Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .Older Powder.... to use or not?

Somebody gave me 3 one pound cans of older powder. A relative's best friend passed, and I ended up with the powder.

Its probably 10-15 years old, and my question is, would you still use it?

I've googled the subject and from what I've read, it is still good.
It has been stored properly, the cans are in excellent shape, the powder doesn't smell.

I'm just starting to dip my toe into the reloading pool and really don't have a "mentor" to bounce these thing off of.

Yes sir I would, after making damn sure exactly what it is.-Muddy

From what you said, it might be okay. Does not smell caustic. Try pouring over a folded white sheet of paper at a slight angle into a clean temporary container. Inspect the dust on the paper. If it has a rust color, it is bad. If it is the color of the powder, it is good.

It should last a long time.
If you have some of the same powder look at the granules and compare them.
I had a pound of IMR-4227 that had a price of 2.99.
Don't know how it was but it did shoot,just like the newer cans.

My father had an 8lb jug of Hercules 2400 that he purchased in the early 70's. I am just finishing it off. It was in that cool basement room for 40 years, and produces excellent and consistent performance. There are other powders he has that I have used that were decades old, but that is the oldest one I can actually date.

Storage is important. His basement is very cool and very dry. None of the powders I've used in his collection has had any characteristics of degradation. It may well be though that modern powders which rely on various coatings or those of complex composition may have a shorter shelf life. The way that they look and smell still seems to be the best indicator, from what I've read.

I also have one of these, price tag intact at 2.99! From my father's stash, in annoying metal can. No idea of the age, but it is a very consistent powder, and is exceptional in reduced and cast bullet loads in 30-06.

I've been hoarding my H-570 since the late seventies for my 264 ,keep it in our cool basement with low humidity same load hasn't changed in that many years.

10 or 15 years is not even aged yet. I have some that are 30-40 years old and they still go BANG!
If it still smells like ether and is not rust colored you are good to go.

Heck, I'm still using some 4831 WWII surplus powder my old man bought back in the early 60's. I was gifted a sealed can of SR-80 (try looking that one up in your modern manual- modern equivelant is SR-4759) from the 30's and said "the heck with it, I want to try it" just to get that old-timey experience, and smell the perfume like gunsmoke from it that the old timers wrote about. Opened the can, smelled right, no rust, loaded some up. Sweet! Wish I had some more.

As stated above- if it passes the "smell" test, go for it. Otherwise dump it on the lawn for fertilizer. If what we said doesn't sway you, send it on to me!

If, by the time you get to the bottom of a can, the granules are powdery -- watch it. Had some old 4064 that gave way too fast results (so I stopped).

This.

10-15 year old powder is new stuff compared to some I have....
If it is kept in climate controlled storage, no telling how long it can last.
I know I just finished off a can of IMR-4350 that I am betting is 30+ years old.

Thank you for all the input, I appreciate the help!!!

Bob

I have powder from the mid-seventies that is just fine.

Got some of that really old surplus H-4831 I bought in the early 60's. It came in paper bags and only recently when the paper bags started getting brittle did I pour it into empty powder cans, labeling with a magic marker. It looks great, smells good, not brown dust or evidence of deterioration. And, it shoots good.

No telling how old it is, as it was surplus in the early 60's. It could have been 10-15 years old then.

DF

Cool and dry will make it last a long time.

Stable temps/humidity is desirable.

Time will tell if the same applies to some of these new formulations out on the market now. IE: CFE's, Super performance and others.

If these new powders last half as long as that lot of surplus H-4831, they'll be doing pretty good. And that old lot of powder really shoots.

DF

The powder should be OK, but you can't guarantee that the powder in the can is what it's labeled. I recently heard about someone's relative passing and the kids combined several different powders to simply have full cans. As far as non-reloaders are concerned, it's all the same.

I'd pass and use it for fertilizer. You can't save enough to take a chance,

I was very carefull with the powder transfer and know what cans hold this powder. So, proper ID of the powder doesn't bother me.

This antique H-4831 seems to perform well and I've shot some really tight groups with it.

DF

I have used a lot of old powder over the years and never had a problem.
All good advice above
I always work up slowly as lots can change in burn rate over time.