New reloader mistake - correctable?

[brantleyallen]

I made a mistake during my first time loading and I think it's salvagable. Please let me know if I'm right or wrong.

My target loads were as follows:

Nosler .270 130g Ballistic Tip
Winchester cases - fire formed in my rifle from factory ammo - neck resized
Winchester WLR primer
IMR 4895 powder (IMR 4831 was my first choice, but unavailable)
COAL 3.31"
My charges are 41.5g to 44g in .5g increments.

My mistake is, I'm sure, common among new loaders.

I bought 2 boxes of bullets. It turns out, I got a box of 130g AND a box of 140g. And, you guessed it, I didn't read the box and didn't weigh the bullets and loaded the 140g.

So, my question is, are the loads listed above still safe to use? I haven't found any data for the Nosler 140g bullets and 4895 powder. I did, however, find data for 150g bullets and the 4895 powder.

Max load using IMR 4895 for a 130g bullet is 46g and the max load for a 150g bullet is 44g. That would mean the max load for a 140g bullet is around 45g.

Am I being reasonable, or should I scrap these loads and start over?

 

[Shoney]

The Hodgdon web site has data. They are the distributers for IMR and Winchester powers.
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

The loads you list will be anemic on the low end, and will not reach max at the high end. My experiences with 270 loads has most usually found the most accurate loads are near or at themax.

If I had done the booboo, I would pull the lower end charges and load them back on the upper end to finish work up testing.

 

[10 Spot Terminator]

If your max load is 44.0 grs. with actual 140 gr. bullets you should be ok but you need to start your shooting tests with the lightest loads first ( of course ) and watch for high pressure signs . I wont assume you have read one or more reloading manuals completely and know what high pressure signs are so I will give you the Readers Digest version. If you are shooting anything other than an auto loader and the action is hard to open or the extractor does not want to pull the empty case from the chamber that is a warning. If the primers are VERY flattened and or the primer shows a raised ring around where the firing pin contacted it that is another warning. If just above the case web you see a lighter colored ring around the case destroy that case and pull down the remainig rounds and reduce the load by at least a grain or more . In the other instances you should pull down the rounds and start over with reduced loads but should be able to save the fired brass. I dont have a manual to veryify your data at hand but if in doubt cross reference with Hodgdons' reload data on line .

 

[brantleyallen]

I've got the Nosler Reloading Manual Number One, the Loadbooks Complete Relading Manual for the .270 Winchester and the 7th Edition Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading.

I have gone over the signs of high pressure in both the Nosler and Hornady books and intend to take them with me to the range as well as a magnifying glass and micrometers.

The Hodgon site doesn't list the Nosler bullet.

Maybe the best thing is to pull the 140s out and use the 130s as originally planned.

Next time, I'll weigh my bullets!!!

 

[SL1]

I don't see any need to pull your bullets from a safety standpoint.

Your reasoning about the max load for the 140 grain bullet is sound. You are interpolating pressure-tested data for two bullets of the same construction type from the same manufacturer. (Things would be more iffy when trying to do that with bullets of different constgruction than the one you are using.)

If you had INTENTIONALLY loaded the 140 grain bullets, then you would have started 10% below 45 grains, which is 40.5 grains, and loaded increments of 0.5 grain up to no more than 45 grains. Since you stopped at 44 grains, there doesn't seem to be any problem with what you have loaded.

So, if you want to to develop a load using IMR-4895 with these 140 grain bullets, then you could just load a few more at the proper starting level and you would be in the same place that you would have been if you had loaded your "mistake" rounds intentionally.

On the other hand, if you really don't want that load, then you can pull the bullets and reuse the components.

Just learn from this mistake and be really careful about what components you put out on your relaoding bench when you start loading (or breaking loads down). You should only have ONE bullet box and ONE powder container and ONE primer carton on your bench when actually loading. The mistake you made turned out to be safe enough. But, grabbing a 140 grain or 150 grain bullet instead of a 130 would be more of a problem if you were loading maximum for the 130 grain bullet. Also, be REALLY careful about returning powder to containers. Putting some of the wrong powder into a container makes the whole container a total loss, if you realize what you did, and a potential bomb if you don't figure it out before you load from the container again.

SL1

 

[ems-1]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I would pull the bullets and start over for two reasons.

First, I reload .270 on a regular basis and after looking at my data, I have recorded a max load of 42.6 using IMR-4895 with Winchester cases, Winchester WLR primers, and Nosler .270 140g Ballistic Tip bullets. My cases are also only neck sized after being fire formed in my rifle from factory ammo. Of course, what works best in your rifle may differ from mine.

Second, with different bullet weights and not being for sure which ones are the heavier ones, it would make data accuracy very difficult. You can always work up.

Also, it's always better to sway towards the safety side of things when it comes to reloading.

 

[Paul B.]

First off, I am going to agree with those who say, "Pull the bullets and start over." The 4895's are good powders, some of my favorite, but sometimes that can get a bit squirrely at or near maximum loads depending on the gun and cartridge.
Better to pull the bullets now, dump the powder, pull the decapping pin from the sizing die and resize the necks and start all over again than gamble on a ruined or damaged rifle and pieces of your body.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Paul B.