[scott fisher]

Dont store ammo that you just reloaded on top of you safe where you can knock it off the safe and all the shells come flying out and the plastic box breaks. This really wouldn't have been a big deal except for the fact that I loaded five shell @ 49 grains, then five shells @ 50 grains, then five shells @ 51 grains, then five shells @ 52 grains, then five shells @ 52.5 grains, and finally five shells @ 53 grains. Man I was so pissed off that I did that. What to do. So I went back down to the garage and started to measure them on the scale and sort the out by weight. What did I learn. First, dont store ammo on a high shelf where it can fall off of. Second, mark each shell with a sharpie with the weight on it.

Scott

 

[Pard]

I knocked one over on top of the safe. Now there is 3-7 rounds stuck behind the safe, which I wont be able to get out until I unbolt the entire affair and move it.

 

[moofy07]

Been there, done that. Now I use a permanent marker on the side of the case with the interior loads. Cleaning the cases will remove the marker.

 

[Bisley]

I also use red, black, blue, and green Sharpees, but I mark the base and primer so I can see them while in the box. I then use masking tape on the box and write each load in corresponding color on the tape. The color also comes off the base after tumbling.

 

[Dr. A]

Since I run 5 rounds of a particular charge when testing, I place them all in a marked baggie. I'm a victim to spilling them out too.

 

[DWB]

Yup... Been there, done that. : Throw enough darts, & sooner or later, you'll hit a bullseye.

I think everyone that has loaded enough ammo has done this at one time or another. Those baggies, sharpie markers, etc. all come in pretty handy at some point in time.

 

[City Slicker]

Yes Sir...you only have to do that once and then you learn to love those zip lock bags. ;D I find it easier than marking each individual shell casing.

 

[horseshoe]

Another bad thing is a Blue Heeler with a taste for lead bullets. My heeler grabbed a box of 290 Beartooths from my loading room and ran into the living room slinging them everywhere. Not easy to pick up a 100 cast boolits.

Regards
Horseshoe

 

[City Slicker]

I hope the wife doesn't find any with the vacuum cleaner for your sake and the dog's.

 

[Mr Fixit]

I've been pretty careful not to knock things over but I'm sure my day will come. : I tag all my loads as seen in the pic, the info is also in the log book and that carries a few more details than the tags in the box. Mr fixit

 

[Charlie98]

One other thing not to do is put 25 test loads for the .308 in a 50rd box for .30-06-length rounds, and then put the box in the bin where it will bounce around...

 

[scott fisher]

Glad to see I'm not the only one to have done this. Went from being pissed to laughing. ;D

Scott

 

[eaglesnest]

The system I worked out seems to closely resemble mr fixits. I keep track of my brass in lots of 50 or so and color the back of the case heads with sharpie. Then I keep track of the loads by coloring the primers. The combination of case color and primer colors is usually enough to keep track of everything in a box of 50 or 100. Then I write it down in a book and also use tags to abbreviate that info so when I am shooting I know what it is.

 

[preacher]

Now you are a bonafide "handloader". Any reloader can keep things really organized; while a "handloader" has no fear! Ha! We adapt, adjust, improvise, E-Ching,ha.

 

[Hipshot]

Don't shoot any more than 2 different loads in a day out of any given rifle. They are either 10 loaded or 20 loaded rounds so I only have to mark the primers to differentiate different loads. This way the cases aren't marked and don't have to be cleaned/tumbled after each firing. If I want to shoot more ammo I bring different caliber(s).
I use cardboard (factory ammo) boxes for range use and use the plastic ones for hunting ammo. The cardboard/styroform stuff is marked on the bottem with slash marks to log as to how many times the brass has been reloaded and/or trimmed.
Example iIII= trimmed the first time loaded and reloaded three times after that.

Simple and it works for me!

Hip

 

[CaliCoastie]

just got done with a mess of rounds, and most of them wernt marked, but im working on a few different loads. i have used sharpies since i started, i never trusted myself to remember what started in which direction. i like the thought on the baggies though. my thoughts on the shells that fell and got confused were, pull the rounds(that is thinking you have a puller) and just start over. its fun to hear the different stories, and hopefully learn from others. no shells on top of the safe for me

 

[Cascade Jinx]

I also use red, black, blue, and green Sharpees, but I mark the base and primer so I can see them while in the box. I then use masking tape on the box and write each load in corresponding color on the tape. The color also comes off the base after tumbling.

+1 Exactly what I do!

CJ

 

[dodgestdshift]

Did you also learn that you cannot separate powder charges in loaded rounds by weighing the loaded rounds? I think this is due to the variances in weights of cases, bullets, and maybe even primers.

 

[trapper-xx]

I've done all of that. After a while I woke up and started to color code with sharpies.

After another while, had to make a master list of what colors were what.

Still striving for improvement.