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cactusjack

Reload or Not to Reload-Choose Wisely

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At the shop I work part-time at yesterday, a 25-30yo guy came in with his Ruger Precision Rifle (308) and was complaining about it not ejecting spent shells. The other 2 guys at the shop, were looking at the bolt and the chamber. I asked the owner if he had any spent cases I could look at. He did. The primers were completely flat against the face and they were almost pierced from the firing pin. I asked him who reloaded his ammo. "It is a friend of my dads, he does it all the time". I asked him if he meant the bolt was hard to open. He said yes. He told me he started with Hornady ammo, factory loads and they ran great. Whoever loaded them messed up, I suggested he not shoot anymore of them and probably not buy anymore from his supplier. He asked me what to do with the unfired reloads. My advice was, pull the bullets, dump out the powder and weigh the charge on each round. Then nicely thank the guy for trying to kill him. (I didn't say the last part.)

 

Either load/reload correctly or buy factory. Read your primers. Reloading is not a relaxing pastime, it takes attention to detail. Close enough can go Kaboom.

The lessons taught to me by my mentor were reinforced yesterday.

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I can't count how many people told me they are shooting reloads but the reloaded has never been in the same room as the rifle .

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Oh man I have a friend that is one of "those guys". Has his primers in a mason jar handed down by his dad. Talks about the weight of powder in "grams" and buys whatever powder he can find or is recommended by the kid behind the counter. Has no idea about ANY of the intricacies of reloading. Just fills up the case and goes shooting.

 

Scary. REALLY scary.

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I work with a guy that buys 223 reloads from the "guy down the street". I don't think he can get through a whole mag without some sort of malfunction. He offered to get me some since they are cheaper than anything else he can find.

 

No thanks.

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David Bowie - Under pressure. That song always comes to mind when I see flattened primers. I "inherited" about 12 pounds of WWI or WWII decomposing powder that just smelled like sulfur and - I don't know, kinda "gassy". Made for good stump removal, but I would never shoot a rifle with that in it.

 

Reloading isn't really a hobby IMO. You can mess up really fast with irreversible consequences if you don't approach it with a certain respect.

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Ok, how about a Weird Al style parody of Under Pressure, done as Over Pressure?

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David Bowie - Under pressure. That song always comes to mind when I see flattened primers. I "inherited" about 12 pounds of WWI or WWII decomposing powder that just smelled like sulfur and - I don't know, kinda "gassy". Made for good stump removal, but I would never shoot a rifle with that in it.

 

Reloading isn't really a hobby IMO. You can mess up really fast with irreversible consequences if you don't approach it with a certain respect.

I prefer ZZ Top "got me under pressure"

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