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I had to do a lot of searching online to find out if I was going to blow off a finger using the cartridges. I have an inertia type bullet puller and I can unload the cartridges, but then I will still have the problem of killing the primers with oil and I have never addressed that issue so I do not know how long it will take to kill the primer charge by soaking. I do not want to just punch out the primers so the last option is to just fire the primer and empty shell. That would be the safest. However I did see online that it is usually ok (but not exactly advisable) to just shoot the loaded shell and then be careful to not do it again.
I wrapped the rifle up and fired it with 1 shell in the chamber and it was ok. No bulged primer and the primer did not back out any discernible amount. I did see a tiny bit of cratering but comparing to a factory load I fired previously, there is not much difference in the look of the fired primers. I will ponder the situation and if I get cold feet I will pull the bullets and reload after firing off the primers.
I wrote this as a lesson for new reloaders, and as a confession of my lack of caution and planning and organizing my bench so as to eliminate as much as possible, mistakes that can cause injury or death. Hopefully by writing this I will remember better to not get lazy again. Hopefully also newbies or experienced alike will be reminded to check, double check and then check again.
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I also would like to comment on my portable loading bench. Basically...it sucks. It is ok for everything except full length resizing of bottleneck cases.
I "felt" the empty all the way through the ram movement and eyeballed the shellholder vs. die mouth and did not see a gap. I accepted that the case had been sufficiently resized. However, there is just enough "spongy-ness" in the table to absorb part of the ram movement and fool me. I tried to chamber a round and it was a little difficult. Doable and ok, but not exact. I need a bit more solid table that will not flex under pressure from the ram.
Another tip to the new reloaders: full length resize one cartridge and then try it in the gun you want to fire the shell in. If it fits perfectly and without any forcing, ya done good. If it is tight or hard to chamber a shell and close the lever or bolt, go back and check your dies. Make sure you are set up to resize the shell properly. (This goes for overall length too. If the bullet is not seated deep enough you may experience trouble closing the action.)
It isn't so bad if this problem is discovered during a day at the local range, but if an expensive hunting trip could be ruined by shells that wont chamber I am guessin' that the owner of those cartridges is gonna be a bit out of sorts...to say the least.
This is one of those times when I just have to say, "Don't do as I do; first take time to read the instructions, and follow them. I know I will now that I have embarrassed myself."