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Powder
#5407375
11/09/14 12:12 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 350
tapout
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 350 |
Just getting back into reloading have some old powder that has been in a box taped up in a non insulated shop in a cabinet is it still any good. Thanks for advise
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5407513
11/09/14 01:52 AM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,492
jdk1985
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,492 |
smell it. load it. see if it goes bang.
How old is it?
Instagram @justinkingwoodworking
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5407515
11/09/14 01:53 AM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 10,106
RiverRider
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 10,106 |
Open the containers up. Check it for unusual odor, clumping or anything else abnormal. If you can still smell the ether, it's almost certainly still good but it isn't necessarily bad if you can't.
![[Linked Image]](https://i.imgur.com/T84Bps5.jpg) "Arguing with you always makes me thirsty." -Augustus McRae
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5407544
11/09/14 02:09 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 350
tapout
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 350 |
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5407556
11/09/14 02:14 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 350
tapout
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 350 |
It is all IMR 4350 and hi-skor 700x in metal 8oz and 16oz cans
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5407854
11/09/14 04:51 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,150
kmon11
junior
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junior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,150 |
IMR has switched to plastic since Hodgdon bought them. Do not exactly remember when that happened. Agree with the others. If the powfer is discolored, clumped or acidic smell use it for ferterlizer. If none of those shootit
lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true Mainstream news might be fun to watch
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Re: Powder
[Re: kmon11]
#5408040
11/09/14 12:47 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,200
dawaba
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,200 |
I bet it's just fine. I'm still shooting some WWII-surplus 4831 that hasn't lost any oomph, based on my chrono readings. The only caveat is that your powder was stored in uncontrolled conditions where the summer temps can get pretty hot.
Use your eyes and nose to check for deterioration....just google what signs to look for.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple.....and wrong." H. L. Mencken
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5428980
11/18/14 06:29 PM
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 173
Stormy Weather
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 173 |
I've got two cans of IMR 4895 that I bought in the early 1960s. I left the powder in an old house in 1980 and totally forgot about it until last year. Without AC, there's no telling how hot it got in there every summer. To my amazement, the powder seems perfect and my .243 loads are very accurate.
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5429138
11/18/14 07:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,647
Revoman
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,647 |
It's all bad, send it to me. 
Call'm an Kill'm
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Re: Powder
[Re: tapout]
#5433156
11/20/14 03:47 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,392
Tactical Cowboy
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,392 |
Load up a few rounds with a starting charge. Shoot them. See if the velocities are right. If good, continue use. If not good, do not use anymore.
The secret to a long life is to try not to shorten it.
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