.30-06 Powder ID

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Crowcifier666

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I'm wondering if anyone knows what powder I have on hand.

I'm pulling 150gr FMJs out of what I believe to be surplus .30-06 ball ammo. It was given to me by a past friend in an unmarked container. Head stamp reads "IV OJP 59". Primers are crimped with red sealer. The cases are loaded with 50.0 +/- grains of powder.

The powder itself looks very similar if not the same as IMR4895, and I believe I've read that was what is used in some surplus rifle ammo.

I'm using the bullets to start loading for my .308 (no .30-06...yet), and would like to not waste the powder. Any help is appreciated.
 
There is no 100% way to ID powder as far as i know. Its best to use the bullets and discard the powder in my opinion. Better safe than assume its one powder a blow a gun up trying to save a few bucks on powder.
 
The ammo was made in Austria in 1959.

What the powder is, is anyone's guess.

But it's safe to say it isn't American canister powder you can find data for.

Unless you have a whole bunch of it to work up .308 loads and keep shooting it for a while, it's best to just toss it on the lawn.

rc
 
Like RC says, the 'ÖJP' indicates Österreichische Jagdpatronenfabrik, Kramsach, Tirol, Austria.
It Berdan primed? Two flash holes or one? Possibly corrosively primed too.
You cannot tell anything about a powder by looking at it other than its colour and granule shape. Pitch the powder, reload the cases, if they're boxer primed(make drawer pulls and pitch the rest if Berdan), using the bullets with IMR4895.
 
Thanks, I haven't attempted removing the primers. How do I know if they are Berdan primed, besides risking my decapping pin? Some of these rounds came in en bloc clips for the Garand if that means anything.

I suppose I'll have to dispose of the powder. I have probably 200-250 total round count, so it isn't really a large amount of powder. Glad to have the bullets though.

Appreciate the advice, folks.
 
Why toss out the powder? Is it bad?

I had some 308 reloads that I didnt trust (high primers and inconsistent OAL) so I disassembled them. I weighed the ball powder and got an average weight (43grains).
Made some up proper, and tested. 150 gr FMJs flying at just under 2800fps, and accurate enough for me. (I dunno what powder it was...smelled vaguely like black pepper when fired)
Good to go, I sized and trimmed, then fixed the primers and rolled them all back up.
A little time spent to ensure peace of mind is all ya need.

If they arent berdan primed, I wouldnt worry too much about it.
 
Oh yeah, you want to save the powder from 30-06 for use in a 308.....(i missed that before i typed the previous post...derp, sorry)
Id weigh whats in them, then look through a bunch of books to find the extruded type powder that would carry that much in a 30-06. Make an educated, safe guess, then use that powders data for the 308.
Start low and work up, of course.
 
Once you dump the powder out take a flashlight and look down inside the case. If you see two holes its berdan primed, if you see one hole its boxer.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, right. Kinda feel dumb now :eek:

Id weigh whats in them, then look through a bunch of books to find the extruded type powder that would carry that much in a 30-06. Make an educated, safe guess, then use that powders data for the 308.
Start low and work up, of course.
Click to expand...

This was initially my plan. In my research, the powder seems close to IMR4895. The old casings were loaded with 50.0gr, My Lyman manual reads 52.5gr of IMR4895 as a max load, I think, don't have it in front of me.

I realize I would need to start load-up on the low end, and do a little calculating to get the proper starting load for the smaller .308 casing. Maybe I will give it a try, depending on how many bullets I pull. May not be worth the time with a small amount of powder.

Is it only the primers/priming compound that are corrosive, or is older smokeless powder corrosive as well?
 
You are playing with fire here to save a few dollars on powder. The various military of the world commonly use powders not available to the general public. I think the health of your firearm and yourself are probably worth more than a can of powder. Dump it and be safe....
 
I'm going to echo what most here have already said. What little bit of powder you have there is not worth the potential risk to you and your firearm if you "guess" wrong. Dump it and use a powder you know.
 
The powder is certainly usable, and you could work up a load with it (Best left to experienced reloaders vs newbies), but is it worth the trouble? Do you have enough to make it worth the work and expended bullets?

Like rcmodel posted:
Unless you have a whole bunch of it to work up .308 loads and keep shooting it for a while, it's best to just toss it on the lawn.
Click to expand...
 
IMHO you sound like you are new to reloading. I'm guessing you have about 2 pounds of powder. It is not worth the risk to you for about $40.00 to $60.00 worth of powder. Is your gun or body parts worth more than $60.00?
 
Thanks everyone.

Still one question: Is it only the primers/priming compound that are corrosive, or is older smokeless powder corrosive as well?
 
I'm fairly cheap BUT...
Unknown powder
+ Unknown storage conditions
+ The powder being at LEAST 56 years old
= Fertilizer to me
 
How does the powder look and smell? Any sign of decay?

I understand the apprehension in using "old stuff", and maybe im just a sentimental fool with a soft spot for "vintage" things....but still....Id work up a load and run it.

I stop to pick up pennies off the sidewalk, too :)
 
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