesson and I a super balckhawk! This is a NORMAL load for a 240 grain bullet in a 44mag, but it was too much for MY gun. I could only go to 19 1/2  with out sticky cases. I now have TWO sets of 44 dies! Those first shots were at a practice session BTW!

[Sourdough]

What works safely in your gun might get someone elses head blown off.  I have a load for one of my .338 Win Mags that is comperable with a .340 Weatherby Mag load, Yet it works great in my old Ruger .338.  My new .338 Ruger MK II was locked up on the first round, with lots of extreame high pressure signs.  So be careful what you tell people, we don't want to read about someone in the Obits.