i am a knucklehead

[cleardatum]

i loaded up 100 rounds of 9mm, and my son asked if i had any ammo he could use for a day at the range. it was a new load for me, but conservative, so i was only mildly concerned about possible issues. i try to chrony every new load i do. at any rate, he texted me from the range (i was at work), and he said his barretta would not function properly (fte). i was shocked. they had other stuff to shoot, so all was not lost. i examined the ammo that night, and everything looked perfect. i disassembled and weighed the powder, oal, all looked good. this morning i got to thinking... i didn't weigh the bullets. they were hornady xtp 115 grain. i weighed one this morning, and it's 90 grains! that put the load below minimum, with the slightly long coal compounding the problem. shame on me. i have the lot number, but the box is long gone. i could have SWORN they were 115 grain. i'm tempted to contact hornady, just to be sure i am the idiot here... needless to say, i'll be weighing my bullets hereafter.

 

[Rick Courtright]

needless to say, i'll be weighing my bullets hereafter.

Hi,

I very seriously doubt you're the first person to learn this lesson, based on the very same kind of experience. Fortunately your bullets were light, instead of heavy, which lessened the danger of excessive pressures. The good side is at least a few of us never forget the lesson!

Rick C

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

It would have been better for your reputation If you had discovered the mistake yourself. It turned out OK with no harm done in the end.
I have shot a few 90 gr. 9mm Hornady XTP's and found them to be very accurate but your load was way light for a 90 gr. bullet obviously.
That said, I dont like bullets with that short of a bearing surface in semi auto guns.

 

[ThomTender]

It would have been better for your reputation If you had discovered the mistake yourself. It turned out OK with no harm done in the end.
I have shot a few 90 gr. 9mm Hornady XTP's and found them to be very accurate but your load was way light for a 90 gr. bullet obviously.
That said, I dont like bullets with that short of a bearing surface in semi auto guns.

I found a 25 cal 120 gr bullet in a box of 100 gr Speer's > when I went to seat it I noticed it was longer

 

[cleardatum]

you guys are a class act, i gotta say. i fully expected (and rightly so) to get flamed. the painful lessons are the ones not forgotten. i sent the lot number to hornady- i haven't heard back yet. i suspect this was my fault, but even if it wasn't, it was... y'know? thanks again, guys.

 

[mikld]

One reason I don't transfer components out of their original containers, even if there's only 5 bullets left in the box...

No need to beat yourself up, jes learn from your "mistake", BTDT!

 

[Clovishound]

you guys are a class act, i gotta say. i fully expected (and rightly so) to get flamed. the painful lessons are the ones not forgotten. i sent the lot number to hornady- i haven't heard back yet. i suspect this was my fault, but even if it wasn't, it was... y'know? thanks again, guys.

Well, I was going to flame you, as I have NEVER made a mistake reloading.

BTW, I have some land in Florida I want to sell you. It's nice high ground.

We've all been there. Some mistakes have higher consequences than others. If we are lucky we avoid those. I have learned ways to help avoid the worst mistakes. The best remembered lessons come from mistakes we make. Hopefully they don't result in major problems.

Life is full of risks. You do your best to minimize the worst and live with what sneaks through.

A couple years ago I bought a container of bullets at a LGS. I had used them before, so I was going to load them up with a known recipe. I weighed one of them, and discovered they were not what the label said they were. Yes, they were heavier than advertised.

 

[bayou5252]

Keeping remaining projectiles in their original box, even if only a couple of them, is my practice as well...

 

[Rook]

That's the reason I've never let anyone shoot my reloads nor will I ever shoot someone else's reloads.

I've never had a squib load or had one to go Kar-Boom but if I ever made a mistake and injured or killed someone with my reloads I would never get over it. When my wife or sons go shooting with me they get factory rounds to shoot.

 

[pruger45]

Yes you are LOL!