http://www.handloadersbench.com/forum16/5749.html Here is an object lesson. Get and use safety glasses.
Well if I read that right I call it a case of carelessness/stupidity not an accident . He said he started out in he safe range and worked into the unsafe without testing before getting to that point so I can only assume he was speaking of a Reloading manuals published data . IF I were trying to develop a true max for a rifle in a bullet , powder , Case combo once I got to within 3-4 grains of the max I would be working up in small increments and load perhaps 3 rounds bag and tag them with the load and move up at a rate of maybe .3 grains . It sounds like he 1 tried to move up the ladder too fast and 2 didn't segregate his rounds and mark them very well as he progressed .
Well, even being conservative moving up in smaller increments as you say' a cracked forging could develop or be present from manufacture, and give way,call it an "unexpected" failure instead of an "accident". The point of the post being Eye protection while shooting should be a regular practice. I'll not argue the "correct" way to approach a maximum load.or whether he deserves to be called a careless idiot. Let he who is without sin throw the first stone. He admits to possibly mixing up his hot loads...
There's always a case like this that pops up from time to time - most can figure out proper procedure with common sense but some cannot. Several huge mistakes here and I hope the guy finds a new hobby other than reloading.
Monday morning quarterbacking aside, I believe the point was to get and use safety glasses. I also hope that the guy gets as much sight back as the Docs hope or more. Take care Be safe Poacher.
Yes sir if he starts wearing safety glasses and keeps up with his careless reloading habits at least he'll be able to see that stump where he use to have a hand .
Well hell why stop there. Maybe if we wish on it hard enough he will have it happen again and the bolt will blow back and enter his brain killing him then we can really laugh can't we? Boy that will be just kicks and giggles for us, why we could really pull out the popcorn for that one. Take care Be safe Poacher.
I used a sharpie permanent marker and write 1 through what ever number on them in order of lowest to highest by grain or half grain during load development. Then shoot them in order until i see signs of pressure and pull the bullets on the ones higher
Who's wishing anything on the guy all I am saying is the problem is a whole lot bigger than not wearing safety glasses . Tell me poacher if you met a man who drove around for years and never checked his oil in his vehicle and one day the engine blew completely and a piece of metal punctured a front tire stranding him on the side of the road and he happened to not have a spare tire . What problem would you say is greater the flat tire and no spare or the blown engine from a complete lack of oil in the engine ?
First off.... Safety Glasses are essential to range shooting just like hearing protection is. I see long time and new guys shooting without safety glasses, often times these fellows have the glasses laying on the bench but decided not to wear them for one reason or another. Having suffered an eye injury in the past, not related to shooting, I am pretty anal about wearing my safety glasses when I shoot, weed eat the yard, mix and spray lawn chemicals and work with drills, saws and other power equipment around the house. As far as the above book loads the guy was using... He broke a cardinal rule of reloading and paid for it in a big way. His mistake should reinforce the rule of sticking with established loads to all of us who reload! If you want more velocity and power from your gun than established loads provide them maybe its time to move up to a more powerful caliber, this is something an old reloaded told me years ago and something I pay attention to when working up loads regardless of caliber.
First off I wear safety glasses while shooting. But I NEVER wore them while in the Marine Corps to be honest. An indoor range usually has a narrow space and rebound possibilities so it's a good idea. I have never had a round bounce anywhere near my face ? Now I've been burnt with them going down the back of my cammies before, ouch!
