My noob mistake! Help me fix OAL problem.

[JackRydden224]

I'm new a reloading and I made a noob mistake that cost me probably about 600 rounds of 9mm. Here goes.

My first loads were 115gr plated bullets. I got it setup and fired 150 problem free rounds so I proceeded to finish the rest. When I ran out of plated bullets I switched to 125 gr lead bullets. I only changed the powder charge but did not realize that I would have to adjust the OAL of the round! DUMB NOOB!

I found out it was a problem when I dropped a round in the chamber to see how well it sits and guess what, it is too damn long!

Err....


Now that I'm loading .45 ACP I have several different test loads with different OAL to see which ones work. I guess you learn from you mistakes.

[Dark Mod]

I think everyone does stuff like that when they first start. I remember loading 500 .357 magnum rounds with plated bullets using data for jacketed bullets.... I realized my mistake before i got a chance to shoot any of them and had to pull them all. I got tired of pulling bullets about 60 rounds into it and to this day there sits a box under my bench with 400+ rounds of useless .357 magnum rounds. Ill pull the rest of them some day, its just WAY on the bottom of the priorities list.

[burndup]

Uhhm... from one noob to another, why can't you just re-seat them a little deeper?

Or are they crimped?

[BigBronco]

No real problem. If they are too long simply go back to the press and push them deeper with your seating die.

[SandDiegoDuner]

No no he is better off dumping those rounds off on me for proper disposal. Don't worry I will be a nice guy and not even charge you for having to pull all those bullets and to dump all that powder and to reassemble them with my spec load for my girlfriend to shoot in her pistol.

[JackRydden224]

Uhhm... from one noob to another, why can't you just re-seat them a little deeper?

Or are they crimped?

No real problem. If they are too long simply go back to the press and push them deeper with your seating die.

They have already been crimped though...can I just pop them back and reseat them?

I think everyone does stuff like that when they first start. I remember loading 500 .357 magnum rounds with plated bullets using data for jacketed bullets.... I realized my mistake before i got a chance to shoot any of them and had to pull them all. I got tired of pulling bullets about 60 rounds into it and to this day there sits a box under my bench with 400+ rounds of useless .357 magnum rounds. Ill pull the rest of them some day, its just WAY on the bottom of the priorities list.

You are right Mark. The idea of pulling out 600 rounds of loaded ammo just isn't a good way to spend time. I might want to ask Serge if he has some sort of special machine can do it if I cannot jut pop them under the seating die and get them in deeper.

[Dark Mod]

They have already been crimped though...can I just pop them back and reseat them?



You are right Mark. The idea of pulling out 600 rounds of loaded ammo just isn't a good way to spend time. I might want to ask Serge if he has some sort of special machine can do it if I cannot jut pop them under the seating die and get them in deeper.

If they are crimped your gonna shave lead, not a world ender but its not worth it. Might as well pull them at your leisure. You could always buy a collet puller and it would make relatively short work of the project.

[JackRydden224]

If they are crimped your gonna shave lead, not a world ender but its not worth it. Might as well pull them at your leisure. You could always buy a collet puller and it would make relatively short work of the project.

From what I've found collect pullers cannot be used with lead. I guess my best best is to either leave it alone or pull them out one by one.

You know I'll never make that mistake again!

[call-in]

I guess it will depend on how much crimp was applied. If the crimp was just enough to take the bell out then I would try re-seating a few to see how it goes. I'm pretty sure you'll still have shavings, but it might not be much and you could use them for plinking.

[Laythor]

sounds like you'd lose the bullet but save the case, powder, and primer...

[kmca]

If you have the proper crimp now, reseating the bullet deeper shouldn't shave anything, especially if they are plated. I've never had good luck trying to pull either lead or plated bullets with a collet type puller. If you had put a roll crimp on those bullets, then you might have a problem.

[Larryect]

Don't ask me how I know. But, with a collet type bullet puller in a single stage press, pulling 600 rounds apart isn't too bad. Not like trying to use an impact puller.......

[morrow]

If you have the proper crimp now, reseating the bullet deeper shouldn't shave anything, especially if they are plated. I've never had good luck trying to pull either lead or plated bullets with a collet type puller. If you had put a roll crimp on those bullets, then you might have a problem.

What he said, but 9mm should not be roll crimp. Ever. It headspaces off the case mouth.
If you did the proper "removing the bell" (taper crimp) you should be able to seat the lead bullets deeper with little to no shaving.

[JackRydden224]

From reading this thread I see that I'm not the only one who has made this mistake

I'll pop a round in to re-seat it and see what happens. Carbides are tough, the worst thing that happens is that I lose the round that was already unshootable.

[tackdriver]

You dont need to pull the bullet UNLESS you crimped it so tight you shave lead when you reseat. Just adjust the die and run them through again. Be thankful for all that extra arm excercise you'll be getting!