Misfires in .30-378 - 11/15/17
Honestly, this is a friend's experience, so my ability to answer to further details may not be complete:
.30-378 Weatherby. Handloads of IMR7828 powder and Federal Magnum primers. (unk bullet, but can supply that later if it matters).
These loaded about 15 years ago, stored cool and dry.
More than one of these loads failed to ignite, and when that happened, bullet lodged in throat. (Happily all came to screeching halt, bullet was extracted.)
Here's something I don't know about, but perhaps it is common: Powder in the case had been transformed to cured concrete. (The friend insists that after the first misfire, he rattled each cartridge before firing, and they all exhibited sounds of a normal charge of powder, then after misfire the "concrete" consistency was observed)
I suspect contaminated or moisture-affected powder, but all storage was as it should be. I'm also skeptical about the concrete phenomenon occurring AFTER the primer ignited. But, my friend has been loading and shooting longer than I have (50 years).
Anybody seen this before? Speculation has been done already by three of us, so no more of that needed. Need someone with firsthand observation of this and probable cause. Again, I may NOT have the "whole story" here.
Thanks.
.30-378 Weatherby. Handloads of IMR7828 powder and Federal Magnum primers. (unk bullet, but can supply that later if it matters).
These loaded about 15 years ago, stored cool and dry.
More than one of these loads failed to ignite, and when that happened, bullet lodged in throat. (Happily all came to screeching halt, bullet was extracted.)
Here's something I don't know about, but perhaps it is common: Powder in the case had been transformed to cured concrete. (The friend insists that after the first misfire, he rattled each cartridge before firing, and they all exhibited sounds of a normal charge of powder, then after misfire the "concrete" consistency was observed)
I suspect contaminated or moisture-affected powder, but all storage was as it should be. I'm also skeptical about the concrete phenomenon occurring AFTER the primer ignited. But, my friend has been loading and shooting longer than I have (50 years).
Anybody seen this before? Speculation has been done already by three of us, so no more of that needed. Need someone with firsthand observation of this and probable cause. Again, I may NOT have the "whole story" here.
Thanks.