Another Newbie Question

[DanTheFarmer]

Good Evening,

Good News and Bad News.

Good News - I'm loading for my 30 TC and working up a load for a 150 grain bullet. I'm using BL-C(2) and Hodgdon lists the max load as 48 grains. So I load 10 rounds each at 45, 46, 47, and 47.5 grains. I'll try to run them over the chronograph tomorrow and check for accuracy and pressure signs.

Bad News - Loading those rounds used up the last of that bottle of powder.

Will I have to start over when I open a new bottle? (There's a bad joke in here about fuze testing at the munitions plant. Once you've proved it works you can't use it again!)

Am I o.k. to use the same data if I can see that it is the same lot number?
If they are different lot numbers what do you recommend?
Should I buy 2 or 3 pounds of powder from the same store at the same time to minimize this problem?

I'm looking for safety and reasonable consistancy. I'm not worried about 1000 meter accuracy or stopping charging rhinostrosauruses.

Thanks guys.

Dan

 

[cfullgraf]

The proper and safe answer is yes, you need to work up the load again if the powder lot is changing. But, you don't need to do as many steps as you originally did.

In reality, it also depends on where you are within the published range of powder charges that you are using as you basis. The new lot of powder may hit maximum pressures with less powder. The closer you are to a maximum load, the more care you need to take in working up the load again.

So, if you like the load's performance, buy a larger quantity of powder so that it takes longer before you run out of a particular lot. Either get 4 or 8 pound kegs are get lots of one pound canisters with the same lot number.