Old powders
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MarshallDodge
Member
They are probably just fine. I have powder from 20 years ago that has been kept cool and dry and shoots great.
I also have some powder that a friend inherited from his dad when he passed. We have no idea how old it is but some of it is in cardboard bottles. I reloaded 1000 rounds of 223 with the IMR 4895 that he gave me and it all went bang.
I also have some powder that a friend inherited from his dad when he passed. We have no idea how old it is but some of it is in cardboard bottles. I reloaded 1000 rounds of 223 with the IMR 4895 that he gave me and it all went bang.
Salmoneye
Member
Slowly finishing a 3# keg of Red Dot from the early sixties...
I need to shoot more...
lol
I need to shoot more...
lol
Ole Joe Clark
Member
I used up some Green Dot that I had purchased in the 70's, (last century) that was fine.
Have a blessed day,
Leon
Have a blessed day,
Leon
JimKirk
Member
I have a can of Hodgdon 4831 from the early '60s ... shoots just fine .... I shoot a load or two from it every so often just to see ....
ArchAngelCD
Member.
Really nothing to add here. As you can see from all the posts it will be just fine as long as it smells right andno rust looking dust inside the bottle.
Have fun and shoot it up.
Have fun and shoot it up.
There are a couple of things you can do to test your powder.
1. Smell it. Should not smell acrid or sour.
2. Dump some on a white sheet of paper and swish it around. There should be no residue.
3. Pour a line on the floor and light it. It should burn even, no sputtering or sparking.
If it passes all 3 tests, you are good to go. If not, use it for fertilizer in your garden. Good luck.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
1. Smell it. Should not smell acrid or sour.
2. Dump some on a white sheet of paper and swish it around. There should be no residue.
3. Pour a line on the floor and light it. It should burn even, no sputtering or sparking.
If it passes all 3 tests, you are good to go. If not, use it for fertilizer in your garden. Good luck.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Been using powder and primers I have had 20 plus years and it all works just fine. Give the powder the sniff test and if it passes load the stuff.
Ron
Ron
RPegram
Member
I've got a keg of Blue Dot and Green Dot, both over 30 years old and it shoots fine. Just check and make sure loads are the same today as when powder was made, as some powders do change over the decades.
Captcurt
Member
Same here. Had a can of IMR-4895 that was priced $9.95 so you know that I didn't buy it yesterday. Loaded some last month and it shot fine.
I recently returned to reloading after a hiatus that was caused by a medical condition. This provided me a unique opportunity to compare loads made with the same components twenty years apart.
For the most part, recent loads using the old components returned chronograph results as well as subjective impressions that were comparable to those logged two decades earlier. A few powders (for example Green Dot), even though showing no obvious signs of deterioration, returned velocities significantly below that had previously been observed. One powder (IMR-4198) returned much higher velocities.
I recommend that anyone using old powders load a few rounds below maximum and see how they perform before risking a large amount of time and large number of components.
For the most part, recent loads using the old components returned chronograph results as well as subjective impressions that were comparable to those logged two decades earlier. A few powders (for example Green Dot), even though showing no obvious signs of deterioration, returned velocities significantly below that had previously been observed. One powder (IMR-4198) returned much higher velocities.
I recommend that anyone using old powders load a few rounds below maximum and see how they perform before risking a large amount of time and large number of components.
300Whspr
Member
I'm using up some old Alcan #5 from the Mid-1970's that my Dad had on hand... works just fine. Also I've got about 4 lbs of Hercules Herco that came out of the big cardboard keg... it too is probably mid-70's vintage. Still produces advertised velocities. Dad bought all this powder for shotshell reloading, I'm using it up in handgun loads.
If it smells OK and no rusty dust, it should be good!
If it smells OK and no rusty dust, it should be good!
bantam9
Member
I just loaded some 90 gr 243 pills with 20+yr old W760. Tack driving it on the range!!!!!
HOWARD J
Member
I had 50 #'s of powder from the early 1980 that I used in the last couple of years. It worked fine.
I am using the last of it today - blue dot for 158 gr 357 mag.
It was stored on the top shelf of garage-hot in summer cold in winter---no problem.
I am using the last of it today - blue dot for 158 gr 357 mag.
It was stored on the top shelf of garage-hot in summer cold in winter---no problem.
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doubleh
Member
I am using up a 3# keg of WW 230 that I bought sometime in the early 70's. It got pushed to the back of the shelf and sat there for years and years. It seems to be just as good as when it was first purchased.
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