| Re: Shot reloaded shells today - Problems [message #23010 is a reply to message #23007] |
Tue, 02 July 2013 22:44   |
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cajuntec
Messages: 1250
Registered: November 2009
Location: Williamsburg, VA
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littleking wrote on Tue, 02 July 2013 22:09I hear ya, when switching from metallic to shotshell, you carry the same "fear" 
It's the manuals and warnings on all the sites that had my pucker factor going. I now realize that 11,500 psi is the SAAMI max recommended pressure for a 12 gauge 2 3/4" shell, and that the loads I was concerning myself with were well below that. However, on all of the sites, and in most manuals, there is always some warning to the effect of "DO NOT EXCEED THE LOADS DISPLAYED ON THE SITE...", or something like that. It's a liability disclaimer, I know, but I'm generally also a rule follower. So unless I find out that I can go higher safely, I follow the rules / suggestions that I currently have.
I've learned that differences in grains in a shotshell produce much less of a variance than that of metallic reloading. Still, I don't necessarily think it's a bad habit to get into weighing charges and trying to maintain consistency - no matter if it's shotshells, or something else.
Yeah, I'm "detail oriented" (nice way of saying a*** retentive), but it helps reduce the chances of me making a fatal mistake.
All the best,
Glenn
If at first you don't succeed... buy newer / better equipment!
[Updated on: Tue, 02 July 2013 22:45] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Shot reloaded shells today - Problems [message #23070 is a reply to message #23010] |
Fri, 05 July 2013 17:36 |
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cajuntec
Messages: 1250
Registered: November 2009
Location: Williamsburg, VA
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I might have figured something out today.
I was going to do some testing by loading up shells with brand new fresh Winchester 209 primers instead of the ones I had with the primers already in them. The last time I reloaded, I noted that some of my shells (2 or 3 of them) had a much deeper crimp than some of the others. I had put those aside with the intention of breaking them down later. Well, today I started getting deep crimps on more. It started getting annoying, as I knew I was going to have to rip those apart, so I stopped and started tearing them apart.
I was thinking the reason for the deep crimp was either going to be low powder charge or low shot charge. Nope. Neither one. Charges were fine as weighed. Turned out to be the wads.
On every one of my rip-apart shells, the wad was collapsed or semi-collapsed. I'm using Windjammer wads that I got with this press when I bought it used. I'm not sure how old they are, but they looked fine and identical to the ones on Windjammers website, so I was using them. Today I discovered that they are brittle in the middle. The cups and bases are good. The V shaped legs that hold the cup up above the base are not. They snap really easily with pressure. Since I'm putting between 30 and 40 lbs of pressure on the wad after loading the powder, I'm probably collapsing some of these wads before the shot is going in.
I checked wads from a different manufacturer (Winchester) that were for 1 oz loads. All of the supports are flexible - not brittle. If I put pressure on them, they will collapse down a bit, but they spring back up when you take the pressure off because the supports don't crack - they just flex.
I ripped apart some shells with good crimps as well, just to check - a few had one broken leg under the Windjammer shot cup.
Don't know if I figured out what part of the problem might be, but I'm going to buy new wads today and find out. I don't think this is necessarily a Windjammer thing - I might just have very old wads and didn't know it. Regardless, they are no longer being used.
Not quite sure if this was related to my original problem, but it is a problem nonetheless.
All the best,
Glenn
If at first you don't succeed... buy newer / better equipment!
[Updated on: Fri, 05 July 2013 17:40] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Shot reloaded shells today - Problems [message #23099 is a reply to message #23070] |
Sun, 07 July 2013 07:51 |
jamesgammel
Messages: 1708
Registered: August 2012
Location: Lovell, Wyoming
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I wouldn't be surprised if plastic wads aren't UV reactive, making them "brittle". Wads thus stored out in sunlight, especially direct sunlight may possibly be getting brittle over time. I've never tried the windjammers, usually went with Remington power piston's, Win AA, and Versalites. If the shot cips and base (sealing) sections are totally seperating, that may well have resulted in your "squib" loads. The bottoms could very well have tipped, and not sealed effectively when fired. You might get one bag of "new" windjammers and see if they hold up better. It's also possible that the particular "lot" you had was unusually brittle for some reason. I don't know if they do "recalls" if they discover problems like this, but you might check with the mfr.
Jim
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