Kaboom.....

[EBR Works]

.....well it would have been.

I have been reloading on and off for about 30 years and never made a major mistake......until tonight.

I went to load fifty 30-06 rounds with 49gr of IMR 4895 and a 155g NOS HPBT for my 2 month old CMP HRA Special. I had tested this load last weekend with great success. Today was a long day with bad news weighing on my mind so I set up everything and grabbed a bottle of powder.... Varget.

Great....filled my RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Combo powder dispenser, loaded and seated 22 rounds......WTF did I just do???

Time to pull 22 bullets!

Glad I caught it since the result would have been nothing less than spectacular!

[mvpatriot]

Glad you caught yourself and didn't get a dreaded KABOOM.
22 rounds from a whole measure!
Those kind of days I stay away from the bench.

[sorensen440]

Good thing you noticed

It reminds me of the day I realized that I should not reload while on the phone.

I was loading up some pistol rnds with my single stage and realized as I got off the phone that I had seated and crimped an entire box of bullets after having only measured powder for half of them

[jacques]

I am just starting and realized what everyone is talking about when they say to not have any distractions. It is real easy to loose where you are in the process, or not pay attention to what is going on.

[sorensen440]

I am just starting and realized what everyone is talking about when they say to not have any distractions. It is real easy to loose where you are in the process, or not pay attention to what is going on.

Yep
I usually have the radio on in the background but no visual distractions

[cleanguy46]

It seems so easy to double charge a round or select a wrong powder if you are not paying full attention to the task at hand. I'm glad that I reload .223 for now. You double charge a round and you know with powder at your feet! Also a good thing I use H335 exclusively, but i will start using some Ramshot TAC and some Varget soon. Glad you didn't become one with the weapon!

[fairfaxjim]

Wow - glad you caught it when you did.
For me, reloading is one of those tasks that has to be approached almost Zen like. I spend some prep time getting everything where and the way I want it, go over what it is I am going to do and write down the load data and put it in front of me. I get the materials out and away from the others that are not going to be used. Once I start, I finish all my set up adjustments, and write down the results next to the load data on the paper in front of me to double check.

Once going, I try not to break my concentration except for stretch breaks or to get something to drink, and definitely avoid doing any other tasks, even answering the phone.

Whenever I fly I use the prep and preflight time the same way - to channel my mind totally onto the task at hand and avoid distractions and interruptions that cause things to get missed. It has kept me safe, so I use it on any other task that has the capacity to injure or kill.

[tteng]

Is 49gr-varget/155gr FMJ too hot for Garand's op-rod?

I loaded mine 46 gr/155 fmj, and it groups 2" below my LC M2 ball, so I was thinking upload the powder amount, maybe I shouldn't, huh?

[jwest]

Glad you caught this man.
Like the reloading books say - no distractions - even mental. The bad news you spoke of was it - but again I am glad you caught it before you loaded and pulled the trigger.

[Fjold]

Hodgon's recommending loading for Varget with a 155 grain bullet is 48 grains (minimum) to 50.7 grains (maximum) so there was no risk of a kaboom.

[EBR Works]

Hodgon's recommending loading for Varget with a 155 grain bullet is 48 grains (minimum) to 50.7 grains (maximum) so there was no risk of a kaboom.

Yes, but would that have been a safe load for a Garand? My Lyman 48th edition manual shows absolutely no 30-06 load data for Varget except for 200gr cast bullets.

[1lostinspace]

ooh man I am glad you caught it, thats why I load .223 with out a care a double charge would just spill out. When I load 30-06 I prep and as soon as I add the powder I have my seating die ready to go and load the round right away instead of leaving them on the tray.

[American_pride]

Hodgon's recommending loading for Varget with a 155 grain bullet is 48 grains (minimum) to 50.7 grains (maximum) so there was no risk of a kaboom.

+1

Yes, but would that have been a safe load for a Garand? My Lyman 48th edition manual shows absolutely no 30-06 load data for Varget except for 200gr cast bullets.

By my figures it Might be a little hot for a grand op rod but it IS the correct burn rate. IMO it would have been fine. I would have shot them after looking at my burn rate chart/reloading book.

[EBR Works]

After a little research, it looks like max Varget load with 155gr bullet for the Garand would have been 46gr. You are all correct, probably no KB.

[Tillers_Rule]

That'll just make the bullet travel faster, right?......