Reloading mistakes you made?

[schink]

Hi guys,

What are some mistakes a novice reloader is likely to make when they're starting out?

Obviously you read all the books but reading and doing something aren't the same and mistakes are made and learnt from.

Hopefully the pros can share some experiences so us novices don't make the same

[Hardcast]

First mistake is to assume you've got it all covered.

I made a mild mistake just a week ago, ................... pulled the trigger on a test load and nothing happened.

No primer.

[Redwood]

No primer.

Yeah, those are important

[Muddy1967]

First mistake is to assume you've got it all covered.

I made a mild mistake just a week ago, ................... pulled the trigger on a test load and nothing happened.

No primer.

I would have thought that all the power would have spilt out. (a dead give away)

[Hardcast]

No, no powder came out into the box at all.
Trail boss.

[SendIt]

I would have thought that all the power would have spilt out. (a dead give away)

It doesn't pour out is the problem, it trickles out little by little.

I've done it before and only noticed caused there were a few stray grains sitting in my shell tray.

[Manimal]

Mucking up emptying the powder thrower and spilling s**t eeeeeeverywhere.

[lole]

Not setting the resizing die low enough and only partially resizing the case.

[AusC]

Not setting the resizing die low enough and only partially resizing the case.

Not setting the seating die high enough and crushing brass

[maxi]

Lying down on your seating die is a good one - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=491

[on_one_wheel]

Bumping the scales and overloading a handfull of shells by 10 grains.... those that I didnt empty were pretty hot ! Thought I found them all, apparantly not.
Spilling my beer over a full primer box...... OH NO ! ...... MY BEER !
Not knowing when to stop experimenting with different powders and projectiles.... there must be thousands of combinations.
Assuming that spear bullets would be a good subsitute for the sieria ones that I couldnt get at the time for my worked load..... result.... 5" groups, and some good practice at pulling projectiles !

[squirrelhunter]

I like to think that I made none, and my mate showing me the ropes made them

[Baldrick314]

Forgetting to rotate the powder hopper on my Lee progressive press after switching powder disks and ending up with 100 9mm rounds with no powder. For anyone who's never had to do it, removing a stuck bullet from a pistol barrel is no fun.

[Lorgar]

Forgetting to rotate the powder hopper on my Lee progressive press after switching powder disks and ending up with 100 9mm rounds with no powder. For anyone who's never had to do it, removing a stuck bullet from a pistol barrel is no fun.

Just enough energy from the primer to wedge it in there hey?

Any damage to the barrel after removal?

[Weepy]

Any number of things which ended up with powder going eeeeverywhere.

[Baldrick314]

Just enough energy from the primer to wedge it in there hey?

Any damage to the barrel after removal?

Exactly. Fortunately someone had a brass rod to knock it out with. No damage just a pain in the ass to strip the pistol down mid match, not to mention embarrassing lol

[threeoh]

Exactly. Fortunately someone had a brass rod to knock it out with.

That's the important bit I guess.

Pride will heal, your precious barrel wont

[Wisey]

Your Kids mixing your 2205 and 2206h together.

= Big bang... action locked up - primer blown out.

bullet puller time.

[nords]

Your Kids mixing your 2205 and 2206h together.

Kids, gotta love em

[schink]

Adding one of mine, sizing down a few necks I didn't have enough lube and cause a few creases in the shoulder/body where they too the stress of resizing.

[Noisydad]

Dropped my tin of (about 1,000,000) little tissue paper wads that go between the powder and lubed bullet in y 40-65. Took half a life time to pick the little suckers up! :-/

[Bourt]

Not exactly a 'reloading mistake' but without fail I manage to drop a box of primers every time I do it...

Those little bastards roll like they're under power.

[handofcod]

Decided to empty a measure of 2208 back into the bottle and then realised I'd dumped it into the bottle of 8208....

[Bills Shed]

First case I ever sized I got stuck in a FLS die. I was is such a hurry to get started into reloading I forgot to lube the case. Then I learnt how to build a stuck case remover.
Every step in reloading counts. Get the basics right and the small refinements will come in time.
Decide on what the bullet is needed for and build one to do the job. No good building a 1000m target bullet to shoot pigs at 60m.
+1 for learning to stop experimenting. When you find a powder and projectile that works and does the job stick to it. Then if you want try extra case prep, crimp, no crimp, seating depth, bushing size, neck tension etc, etc. go for it. They are the 2% that make the round a bit better.
Enjoy the ride
Bill

[Baldrick314]

Decided to empty a measure of 2208 back into the bottle and then realised I'd dumped it into the bottle of 8208....

That sucks. Only a 500g bottle or did it stuff up 4kg of perfectly good powder?

[Carter]

I was is such a hurry to get started into reloading I forgot to lube the case. Then I learnt how to build a stuck case remover.

I've got one of those, it's called 'my foot'

[Carter]

Decided to empty a measure of 2208 back into the bottle and then realised I'd dumped it into the bottle of 8208....

Awww that sucks!

Could you spoon out the top of the bottle to just lose a bit or what?