# Help sometimes I just want to shoot myself for stupid stuff



## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

OK I just loaded 500 S&W 40's using small rifle primers. Please tell me they are safe to shoot. Are they??

That's the only thing I hate about reloading is doing stupid things. I think I have systems in place and I double check everything at the end of reloading. The only things on my bench are the ingredients that I have used for what I am loading at that time. I never have two projects going. So I'm going down my check list. I see I used the green dot, then I look at the empty primer boxed and I don't believe it. I used small rifle primers. I have a bad habit I guess of not reading everything. My wife calls it pulling a Robert. See sends me to the store for sugar free Dr Pepper and I come back with Dr Pepper because they had a different box for a sale promotion that had a little white in it so I didn't bother to really check it. That's what I did here and that's why I have my check list at the end. It's like not proof reading what you wrote and I do that all the time.


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## kansas_plainsman (May 9, 2006)

I've been known to do similiar things - when I buy that 'assemble yourself' furniture I can count on having to UN-build it at least once to get the last few pieces on.

Perhaps that's why I've never been tempted to get into reloading.

Don't have a technical answer, but you have my sympathies.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

If I were you Spacedoggy I would call the manufacture of your primers and give them the load you used and see what they say. So far as making mistakes you just learn from them and move on. New and old loaders make mistakes sometimes. Any loader who tells you he's never made a mistake is doing a little more than fibbing:horsepoo:. Of course I am perfect at loading, cough, snezz,blech.


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

If you are near the max load for powder type used you could pull some bullets and re charge a sample to test for pressure signs in steps working up to the current load. If there are no over pressure signs you should be able to use the balance of the batch.

Before re charging the cases I would make certain the pistol you plan on using them in will pop the cap's.

If you see signs of over pressure pull the bullets and reload to a safe level.

If using a moderate powder charge my guess is your only problem might be light primer strikes which don't ignite the boomer.

It is my understanding that rifle and magum primers have thicker/stronger cup material and may require a stronger impact from the firing pin than some pistols provide.

Or as you seem to have lots of toy's you could rig one up in a vise and fire it off with a string as the idiots on Guns and Ammo do in their torture tests. If it doesn't blow up you can use the rest in a more conventional manner. :mrgreen:

Good luck.

:smt1099


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2007)

Correct me if I'm wrong but the 500 S&W takes large rifle magnum primers? I looked on the Alliant web site and they had loads calling for Federal 215's. Given that I'm surprised they seem to fit in the pocket. When I screw up on a load I "bite the bullet" and tear it down. It's a pain but better than making a bad situation worse.


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## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

They are very light loads. I made them for the P-99 but I think I'll give them a try using the CX4. That's a tough carbine. I used a 180 gn jacket bullet with green dot. Recommended is 4.9 not to exceed 5.3. I've been working this load down to 4.1. I think I'm safe using the CX4. I believe the S&W 40 is pretty high on the pressure, I'm just to lazy now to get up and go out to look it up. Thanks for the feed back and if they shoot OK with the CX4 I will have them all used in a short period of time tomorrow. I love shooting that thing. I'm hoping to get the perfect load for my P-99. I think I'm trying to make it handle like a 9. The last time I used 4.3 and no problems with the slide moving back and I did have better control. Bullet drop has yet to be a factor. When I do this with some of my 45's I find a large bullet drop at times up to a foot from 15 feet and the loads are not that light. Might be the 230 gn bullet. You can tell I'm learning.


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## spacedoggy (May 11, 2006)

TerryP said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but the 500 S&W takes large rifle magnum primers? I looked on the Alliant web site and they had loads calling for Federal 215's. Given that I'm surprised they seem to fit in the pocket. When I screw up on a load I "bite the bullet" and tear it down. It's a pain but better than making a bad situation worse.


Sorry terry but I think you just pulled a Robert. I wrote this.

OK I just loaded 500 S&W 40's using small rifle primers.

You saw 500 S&W it's 500 rounds of S&W 40's. That's what I do all the time and that's why my wife calls it pulling a Robert. She has a private forum with about three hundred people who log in everyday. I never go in there it's her world. She had me go in the other day to read what one of the guys wrote about a gun. He and others were talking about pulling a Robert. When I caught that her face turned red. Glad it's a private forum.


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## JimmySays (Jun 8, 2007)

Don't be too hard on yourself Spacedoggy. We all make mistakes, at least you were fortunate enough to notice your error before anything bad happened.
It's good to learn from your mistakes, it's better to learn from the mistakes of others. :smt023


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## bompa (Oct 26, 2006)

I sure wouldn't worry about the srp's,competition shooters have been using them in hot loads for ever..You say your loads were not on the hefty side so just shoot them and enjoy your self..
The only problem I can see happening is light strikes if you have lightened your trigger pull quite a bit..Otherwise go to it and have fun..


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