Dumb stunt

[oldandslow]

I've been reloading for over forty years and the only reason I'm admitting to doing this is to point out that it can happen to anyone. I'm pretty careful about reloading and have a routine. If I'm sizing, trimming brass, or priming, I'll listen to the radio or answer questions when the wife hollers at me and generally can break my routine and easily go back to where I was. Friday afternoon I was pulled the bullets on some loads with Varget that didn't work out and returned the powder to the bottle it was originally in. When I finished I screwed the lid on and set the bottle to the side. That is where I messed up as you will see. When I am doing anything that involves powder the radio is turned off and I concentrate on what I'm doing. No visiting, no daydreaming, just concentrate on making sure everything is right.

I also had some loads using 4895 powder that weren't too great either so I proceeded to pull the bullets and save the powder. I use a small glass jar to pour the powder into from the case and then transfer it to the bottle or can the powder originally came in when I'm finished pulling bullets. Just as I finished pulling the last bullet my wife walked in as she had just returned from the grocery story. There she had ran into a friend of ours that was fixing to go on a trip. I sat there while she told her tale and then I picked up the bottle of Varget, removed the lid, and proceeded to dump the salvaged 4895 into it. I immediately realised what I had done.   After I finally shut up telling myself what a dumba$$ I was I went out and fertilized a crepemyrtle bush with that bottle of Varget. That bush better appreciate it. That's the most expensive fertilizer it's ever had.

I have a safe that I store powder in. If I had just taken the bottle of Varget over and set it in the safe this wouldn't have happened. Normally I only have the powder I'm using on the table when I'm charging cases but since I was only salvaging powder I though I could keep things straight. I won't make that mistake again.

[Dill45]

While I haven't been reloading for 40 years I've done something similar.

Since I use the Lee Dippers I pour some the powder from the bottles into glass containers making it easier to scoop.  Well I was  loading up some light 44 mags using Bulls Eye.  The jar was getting low, so I decided to fill it back up.  Grab a bottle, poured it in and continue on my way.  After charging 5 shells I notice little red flakes floating around in the powder.  I stood there thinking, I don't remember little red dots in my powder.  Then it hit me, I had poured Red Dot into my Bulls Eye jar and was charging my 44 mag cases with some bulls eye/red dot hybrid.  While they burn around the same, and the charge was under what would be considered max for either powder, I wasn't about to find out how a hybrid powder like that would shoot...

There was hardly any Bulls Eye left in the jar when I poured the Red Dot into it, but I wasn't going to take any chances, especially with quick powders like that.  Went outside and poured it into the plants.

That's what I get for not checking the bottle when I was pouring it.  I had no distractions going, but my attention was wondering, I was thinking about what I was going to load next.  Luckily I caught it before anything bad could have happened.  But even without distractions, reloading requires your full attention.

[mrussel]

That bush better appreciate it. That's the most expensive fertilizer it's ever had.

 Its an expensive mistake,but it could have been far more expensive!

[saddlebum]

It's been a long time ago so I don't remember the exact circumstances but one time I poured the contents of my powder measure in the wrong can when changing powders. I realized what I did right away and pitched it.   

[Swampman]

I'd have probably marked the can 4895, shook it up, and used it as such for plinking loads.