overly charged load?

[kroeker]

Just a thought on separating the bolt from brass, put it all in the freezer overnight. I put armatures in the freezer when I am replacing bearings and in the morning they go on easy, might be enough difference in shrink rates of the metals to free it up.

I do the same thing with bearings my self. This particular time it wouldn't have worked, the case was actually buldged into the extracter groove. Dremel tool with a little bur bit and a lot of time and patience...

[Deputyhiro]

Anyone that has been here for any length of time knows and trusts dellet's opinion. The OP hasn't and you haven't but the past reloading advice and trouble shooting help is still here, for all to read, using a Google search. Why do any of us come to this forum? Knowledge. I do agree published load data should be followed, but you quickly learn, if you have a good working knowledge of the ABC s, who to listen to and who not to. I also agree that it is your responsibility to ensure your face stays where it is. edit - besides new guy, he wasn't ripping him. That attitude won't get you very far here.

I realize until my post count gets a few zeros around it, I am the new guy. And Nobody likes the "new guy" making waves. I am not saying dellet or anyone here is or is not an expert. Truth is, you don't really know if someone is an expert or not, until you become an expert, or at least get some decent experience. It's too easy to jump on a forum and take an "experts" word on a certain load. But until you have published data, and a little experience, you don't know what that load is. I totally agree this place is a wealth of knowledge, but there is no substitute for published data, and the experience to know how to use it. Too many people are either too cheap, or lazy to buy a manual and do proper load development. Just jump online, find this place (probably the best scenario) grab the first concoction they see (because everything here is got to be trustworthy), and start pressing. I know it has probably been beat to death, but its the truth. Too many people don't take it seriously, and it drives me nuts. Sorry for the waves, sorry to the OP if I hijacked his post.

[rebel]

Agree completely, it drives me crazy to. And he is an expert. No harm done.

[dellet]

Anyone that has been here for any length of time knows and trusts dellet's opinion. The OP hasn't and you haven't but the past reloading advice and trouble shooting help is still here, for all to read, using a Google search. Why do any of us come to this forum? Knowledge. I do agree published load data should be followed, but you quickly learn, if you have a good working knowledge of the ABC s, who to listen to and who not to. I also agree that it is your responsibility to ensure your face stays where it is. edit - besides new guy, he wasn't ripping him. That attitude won't get you very far here.

I realize until my post count gets a few zeros around it, I am the new guy. And Nobody likes the "new guy" making waves. I am not saying dellet or anyone here is or is not an expert. Truth is, you don't really know if someone is an expert or not, until you become an expert, or at least get some decent experience. It's too easy to jump on a forum and take an "experts" word on a certain load. But until you have published data, and a little experience, you don't know what that load is. I totally agree this place is a wealth of knowledge, but there is no substitute for published data, and the experience to know how to use it. Too many people are either too cheap, or lazy to buy a manual and do proper load development. Just jump online, find this place (probably the best scenario) grab the first concoction they see (because everything here is got to be trustworthy), and start pressing. I know it has probably been beat to death, but its the truth. Too many people don't take it seriously, and it drives me nuts. Sorry for the waves, sorry to the OP if I hijacked his post.

Deputy, your post count really doesn't matter and as far as forums go this one seems to be pretty inviting to new guys. With that said, put some pants on , I know of a couple folks that let their kids read the forum.

That said, there have been a couple of posts in this thread, hinting at people new to the cartridge who want to shoot, that have little or no experience reloading. That creates a problem. When you look at the post, reply and view counts on the forum, the load index and powder info threads are by far the most popular. The Blackout faq thread is the only one with more views. So there is clearly a void of information that people are trying to fill.

As you and others noted too many people jump online grab some data and fire away. But here is the real problem. It's people that don't read a whole thread or grab a couple lines out of a post, form an opinion and run with it, many times in the wrong direction.

Take your post and interpretation of my responses to kroeker.

So I just got a Remington 700 aac-sd in 300 blk and started reloading. I've mostly been shooting 150 gr hornadys with 4.4 grains of titegroup and 150's with 16.5 grains h110. When I was at the store picking up some bullets they had a box of hornady 220 gr rn so I picked it up to too play with. I started with 9.8 grains h110 which I found online someone else using. They shot fine but were a little loud.

So I looked into using the titegroup with the 220's and found a max load of 8 grains. So I loaded up 6 rounds, 2 at 7.8 grains, 2 at 7 grains and 2 at 6.5 grains. I started with the lighter loads and worked up. 6.5's and 7's went subsonic and super quiet. Then I chambered the first 7.8 load. Pulled the trigger, it cracked the sound barrier blew gas in my face and actually had pretty decent recoil.

Bolt opened hard but did open and the case was stuck in the bolt face. I couldn't get it out of the bolt either it seems like its damn near fused to it. So I ordered a new bolt, ejector and extractor. All previous rounds fired and left the barrel. And I pulled the bullet on the last round and weighted the powder, 7.8 grains.

So what happened? Anyone else had this same experience? Right now I'm calling it a $200 f'up on my part and hoping it doesn't happen again. But would like to know if its something else these were all cases that were previously fired. And yes I'm 100% sure I didn't have a squib in the barrel from the previous round fired.

Load data came from a google search that led me to a thread. Which is where I'm finding most of my info since there seems to be a lack of decent published load data for bolt gun loads. I don't have that thread in front of me since I'm sitting at work but the load was 7.8gr titegroup behind a 220 gr bullet at 1150 fps out of a bolt gun. As far as the bolt itself I'm thinking it's a total loss. When I get home I'm going to make a mandrel so I can put it in my lathe and hopeful salvage it for later use as a spare. But it looks like it's pretty chewed up from the gasses. I worked on it for an hour and still never got the rim of the case free from the bolt face.

I'll be a dick and tell you I have highlighted the two biggest problems.

Most likely a change of bullets caused your problem. If the bullet in the original load was not a round nose. If this was the change you made to bullet was likely too close to the lands and you had a severe pressure spike. If you do not know the length where that bullet will touch the lands in your chamber, there is no way to tell for sure. That distance will change with your new bolt.

There has been a huge increase new loaders to the forum and a lot of disasters narrowly diverted. Grabbing bits and pieces of info on the internet will be deadly for someone. People need to re-discover the value of books and teachers.

Glad your safe, post the load and we can try to sort it out. In the mean time be careful and if you have a question run it by the folks here. there simply is no better resource for the cartridge.

I'll be the dick here... You're ripping on him for trusting an internet resource, but telling him to trust an internet resource? Get published data. Period. It may be more difficult, but its out there. Don't trust any armchair quarterback on any forum. Your're responsible for your own safety.

I did not rip him for using an internet resource for load data. If I ripped him, it was for buying a rifle, jumping directly into reloading with little or no experience in rifle cartridges and picking a random load off the internet based on components that were available, that might work together.

There must be tens of thousands of 300Blk loads on the internet to choose from. I would challenge you to find five that have the load combination that he chose. Kind of like finding a question to fit the answer you want, instead of asking a question to find an answer.

I am not sure if you are aware of this or not, but one of the armchair quarterbacks on this forum is the guy that developed the cartridge and oversaw the SAAMI approval as well as the design and redevelopment needed in the AR platform to make subs and supers actually work reliably. There are quite a few members here that were very early participants in developing loads. You should spend some time reading the first couple years of posts, there were plenty of mistakes. That gives the armchair quarterbacks here something closer to a directors chair and a bullhorn, than a lazy boy recliner and a remote control.

So. It was in that light that I encouraged the op to post the load that got him in trouble and to allow the collective knowledge base here, sort out what went wrong and in the future ask questions here, because I firmly believe there is no better resource for the cartridge. You're welcome to disagree with that if you want.

I would say those were pretty good suggestions for a couple reasons. First because of the resources available here. Second because we can learn just as much, sometimes more from failures as we can from success.

Sorry for the length of the post, felt context was important.

[kroeker]

I don't feel anyone was ripping on me and to be honest i'm glad this happened to me how and when it did. That might sound weird but in actuality damage was minimal and I wasn't injured and now I know better. What if I had reloaded thousands of rounds and got overly confident/cocky about it and really over loaded a cartridge. And maybe that overload wouldnt have been on my 300 blk cartridge and been on a magnum caliber and could have seriously injured me.

But that didn't happen, I got a face full of gas and replaced a bolt not a big deal. And since this happened early on now I've done a lot more research into reloading and have a lot better understanding on what I'm doing. I'm the kind of guy that doesn't like to repeat a mistake.

So guys let's not argue over this. I like this forum way to much so far. Its full of threads that aren't off topic arguing. Not to many gun forums out there anymore that can say that.

[BadKarmaZeroSix]

I haven't used Titegroup in 300 yet, but getting ready to use it for subsonic 9mm using 147gr projectiles, and the extremely low charge numbers for Titegroup have me cautious to say the least. Trust me when i say, the guys of this forum are the best online resource you can find. Anyone that has entered unsafe shooting or loading practices into a conversation gets quickly and publicly corrected, but not in the same demeaning and condescending ways witnessed on other popular forums (well, most of the time at least). The administrator and moderators are VERY active here, and the information and knowledge have, and will continue to, help many shooters/builders/purchasers/hunters/reloaders for years to come. Speaking for myself, i would hope that you not only DON'T feel attacked by the responses, but that you continue to be open with your successes and failures with this caliber, as well as others.
Always use caution when trying a new load, a new toy, etc. And remember, even people who have been top-tier operators need advice on new topics out of their areas of expertise. Just ask ahead of time, be diligent with your quality controls, and give info back to the community as it becomes available. Being a little OCD doesn't hurt either...
Oh, and most importantly, share pics. Welcome to the forum!

[Deputyhiro]

Dellet, you're absolutely right, and you make some great points. It is the guy that takes the first load he comes by with out doing the research. If someone posts an absurd load, some guy out there will find a way to successfully cram that cartridge together and fire it. (not saying this is the OP)

Full disclosure: The reason I jumped in the way I did was because a few days before that I was at a get together with a bunch of guys shooting. I didn't know everyone. One guy pulls out his S&W 460, and fires one shot. Only to have the thing lock up. He's not sure why, he just got the gun, just started loading for it. In fact, he had never hand loaded before this. After looking at the gun, it was clear. The cylinder had ballooned out and seized against the upper frame of the gun. As close to a kaboom as I had ever seen. Having a S&W460 myself, that I load for, I had to ask what the hell he did. It was something like 51g h110 and a 300g lead bullet, he wasnt exactly sure, but he got it on the internet. I wish I had some pics, it was amazing.

With that fresh in my mind, I fired off that rant.

[dellet]

Dellet, you're absolutely right, and you make some great points. It is the guy that takes the first load he comes by with out doing the research. If someone posts an absurd load, some guy out there will find a way to successfully cram that cartridge together and fire it. (not saying this is the OP)

Full disclosure: The reason I jumped in the way I did was because a few days before that I was at a get together with a bunch of guys shooting. I didn't know everyone. One guy pulls out his S&W 460, and fires one shot. Only to have the thing lock up. He's not sure why, he just got the gun, just started loading for it. In fact, he had never hand loaded before this. After looking at the gun, it was clear. The cylinder had ballooned out and seized against the upper frame of the gun. As close to a kaboom as I had ever seen. Having a S&W460 myself, that I load for, I had to ask what the hell he did. It was something like 51g h110 and a 300g lead bullet, he wasnt exactly sure, but he got it on the internet. I wish I had some pics, it was amazing.

With that fresh in my mind, I fired off that rant.

It only takes being part of a close one once to change your attitude

The guy with the Smith didn't happen to just sell a 50 Beowulf did he?

viewtopic.php?t=93882

[Deputyhiro]

I don't think so, but I wish I could have snagged a few rounds to do a similar comparison. .50 Beowulf is a finicky beast in the first place. That guy is also lucky.

[plant.one]

I don't think so, but I wish I could have snagged a few rounds to do a similar comparison. .50 Beowulf is a finicky beast in the first place. That guy is also lucky.

ya my buddy got real lucky that it was only a separated case. and no he didnt sell the upper. i'm glad they were only using plated bullets, had they crimped a FMJ in that heavily, it might have been quite a bit uglier result.