I just finished making my first batch of .38 special earlier today on a LCT. The first 6 rounds I loaded I forgot to set the hopper to the on position so they have no powder and with one round I forgot to prime and the powder fell out the flash hole. All seven mistakes are sitting in an old paper cup seperate from the 50 good ones.

Is there a way I can remove the bullets from the cases that have primers in them? I've seen those hammer things but I'm not sure if slamming a live primer on the table is fine. Also, I had a hard time getting 3.6 grains of powder out the auto dispenser and kept ending up with 3.5. The load data shows 3.6 as the starting point for my bullet weight, so how likely am I to get a squib? Gonna test them out tomorrow.

Congratulations on your first rounds and welcome to a great hobby. I loaded my first 38's on a Lee Loader over 40 years ago. A bullet puller (hammer) is a great tool to have and is quite safe. I doubt if there is much difference between 3.5 and 3.6.

The kinetic bullet puller (hammer type) is the easiest way to remove the bullet. I've used it dozens of times without issue. While using it the primer doesn't contact anything. All that will happen is the bullet will come out of the case with the powder .
Your powder throw of 3.5g will have no ill effect if the starting load called for 3.6g.

Thanks. Think I'm gonna get a different scale in the future since the Lee one I have is a huge hassle to use and it only goes up to 110 grains which kinda sucks. Might just get an electronic one.

Yes, the kinetic bullet pullers work well even on fully functional ammo. Due to a rookie mistake I had to pull quite a few 9mm's due to not enough neck tension. I would highly recommend working out a method to visually inspect each case after the powder drop to be certain they have powder. I do this as I insert the bullet just before seating. Because of the case length on 38 Specials you may need to rig up a light on the press in order to check the powder on those cases.

As for the tenth of a grain of powder it could potentially cause a problem. A light charge can create excessive pressure. I would check the load data from several manuals to see if any of them say that charge and bullet combo are ok. For me the manuals have been a bit confusing as one manual recommends a much smaller starting load than others. Even max loads can differ quite a bit. Being a beginner at reloading myself, I tend to stay middle of the road on charge weights. Main thing is to be as safe as possible.

No need to worry about the kinetic bullet puller (i.e. "those hammer things"). Just be sure to read the direction and hit the end WITHOUT the bullet end against the floor. I'm not sure if anything bad happens if you hit the bullet end against the floor but I wouldn't want to try it.

There's been a lot of discussions of the significance of + or - 0.1 grain of powder and the general consensus seems to be to not worry about it.

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Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

You didn't say what type powder you are using for 3.5-3.6 grains or what bullet you are using. If you provide a little more information, the experts will be glad to share their experience. As mentioned, setting up a strict QC process that you follow each and every time is the key to safe reloading. If anything feels wrong, stop and evaluate. Go slow until you gain experience and confidence. Double check your load data, powder throws, and scale. And, yes, the first time using a kinetic bullet puller is a little nerve wracking. But nothing can go wrong if nothing contacts the primer. I used one today on a single round that didn't have a fully seated primer. You should never try to seat a primer deeper once charged with powder and a bullet seated. I usually set a 2x4 block on the concrete floor and flail away at that. Can be a little hard on a table or bench top since you need to strike pretty hard. Have fun and be safe. You won't believe the satisfaction you will feel when you pull the trigger on your first handload and it goes BANG!

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

Congrats on your first reloading experience. Good for you that you caught your mistakes too!
Personally with most powders I prefer to start about .2 grains (that is two tenths) above minimum assuming that the powder drop may be light at times as long as this still gives me a save margin from the max load specified. There are some powders that there is little range from minimum to maximum so always study the printed specs closely.
As you shoot your rounds notice too about any variances you hear or feel in recoil, this may be an indication of your consistency in powder measure and crimping procedures.

Enjoy the hobby, check and double check before you begin to load and then keep checking while you load
Karl

I think you've got this backwards!

The end with the bullet is the end you want to hit the floor.

Bullet end down, primer end up.

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

Yeah definitely need to get a light to check the charges. Just had a feeling something was off 6 rounds in and sure enough I didn't have the dispenser open. Checked all after that though, so I think they're in good shape now. I'm using Remington 130 grain bullets with tightgroup powder.

Before we all get in trouble here, I think you BOTH actually mean the same thing lol.

The end the bullet is POINTING to is the end you want to hit on the floor.

The end of the hammer WITH THE BULLET/cartridge IN IT is NOT the end of the puller you want to hit on the floor. Because that will not dislodge the bullet . . . among other things

Repeat, bullet end down, primer end up.

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

If you have the powder measure with discs of a given size, consider going up one size, which should be about three tenths of a grain. That will likely be within your safe range, but check against your manual to be sure. Going below minimum charges is a little risky, although 0.1 shouldn't hurt. More details on your powder and Bullet type would help.

Ah, electronic scale must be better, right? That's a subject of many threads on this forum. You can use the search function to find them.

Short story is cheap scale yields poor results, regardless of type. A quality beam scale can be found used for under $100, not sure I can say that about a quality electronic scale.

Be safe in your new hobby!

Titegroup is good stuff but not very forgiving. For your set up it calls for 3.6 minimum and 4.2 max. That's not a very large range to work inside of. I would recommend something with a broader range to start out which give you a lot more room for error in the event something gets a little out of whack.

I was originally going to buy Unique or Bullseye but I finally got everything installed latest in the day Saturday and realized I didn't have powder. Academy was the only place open and I couldn't wait so I Bought the only pistol powder they carried. Shoulda been more patient and waited to go to my gun store for something more flexible, but guess I'll have to work with this for now.

Any recommended powders for next time? So far I only have dies for .38/357 but I also shoot 9 and want to shoot 45 eventually, so something that can cover those would be cool.

Unique and Bullseye goes great in the 38 and 357. Do you have a reloading manual? If not, that should be the next thing you buy.

Be safe and shoot straight. It's a great hobby.

Win 231 or HP-38 (same thing) should also work for you from very mild to medium velocities. Recommend stocking up NOW! We tend to suffer from shortages on a 4 year cycle. The last couple were really painful.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

I started reloading 2 years ago and .38 was my first batch too. 3000 rounds later, and I haven't loaded a light or heavy charge, haven't forgotten to prime, or anything. I recommend you batch prep your brass. Resize and deprime them all, then tumble them all clean, then expand them all, and then prime them all. I also weigh every charge. I've been priming 800 .38 cases 100 at a time while watching TV. When they're all done, I will have a nice batch of primed brass ready for powder.

I would have started on a single stage press. Slow and steady wins the race, especially when you're new (as I still am). With the routine I have, I am never worried about over or under charging a case.

And I'd stick with a good beam scale. I chucked my hornady digital for a good beam scale. And I am now using HP38, which meters dead on. I still weigh every charg though.

At first I was using too much arm trying to hit the hammer flat down and was thinking that this wasn't the best way to pull bullets. But swinging it fast in a small circle I can pull a bullet usually in 1-3 smacks. I have a 6x6 wood block and now I'm a bullet pullin' fool.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Always read the directions...

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Trucks and guns.

I use the kinetic hammer on my mistakes. I have an old hardwood cutting board that I found in a yard sale to pound on. If you just started and only made that many mistakes I'd say your off to a good start

Impact "kinetic" bullet puller

used properly they work very well

I found using an old piece of steel rail road track gives a far better rebound than any kind of wood, hard or otherwise, for dismounting the load.

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