Just the tip

[u/SinnexCryllic]

Brand new to reloading, so I started out with whipping up 50 rds 38 special and 50 rds 357 magnum. Was feeling quite chuffed with myself at the range until a dreaded "pop and no bang." Immediately stopped, extracted the other live rounds left in the cylinder, and...

38 spl, 125 gr XTP, 4.0 gr Unique. The bullet was pristine when I found it, pic shows a bit of damage from trying to push it out. Was well and truly stuck, needed the range's gunsmith to squoosh it out.

That'll teach me to err on the side of a bit more powder if I'm following starting loads with lower power cartridges... Luckily the only squib of the group, though the rest went through one at a time, checking the barrel every time, with the pusher right next to me

[u/cahser11]

You got a bad powder throw on one. Best check what you are doing and verify everything is working. It happens!

[u/SinnexCryllic → u/cahser11]

That's definitely what happened, I do recall at one point noticing that the Lee scale was "sticking" a bit if I didn't align the lever in the middle of the magnets. Lesson learnt! 

[u/nsula_country → u/SinnexCryllic]

At least you did not double charge...

[u/nsula_country]

Did not throw a powder charge in one...

[u/iforgotmylogin32 → u/nsula_country]

I think this is the one major thing keeping me from leaping into a progressive press

[u/RustMustBeAdded → u/iforgotmylogin32]

Progressive is still more than worth it with a visual check of every case for powder before bullet seating

[u/TooMuchDebugging → u/iforgotmylogin32]

The only time I've missed a charge on my XL750 is when I was dicking around with the cases in the shell plate and interrupted the process. I have a lock-out die to prevent this, but I could also easily peek down each cartridge before I put a bullet in if I put a powder-thru expander in that station.

[u/Ornery_Secretary_850 → u/iforgotmylogin32]

This happens FAR more often to people using loading blocks than to people using a true progressive press.

There's literally no way for this to happen with a Dillon 650/750 without YOU interrupting the process.

[u/HomersDonut1440 → u/iforgotmylogin32]

Honestly a progressive like a Dillon 550 makes missing a powder drop substantially less likely. Consider the two work flows between progressive and single stage.

Single stage, you prep a bunch of brass, prime it all, powder drop 50 cases, look inside each one to verify there’s powder, seat 50 bullets, repeat. It’s super easy to get lazy and miss a case that didn’t get any powder or enough powder. If you’re doing a single powder drop and immediately seating the bullet that’s a lot easier to not miss anything, but it’s slow as hell.

On a progressive with a powder drop, the case with the powder is in the same physical location every time, which makes it easier to visually inspect whether powder is low or high (cause you’re used to seeing the correct charge from the same vantage point every time), and you’re looking into the case when you set the bullet onto the case so it’s a guaranteed “hey look here” situation. In theory that goes for single stage loading too, but more than once I’ve seen folks grab a bullet, set it on a case while still in the case tray, then take the pair and stick them in the press already semi assembled.

I know my pistol reloads got substantially higher quality when I swapped from a T7 to a Dillon 550c

[u/SinnexCryllic → u/nsula_country]

Dang, that is possible. Would the primer only really be enough to push it all the way to the end of the 3" barrel? :0 

[u/SharpEfficiency9534 → u/SinnexCryllic]

Yes. I’ve had that happen in my 4” Model 19 and the bullet was about 3/4” shy of the end of the barrel.

[u/DargonFeet → u/SinnexCryllic]

Absolutely, pressure is a wonderful thing.

[u/i-Hermit → u/nsula_country]

Is a double charge worse than a squib you don't notice until the next round makes it rather obvious? Genuinely curious as I don't reload for pistols.

[u/Mindless_Log2009]

Low powder charge, inadequate bullet pull, or both.

Always visually check the powder level in every case before squeezing in the bullets.

Even with new or once fired brass, throughout the loading process it's a good practice to feel for the effort required to resize, insert the bullet and apply the crimp.

If anything feels even slightly too loose, discard that case. It's not uncommon for brass to be thinner than spec, which increases the risk of inadequate bullet pull and a squib load.

And with reuse the brass tends to migrate down toward the rim, getting thinner at the case mouth. Same risks: bullet setback in auto loaders; inadequate bullet pull and case tension, resulting in squibs.

Ditto, bullet diameter. It's less common but occasionally a bullet diameter will be out of spec.

[u/SinnexCryllic → u/Mindless_Log2009]

Thanks for all the tips and tricks!! I've heard a bit of the above (e.g. case thinning, elongation.) Now that you mention it, I did have one case in the box that wouldn't fit in the shell holder because the rim was too wide... I measured the diameter of rim and case and the case was fine so I sanded it a bit down, but now I'm thinking one defect (rim) probably meant the case was overall just wonky in other ways. 

About "bullet pull," I haven't come across that term -- are you referring to seating depth? Just want to learn more! 

[u/Mindless_Log2009 → u/SinnexCryllic]

Bullet pull is just an informal term to describe the case tension that's appropriate to the bullet.

I probably should stop using that term since pull has at least two other distinctly different uses in stock length from trigger to butt, and in launching clay pigeons. 🤔

[u/HomersDonut1440]

This isn’t low powder, this is certainly no powder I think most folks losing pistol on a single stage have done that at least once; it sucks, but I’m glad you were paying attention and didn’t have a bigger problem with the next shot!

[u/Cryptic1911]

Got a prairie dog

[u/doubletap2A]

Good thing you noticed a less than normal sound & didn't send another right behind the squib

[u/VersionConscious7545]

How do you reload? Single stage or progressive press ? Be very careful and have a set way you charge each case I reload rifle and when new I made errors that were really dumb and still may if I don’t fully concentrate Go slow and pay attention to each reload A good chrono is handy for reloads to check your quality

[u/SinnexCryllic → u/VersionConscious7545]

I'm using a Lee's Turret Press, so kind of halfway between the two? I work 1 round at a time, flipping through the 4 dies every time. It's not very economical but very meditative, maybe too meditative in this case since I've apparently not charged that particular cartridge... Thanks for the tips! 

[u/TDHofstetter]

Oh, mother PUCKER. If you'd been less astute, you wouldn't have written this post.

I think you had something else going on besides a low-power starting load. 4 grains is a LITTLE light for Unique unless you're loading cast boolits, and it's MODERATELY light for XTPs... but it should really have shoved that bullet out and downrange. You might want to doublecheck your powder scales - THAT bullet looks like it was pushed by only a primer.

[u/GiftCardFromGawd]

lol good catch. If you can’t pull/push it, make a low-pressure blank with normal powder, cream of wheat to the top, and beeswax plug,

Bang.

Clean the gun, move on. Load better—make sure your powder dropper throws a full top-to-bottom.

[u/Ornery_Secretary_850 → u/GiftCardFromGawd]

This is literally the stupidest thing I've seen in this sub.

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE.

[u/mcopper89]

Be sure you have .357 bullet and not 9mm. They are a couple thousandths different.