Shotshell Reloading, Single Stage Consistency

[joelogic]

I am new to shotshell reloading but I've been reloading metallic for a long time.

I am loading on a Mec Sizermaster using Winchester Super Handicap and reclaimed shot. I am using preprimed hulls that were sold as seconds and may have gotten wet/damp. Topping the payload off with a cardboard overshot card and a roll crimp.

I loaded 150 and they ran great. Good velocity and spread. Running the ammo in a semi so 1250fps velocity was the goal. I loaded another 100 and having major inconsistency issues. Every 2nd or 3rd round the gun would make a puff of smoke and fail to eject. Another reloader said that I may be slapping the powder/charge bar inconsistently. This may be the case as I was getting into a grove and slapping it left and right.

Thoughts? Am I slapping too hard? Can the powder clump and light charge? I'd blame the hulls but the first 150 were great and then 2nd batch was 50% failure.

EDIT:
Unsatisfying ending to the story. I loaded 40 rounds, 10 rounds of each. New Preprimed hulls (Damp storage) with a 21 bushing (20.7gr), Used hulls with a 21, New Preprimed hulls (Damp storage) with a 23 bushing (22gr), and Used hulls with a 23 bushing.

I also brought 25 rounds of the suspect ammo to test. All ammo ran fine. Not one failure. I was unable to duplicate my issue so no further troubleshooting could be done.

I loaded the suspect ammo with a 21 bushing but there was a noticeable difference in the felt recoil between the old and new batches with the 21 bushing. Maybe the rubber washer between the charge bar and the bottle is the culprit. The rubber feels a little hard and maybe was not flat when I screwed on the bottle. I will leave the powder bottle in place as I load the next batch.

[highway_assist]

Try load another 25, and use a scale to measure the shot drop and the powder drop for everyone, and see the consistency.

And, are the hull, primer, wad, overshot card, and powder identical between the first 150 and the second 100?

[joelogic]

Good call, I will load and weigh another batch.

Overshot card got switched from cardboard to clear plastic. But I roll crimped with the same amount of pressure.

I might have adjusted the wad seating pressure between the 1st and 2nd sessions as I was still learning the press.

[Thefeeder]

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Ck\heck your PM's....left you a message

Puff of smoke? My be wet? Those two may be related. Changing the over card to plastic and wad pressure will not result in the failures you are having.

[anyracoon]

Looks like the pre-primed hulls got really wet. I would try a couple hulls not loaded up to see if primers go off.

[joelogic]

All the shells fire. Just half of them seem like light charges. I’m going to eliminate some variables and retest.

[joelogic]

Unsatisfying ending to the story. I loaded 40 rounds, 10 rounds of each. New Preprimed hulls (Damp storage) with a 21 bushing (20.7gr), Used hulls with a 21, New Preprimed hulls (Damp storage) with a 23 bushing (22gr), and Used hulls with a 23 bushing.

I also brought 25 rounds of the suspect ammo to test. All ammo ran fine. Not one failure. I was unable to duplicate my issue so no further troubleshooting could be done.

I loaded the suspect ammo with a 21 bushing but there was a noticeable difference in the felt recoil between the old and new batches with the 21 bushing. Maybe the rubber washer between the charge bar and the bottle is the culprit. The rubber feels a little hard and maybe was not flat when I screwed on the bottle. I will leave the powder bottle in place as I load the next batch.