Reloading Mistake - Still ok to shoot?

[Koa]

So, I've been slowly working my way though every mistake in the book, and tonight I made a classic one. I was loading for .308 Winchester and putting 38.4 grains of IMR4895 into new Winchester cases. Nosler 5th edition lists 37.5 grains of powder for a start load with 180 grain PTs; 41.5 grains is the listed max load. I was trying a new method using the Lee Dippers; the reason for the 38.4 grains. As I went to type up my notes and make labels, I noticed I had loaded Hodgdon's 4895 instead. Infamous mistake, I know......

So, I looked up the listed loads for the H4895; Nosler's 5th edition does not have it, but Hodgdon's 2008 loading manual does. The starting load is listed as 40.0 grs with a max of 42.5 grains. So, I'm about 20% below a max charge of powder. Will I still be ok to shoot, or should I pull everything apart?

 

[YoteSmoker]

If you don't have one already, invest in a bullet puller. Re-do and save all the time you invested in brass prep, bullets, and powder. We all make mistakes. Live and learn.

 

[nodak7mm]

If theres doubt, pull em out. You dont/wont have any confidence in this loading because your concerned. Pull em and sleep easy.

Nodak

 

[JD338]

++1 to what YoteSmoker and nodak7mm said.

JD338

 

[Ol` Joe]

Just this once I`m going to go against the others. The reason being your load (38.4 gr vs 40.0 gr as Hodgdons starting point) is still almost 10% below max (42.5gr) in the Hodgdon book with the powder you did load.

This is a good lesson learned though, and I`d be sure I paid attention from here out. The wrong powder or scale setting could be deadly serious.
Keep only the components, (all of them) bullets, primers, and powder you are loading on the bench. Double check everything before starting to load.

Rechecking the data when done and comparing components used as you did is a good practice too. Please keep it safe! No one wants to hear of a fellow shooter that lost an eye or wrecked a rifle.

 

[YoteSmoker]

IMO: It may be safe, but what point is there in being below book minimum? I personally don't even start working up loads at below the book mid-point. Reason being, I'm not interested in the lower velocities and if I don't find accuracy at or above the mid-point, I go to another powder or bullet entirely.

If you decide to pull the bullets, this is a suggestion in saving you the step of repriming....Take the decapping rod out of your neck sizer if you have one and if not then your FL resizing die and resize the brass. Just a tip and a trick I learned along the way. I have also pulled and not resized but the afore mentioned trick gives me piece of mind and I don't have to lube the case with a neck sizer, so why not?

 

[FOTIS]

You're fine but I do not see the point of shooting them under minimum .


Cartridge : .308 Win.
Bullet : .308, 180, Nosler PART SP 16331
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.800 inch or 71.12 mm
Barrel Length : 22.0 inch or 558.8 mm
Powder : Hodgdon H4895

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step Fill. Charge Vel. Energy Pmax Pmuz Prop.Burnt B_Time
% % Grains fps ft.lbs psi psi % ms

-20.0 72 30.40 1872 1401 22896 5471 90.1 1.665
-18.0 74 31.16 1915 1465 24191 5645 91.2 1.628
-16.0 76 31.92 1957 1531 25556 5816 92.2 1.593
-14.0 78 32.68 1999 1598 26995 5983 93.2 1.558
-12.0 80 33.44 2042 1666 28512 6145 94.1 1.524
-10.0 81 34.20 2084 1736 30110 6302 94.9 1.491
-08.0 83 34.96 2126 1806 31791 6454 95.7 1.459
-06.0 85 35.72 2168 1879 33570 6600 96.4 1.427
-04.0 87 36.48 2210 1952 35444 6740 97.1 1.397
-02.0 89 37.24 2252 2026 37419 6873 97.7 1.367
+00.0 91 38.00 2293 2102 39505 6999 98.2 1.334
+02.0 92 38.76 2335 2179 41705 7118 98.6 1.301
+04.0 94 39.52 2376 2256 44031 7228 99.0 1.270
+06.0 96 40.28 2417 2335 46486 7331 99.4 1.239
+08.0 98 41.04 2458 2414 49083 7425 99.6 1.210
+10.0 100 41.80 2498 2494 51829 7511 99.8 1.181 ! Near Maximum !

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba 91 38.00 2396 2295 46957 6863 100.0 1.242
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba 91 38.00 2156 1857 32792 6774 92.2 1.444

 

[FOTIS]

Btw this is a very versatile powder. This is the powder Hodgdon suggests for reduced/youth loads for a lot of chamberings. I started my boy out on this with his 270 win and 110 gr sierra hp's.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

H4895 is colder the IMR4895.
If you work up a max load with H4895, and switch to IMR4895, you will most likely blow primers. If, however you substitue H4895, you will have lower pressures. Personally I prefer to only have one powder of a given number in the house to avoid this kind of confusion....In addition I typiclly stick with the coldest of a give number, that way if I i get crosseyed and read the wrong maker of the correct number, I still won't leave a bread crumb trail of primers....