I posted this some time back but can't find it. In any case, I loaded up some 500/416 gas checked cast bullets for my K gun. The first couple looked good, so I loaded up another 10 or so and hit the range. NONE of them fired! So, I posted here asking about how to remove the bullets. None of the suggestions worked, so, last night I drilled horizontal holes through the cast bullets and, using an allen wrench poked through the hole and across the top of the reloading press I successfully removed all the bullets. What was inside was a MESS! I had used dacron filler, which was compressed and was "set", the powder underneath IMR 4759 was also caked. After digging it all out with a screwdriver I was able after a bit of trying to set it all on fire outside but it was not easy. I have not yet checked to see whether the primers actually ignited, I suspect not. I am currently tumbling the cases and will check the primers when I reload. So, anyone any ideas as to what happened? I have never had this happen before.
Thanks, Peter

I have not loaded for the really big DR stuff but I have loaded for a long time. Two things come to my mind on this. One, bad primers. Being on the Texas Gulf Coast, I go out of my way to keep my primers away from all humidity as best I can by only keeping out one or two trays at a time and keeping primers in zip lock bags inside tupperware containers.
Second thing is high primer. I have seen a gun that misfired due to high primer and the primer basically absorbed the blow of the firing pin as the firing pin finished "setting" the primer into the pocket.
Don't know if either of these apply in your case.
Did have a failure in a 45-90 without a filler that the primer went off and simply pushed the bullet into the barrel about an inch while the powder (3031) was all yellow but did not ignite. Went to using fillers on it after that without any further issues. Felt that one could have been a lot worse had it detonated instead of igniting.

Duke, thanks for the thoughts. I do not believe that the primers ignited. There was some kind of "gook" on them when I deprimed the cases. I believe that I may have had the loaded rounds in the trunk of my car for quite some time before attempting to fire them, so, I am wondering if that might have caused the powder to "cake". In addition, after the failure to fire I did recock the gun and fired them again, so that should have negated the "high primer" possibility.
Peter.

If you had them in the trunk for a long period of time in the heat, it is my understanding that the one thing that "smokeless" powder doesn't take well to is heat over time. Between the heat and humidity in your part of the world, I can see how the rounds may have deteriorated to the point of total failure. Police in our area several years ago got in a shooting with a robber and hammered him in the chest with a load of OO that had been stored in the trunk for what they figured to have been 4-5 years. It was an original "bean bag" as the buckshot fell out of his chest on the way to the hospital. Knocked him down and out but that was all. Probably doing 300 fps or less.

Peter: I just tried a 500N in my Midway hammer bullet puller an it might work -but. You would need to make room on the inside for lenght of the case and the lenght of the bullet. The upperhalf of the inside would have to be reamed out about 0.025" as the case only goes in half way. The nut on the end would need to be backed out to the last thread. You could uses your shell holder with about 3/4" of spacers between the shellholder and the top of the hammer. Also the bullet could not be longer than about 1.5". I was looking at those 500N cases and their dinky little rim. If you have put a heavy crimp on the bullets you are up s##T creek. All said and done it looks like you need a bullet puller die w/ a.416" collet. PS: On my hammer puller I uses the shell holder for the case and not the collets that came with it.

Fat Albert my impact bullet puller doesn't even come close to being large enough. Gripping the bullet in vise grips and using the reloading press didn't work either (lead too soft)! In any case I have solved that problem now and am more concerned with the powder in the case. I plan on loading some up and trying again (sometime!).
BTW the 500/416 cases are 3 1/4 not 3"
Peter.

Do you have the same can of 4759 and the same box of primers? If the powder in the case was caked then the primer went off. Either the primers were too weak(contaminated or wrong primers) or the powder was contaminated. Could the dacro been contaminated? Its hard for me to beleive that the cases could have gotten so warm that the lube on the bullets melted into the dacron and it was transfered to the powder. If the primers did not fire(I think they did) then you are putting so much dacron in the case that it and the powder are so compressed that the powder did not light(not likely). I still think its the primers or the powder. Lots of luck. PS: Sounds like you have to go with a bullet puller die. Before you order check with the manufaure and make sure that the case will fit in die.

Fat Albert I actually have a bullet puller die in 416 but it just did not work with these bullets. They are very long and are seated pretty deep. Not much lead to grip! \I do still have the "can" of powder and the contents look good. I do not use much Dacron, just enough to keep the powder down in the case. I do not believe that the primers ignited. So, no diagnosis so far. I will go back to jacketed for a while and then come back to the cast lead bullets.
Peter.