2nd hand reloads

[Andrew Leigh]

Unless you know exactly what powder grade was used how would you know what the burn rate was. Could be a real fast powder or a real slow powder?

 

[mdi]

Ain't so much as what kind of powder but how much!.

 

[GLOOB]

How much is easy.

Take a bunch of empty 45ACP cases. Pull rounds. Dump the powder of each individual pull into an empty 45AC case. When you have 10-12 of them, take them over to your scale, along with a pen and paper, and weigh the contents of each one. If the charge is consistent, then you know how much of that powder is supposed to go in that specific load, anyway.

Once you have pulled the ammo, you have removed any possibility of squibs and double charges. That's my major concern with OPR's, anyway. The ammo might be "hot" or "weak" but if you make up a few and try them out, you will know. And you can add extra caution by backing off and working up, for your own specific guns.

As long as it's the same powder and charge weight coming out of the cases, I am not going to throw out a half pound of perfectly good powder.

 

[Walkalong]

The reason I posted this was because I didn't plan to shoot the reloads. ...........................................................
I am curious why the powder isn't to be trusted?? Can anyone elaborate?

It isn't that the powder can't be trusted in and of its self, it is the question of is it suited to the caliber and an appropriate weight for the bullet used.

If you pulled it all down you could work up a load with the powder if you have the experience. You could even give a good guess as to its burn rate if you have a chrono.

This isn't for newbies of course.