60947 Fires it's last shot

[John Truitt]

Fishtail,

Ill back you up on this. You and I will take the flak together

I agree. All of the shotgun failures I know of except for Don Kaas's were associated with reloads. Be it modern guns or older guns. Hell this is an on going debate over on the trap shooters site about the cause of failures. But all of those referenced that I have read have been associated with reloads.

Certainly issues can happen with any shell/ load and every time we pull the trigger we take the risk but I feel just a little better shooting factory loaded shells.

I know of several guys who are excellent at reloading but know of more people who have had issues. Some not until they got the gun home and then realized a bulge or some other issue.

[Drew Hause]

New fangled fluid steel ruptures with factory loads

Bismuth Magnum Game Load 2 3/4" 1 3/8 oz. shot



Winchester No-Tox Bismuth



I share the opinion that almost all chamber and barrel blow ups are a result of:
1. Reload operator error
2. Inadequate wall thickness: Chamber lengthened, over-honed or eccentrically honed barrels
3. Obstruction

Unfortunately, unless money is to be made from a personal injury suit, the cause is never established, and more Damascus mythology is regurgitated.
The idea that the cause(s) can not be determined is silly. Companies make big $s investigating oil rig blow ups and planes falling from the sky. I received a PM from a guy that one oil rig blow out was traced to One weld, made by One guy, at One facility in Houston.

[Pa SxS]

I'm waiting for followup replies to ban reloaded shells. Some people can't afford to shoot new shells, at least not in volume shooting.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Chuck Bishop

I'm waiting for followup replies to ban reloaded shells. Some people can't afford to shoot new shells, at least not in volume shooting.

It won't be over this - but I expect the politicians to get around to it any day

[Fishtail]

I know with 8's and some 10's there are no other choices...but regardless, it's more risky IMO. I can state this because I have never been able to get my own work error-free enough to satisfy myself, in any aspect of life. If I loaded 100 shells, I could probably get them all right. But there will come a number - 548, 1,320, 11,923 etc. where I make a mistake. If I knew what that number was...but I don't.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

I am in more danger driving to work than in shooting my reloads!

If one lacks enough attention to detail to load their own ammunition then they should not.

[John Truitt]

BFT,

Makes a solid point that attention to detail is everything in reloading.

Drew What was the cause in the picture you posted above? My guess is obstruction given the position of rupture. Unlikely a shell issue itself I would think.

[Ed Blake]

"If one lacks enough attention to detail to load their own ammunition then they should not." - BFT

Reloaders have confidence in their ability to safely assemble shotgun shells, but mistakes can happen. They accept the fact that although a mistake is improbable, it is not impossible. Those who choose not to reload simply don't see it as worth the risk, period. I reload and do all I can to eliminate risk.

[10 bore]

Originally Posted by Mark Ouellette

I am in more danger driving to work than in shooting my reloads!

If one lacks enough attention to detail to load their own ammunition then they should not.

yes I agree, I don't think I have bought more than 10 factory boxes of any trap loads in my 45 years of shooting, I load 100 % of all my clays and hunting loads. I though the same thing about driving to work, than I went down a few post and read this one, hit it on the head Mark! Glad no one was hurt scott

[David Lien]

I am lucky I Live in an area where 10 ga. empty once fired hulls are easy to come by. I never reload a case more than twice, and if it is a hunting load only once, and discard.

I have shot Alcan brass cases for over 50 years, no base wad in these cases, and I still look down the barrel after every shot.

At 70++++ I now only load shells in the early Am when my head is at the top of its game, and like Mark I feel safe when shooting them.

When loading you can not be to cautious, and staying focused is a must…
David