Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Does Powder Go Bad

Finally getting back into reloading after a long hiatus. Going thru my cabinet i found i still have a pretty good selection of partial cans from 10-15 years old. My question is they've been sealed since the last time i used them, Does powder go bad or is it still usable. I was thinking of loading a hand full just to try not wanting to waste bullets and brass.

As long as they were stored in relatively cool temperatures, you should be fine. Major fluctuations in temperature don't do powder any good.


Okie John

10 to 15 years isn't "old" powder.

If any doubt just pour some on a white piece of paper and if no rust colored stuff shows up it should be good.

I saw some once, and it wasn't very old.

IMR4350 in the last metal cans.

It smelled funny and was dusty.

Most of it's still in metal cans, and has been in my cool basement. I'm gonna give her a go.

I have to agree. I have some 1964 vintage IMR 3031 that shoots great.

Powder can go bad, it will smell bad. It can also go so bad it will self ignite. Keep it stored cool and dry and it will last decades.

Proper storage is the key

Cool/dry/stable temps

No big swings in temps is a ++

Same with primers

Just finished the last of Dad's IMR-4320 purchased mid/late '60s. Still had the ether odor. Have older cans of 4831 (the stuff Jack extolled) that are fine. Also have newer ('70s, '80s) metal cans of IMR-4831, 4350, 4895 that developed brown dust. Continue to use because they retain ether odor. Chrono reveals nothing untoward.

Clumping, acid odor would make me dump powder in the flower garden.

I was gifted several sealed one pound cans of IMR 4831. The bottoms of each can was nearly rusted away, but no dust. I picked the rust particles out with a magnet, poured the contents into a plastic powder jug and let it sit for a few days. When I opened the bottle I got a nice wiff of ether. Loaded and shot a starting load and compared same load with fresh powder. Same results. Burned the rest up in a 300 RUM. Nice ether smell and no dust, good to go. That being said I would not load old power for long term storage.

Michael

I too have recently got back into reloading. When I moved off to the Big City in 2007 I left all my reloading stuff with a friend. Last year I went to visit him and picked up all my stuff. Oddly enough my trimmer, scale and entire stock of RE 19 was gone from my stash (rent, I guess, for 12 years of storage) but everything else was as I left it. Even in the same spot on the shelves.

Anyway- I had several pounds of powder, some open and some not. Over the past six months I've loaded up various batches of stuff using my old powder; these cans date anywhere from 2000 to 2006. I finally opened up my previously opened can of IMR 4895, poured it into my scooping dish and a huge cloud of red dust enveloped my bench. This was the only can that turned sour. All my powder had been stored together in my buddy's gun room, totally climate controlled. Strange how that one can went bad and the rest didn't.