Before I even owned my first rifle chambered for a bottle necked caliber I witnessed the incident and saw the aftermath of when A fellow shooter at a public range fired a 308 out of his 30/06. The result was a jammed case in his chamber so badly the bolt couldn't be moved, even with the aid of a approximately 2' long 2x4 used in conjunction with hammer.
I was at the bench next to him shooting my 12ga Browning A-Bolt when he fired the shot. At the shot I immediately thought that can not be normal and asked him if everything was OK. I walked over and noticed he couldn't work the bolt at all. I noticed he had multiple boxes of factory ammo all over the shooting bench, but never thought to consider he might have fired the incorrect caliber from his rifle. I then noticed one box feature 150 grain bullets and the other featured 180 grain bullets. I thought not a good policy as you might accidently mix firing the two giving you false and useless accuracy results.
I then noticed one box said "308 Winchester" the other said "30/06 Springfield" and I now knew what the cause of his problem was and informed him of same. Had two other additional exact incidents some years later at a different public range but forget what the calibers were the second incident but do remember it was a guy firing his brand new out of the box browning A-Bolt he also jammed the bolt so badly it wouldn't open. The third incident was when a guy fired again a 308 Winchester from his 30/06 but this time it was an absolutely gorgeous Remington 7600 and it also couldn't be cycled post OHS**T moment.
When I began shooting rifles chambered in HP bottle necked cartridges I also began reloading for them at the same time as I had already been reloading for handguns for over a decade. I distinctly recalled all three of the above incidents and decided I should develop a system to make it to as near as to impossible as was possible from any such issues from ever occurring.
It occurred to me if I adapted my reloading component control protocol where I NEVER have more than a single different reloading die, powder, primer or bullet type out at any given time while reloading to use the same protocol at the range to instead control and limit to a single type of firearm, caliber of firearm, caliber of ammunition and configuration of ammunition I had out at any given time and if not in use the firearm and ammo remain in their respective storage containers either still in my truck or on a separate table out of reach and away from the shooting bench it should make it all but impossible to accidently fire the incorrect caliber or even type of ammunition from any firearm. I know there is no such thing as idiot-proof but this system gets pretty close.
Is such a system a PITA? admittedly absolutely. But in over 30 years of shooting handguns, high powered rifles, muzzleloaders, slug rifles and dedicated turkey guns I've never even come close to shooting the incorrect caliber or type of ammunition from a firearm.
Actually truth be know my most common range mistake I commit about once every 14-18 months is allow myself to get distracted while loading the truck and end up forgetting either the ammo for a specific firearm or a specific firearm at home.
