Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Seating a bullet with no powder in the case....

Did the same thing with the same result.

Had to really hammer with the kinetic puller to get the bullet out. I wonder if it has anything to do with the neck tightness whether the bullet stays in or dislodges, i know my .300 wsm necks seem really really tight when loading.

I have a small gooseneck LED light on my bench and every case gets inspected for presence of a proper powder charge prior to seating bullets.

Dittos to the Wiz...

I never place a bullet on a case without verifying the powder charge when working on a progressive...same thing with a single stage, .

Considering the potential consequences of a human error, it's good QC and simple common sense.

Yep I’ve had it go both ways depending (presumably) upon neck tension.

I’ve since built in steps to keep it from happening again.

While this is extremely good practice in the real world mistakes do happen. Many fewer mistakes happen with a good routine and habits but they still can happen.

Great minds think alike. Works for me too.

Ive been loading for 35 years and have never loaded a bullet without a powder charge! I inspect every cartridge with a light after Im done charging. I, like most have a set "pattern" that I use when loading and I also never load when Im tired, aggravated or have other things going on that won't allow me to finish what I start.

I do this also, but how would you check when using a progressive press? That is the only way that I have had a powderless pistol bullet and that was a one time only. I do not know why it happened, but do know that the powder hopper did not run dry. I am thankful that it lodged and locked up the cylinder, and did not go far enough to let me fire again. I was shooting in a bowling pin shoot, with earmuffs on, concentrating on speed and accuracy, with another pistol firing nearby, and did not realize that it did fire correctly until I could not shoot again. I would like to know how to keep this from happening with certainty, but have no clue how. I have done some experimenting with weighing finished rounds, but with cast bullets, and light powder, it would be kinda hit and miss, and very time consuming. miles

Just check by looking at the powder charge. If you can't see it, change position so you can. For light loads in deep cases, it helps a lot to use a bulkier powder; this is the main reason I don't like powders like TiteGroup.

I visually verify the powder charge in every round the goes through my presses, whether single stage or progressive.

I've had squib loads that "stuck" and others that never left the case , just had a black base on the bullet when pulled.I think it all depends on neck tension and crimp. Probably the size of the case too.

Not hard to check on a single stage, a little harder on a progressive. On the progressive you need to load with powder that meters easily and won't bridge. It's not the squib that will get you, it's the next one that gets a double charge.

Speaking of no powder.....A little bit off topic, recently had the grandkids shooting balloons with a well worn old Stevens Visible Loader with CCI "Quiet" .22 LR. I was not paying close attention, and I guess one round did not exit the barrel, the next shot the kid got off sounded like a full power .22 LR. Everything held together, nobody hurt, but that's the end of "Quiet"s in my family... they were pretty bad accuracy-wise anyway, going back to subsonic target ammo.

I've had it happen 2 times. once on 270 and once on 06, no gun powder. just CCI primer. I didn't even hear a bang. just a dud. thought it was lite strike. tried again and nothing. came home, pulled the bullet, no powder.
it happens.

It may depend on the case size.
If the bullet stays put, there is not much sound wave propagation.

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If gas escapes around the bullet it might create some vacuum on cooling. Brass shrinks, seals gas inside contracts.