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Post by Bullshop on Sept 25, 2020 8:07:14 GMT -7
This is a heads up to potential danger when changing powders in a powder drop hopper. I was reminded of this recently when switching powders in my powder drop. I hade left some Bu8llseye in the hopper for a few days and in the interim the humidity had changed from very hot with very low humidity to the opposite of cooler temp with high humidity.
I dumped the hopper and as always looked inside to find the internal walls still covered with powder clinging to the sides. This required a tooth brush to free the remaining powder to drop out. Not looking into the hopper and just trusting that all the powder poured out could have caused a serious problem.
We had an incident a few years back that when using load data I had developed for a rifle JR got a too high pressure load that blew a primer and also blew the newly installed extractor on a Remington 700 short action. The only explanation I could come up with was that he had previously been loading for pistol with fast burning powder then changed powder in the hopper to load rifle ammo. There is a strong possibility that when he changed powders there was still some of the fast pistol powder left clinging to the hopper walls when he refilled the hopper with slower rifle powder.
That was the only reason I could come up with to explain what had happened so I am offering this as a warning. Beware that if powder is left in the hopper of a powder drop if left in the hopper even over night a change in humidity can cause this potential dangerous situation.
Load on but be safe !
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Post by Junior on Sept 26, 2020 0:01:24 GMT -7
I would still like to know why that rifle let loose. It seems like I remember it happening after a few rounds of shooting tweaking that load. It also cracked the bolt face.
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Post by Bullshop on Sept 26, 2020 8:43:46 GMT -7
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. At the least its something to be cautious of. When I changed powders the other day after the extreme humidity change there was enough Bullseye sticking in the powder drop to have filled the 6x45 case maybe more than once. It took some effort with a tooth brush to get it all out. If I hadn't noticed it and just filled the hopper with another powder the bullseye would have come out in varying amounts with the next several powder throws. That would be enough to raise havoc with chamber pressures. There is a strong possibility that something like this caused the problem. At least it is the most plausible explanation I have come up with.
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Post by Junior on Sept 26, 2020 15:08:48 GMT -7
It is hard to say. It still bothers me quite often that I ruined that rifle, as I really liked it. I would like to get another one someday.
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Post by Bullshop on Sept 26, 2020 19:00:41 GMT -7
Sorry for opening an old wound ! After my recent experience though I thought I should mention it as a precaution to new reloaders.
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Post by missionary on Sept 27, 2020 7:26:14 GMT -7
Thank you for the advice. Nothing wrong with being reminded about a potential destructive happening.
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Post by todddoyka on Oct 5, 2020 13:34:04 GMT -7
i haven't used the dropper for years. i like to use hornady's lock n load auto charge ( www.hornady.com/reloading/precision-measuring/scales-and-accessories/lock-n-load-auto-charge ). it is accurate!!!!! i used to use beam scales and a plastic powder measurer to get my pistol/rifle load. i was worried about the about the accuracy of my loads on the lock n load, so i checked it on the beam scale and i found out its exactly same. i still use the beam scale to check on lock n load, but its still the same after 10 or so years. since i have the attention of a chipmunk, i "trained" myself to put the powder back into its original container. i drain the lock n load thru the side drain into a small plastic container(spc). then i take a brush into the lock n load to clean out leftover powder. i shut the side drain off and i pour spc into a funnel that is on a original powder container. i put the lid on and i'm done, i think   . maybe its me, but i could not do the powder dropper amount. |
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Post by Junior on Oct 5, 2020 22:28:57 GMT -7
I load about 95% of my ammo on a progressive press anymore. I shoot too much to keep up with a single stage.
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Post by todddoyka on Oct 6, 2020 7:29:10 GMT -7
i used to use a lyman turret press but 4 or 5 years ago i got a lee classic cast press. i shoot alot of rifles(no semi's) and i have only one revolver(SA). i should have used a progressive press about 20 years ago, but i didn't.
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Post by missionary on Oct 6, 2020 9:30:55 GMT -7
When our two sons were ready to start shooting we became quickly aware that one single stage green press would not fill the ammo bin for very long.
So in 87 we ordered our first 550B Blue Press. With one son filling primer tubes and the other boxing loaded rounds we could load 500 rounds of 357 and M1 carbine in a couple hours rather than a couple days. I would not be surprised to know we have loaded near 100,000 rounds on that first Dillon.
When we go visit they each have a list of "I need" X amount of such and such.
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Post by todddoyka on Oct 7, 2020 8:24:47 GMT -7
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Post by missionary on Oct 7, 2020 15:10:21 GMT -7
One of our sons has the gear but the other is still in a small apartment with near no room and family.
Those were good fun days with them.
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Post by Bullshop on Oct 7, 2020 17:56:26 GMT -7
When my boys were still young each got the training and their own tools, press and dies to load their own. They were swaging and selling bullets before they were teens. One was having trouble learning to read so I told him if he learned well enough to order all the needed parts to build a rifle I would pay for them and help him assemble the rifle . That was the incentive he needed and he didn't order cheap he ordered quality.
That rifle turned out great and shoots great. Its a 6mmx284 with a 28" Packnor barrel wit a 1/7" twist.
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Post by todddoyka on Oct 7, 2020 19:23:55 GMT -7
hey, eye kann't reed ether. youse gonna buy my rafle parts if i can reed?  that would have made me broke!!!!
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Post by missionary on Oct 8, 2020 7:02:06 GMT -7
Well happily we did not have an education issue. So when our sons hit 14-15 they each received one 357 mag 6 inch, a single shot 20 gauge and an SKS. And off and on a surprise inspection of arms. Sadly our older son has high acid sweat. He touches steel and rust finger prints form overnight. I have called him Mr White glove.
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Post by Junior on Oct 10, 2020 8:46:04 GMT -7
I’m not a fan of the Dillon progressive presses. I have the Hornday Lock N load and love it. I also have the Lock n Load single stage, and it’s nice because I can pop the die bushings in and out of either press and not lose my die settings.
I can swap from 357mag to 44 mag in less then 5 minutes on this press too.
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Post by Bullshop on Oct 10, 2020 15:49:11 GMT -7
The Dillon technology is what now like 40 years old ?
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Post by missionary on Oct 10, 2020 18:08:56 GMT -7
Still works very well for our house.
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Post by Bullshop on Oct 10, 2020 18:43:25 GMT -7
Oh I agree its still good and I am very familiar with its workings. I just thought that by now they would have improved in some way. I guess its hard to improve on perfection.
Apparently sales of current technology for Dillon are good enough that they have no need/desire to change.
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Post by Junior on Oct 11, 2020 10:03:07 GMT -7
They recently quit making the 650 and started making the 750. My biggest beef with the Dillion presses is the fact that they haven’t figured out ok how to make priming on demand. It just spits live primers out every time you pull the handle. Every other brand, including lee has priming on demand.
Most people I know also run the 1050 model now, which I believe cost about 1500 bucks to get set up. I have had a couple of the Hornady progressive presses now, and they are about 400, plus a shell plate and set of dies.
Change over is super easy. To go from large to small primers takes about 30 seconds. I leave all my dies set up in bushings So changing dies is just a quarter turn, and pop them out. Hornady really thought this through, and I can take the dues out of the progressive press, and pop them into my single stage and not have to readjust them. The powder measure also has a quick release on the meter, and I can buy extra metering stems. I keep one of these in each die box as well. Once set, you push a button and pop it out, and pop the next one preadjusted to your load in. Check the weight of the charge, and start loading. And again, I have a Hornady powder dropped for my single stage set up, and the meter inserts work for that too. And she she’ll plate takes about 30 seconds to change. So really. If you have dies set up, and a powder meter insert set up for the load you want, it takes about 3 minutes to change caliber and away you go. With the auto indexing, and a bullet feed die, I have loaded 600 rounds a hour on it.
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Post by Bullshop on Oct 11, 2020 12:10:09 GMT -7
Now see what you have done, I want one.
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