Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Unknown Powder

I've been on this sight for years but haven't posted much. I have got a situation that I am unsure of. My grandson left me with 40 rounds of new factory 300 win mag ammo with no identification other than Winchester Super cases. I disassembled them and found the bullets to be 150 grain Winchester extreme points. The powder is very fine and weighed 71 grains. My loading manuals for this bullet weight show 71 grains of W760 as a max load so I believe the powder is W760. I find no other powders with that charge weight. How confident should I be in my assessment? If powder weren't so scarce I would just toss it, but I hate to waste that much. I defer to the experts. Thanks.

Factory Ammo correct?

If this is truly factory Ammo it is highly likely that the propellant is a propellant not generally available to the public. Or it is just possible you are on exactly the right track. Why are you pulling down this ammo?

I think a 150 grain bullet is a bit light in the 300 win mag. I have all the components for 180 grain Nosler Partitions. I may also try some 200 grain in the future. I am also loading for a Savage 99 in 30-30AI that I will use the 150s in. Thanks for the response.

Here’s my take on your situation.

There are no experts here for your situation.

Throw the powder away.
If you didn’t want to waste the powder, you should have just shot the bullets.
There’s no way to be sure of what powder you have there.
You’re literally playing with fire…..EXPLOSIVES!
Assuming is very dangerous! Don’t risk it! It’s a few ounces of powder for Pete’s sake!….Powder ain’t that scarce.

Leftybolt

You could right in your guess but trying to guesstimate what kind of powder this could be is like playing with a rattlesnake, you will get bit. When in doubt throw it out!

1/3 of a pound of powder.......... at INFLATED Powder costs is $25..................


To quote Harry: '...do you feel lucky???...'

JMHO............ YMMV

Concur with the crowd here, guessing with powder is a dangerous game.

Yeah... if you are pulling the bullets for your 30-30AI then you are good-to-go for the lead. Moreover you now have 40 cases to load 'yer 180 grain Partitions. As for the powder.... well ... the risk vs reward just is not there.

Thanks folks. I got the answers I was expecting. I will toss it. Right now there is no powder of any type available locally so I was looking at a long shot on this. Fortunately I really don't shoot much anymore and I have limited supply of other powders I can try. Thanks again.

I would shoot those 150 grainers at deer all day long (plus varmints, targets, etc.). Just my 2 cents.

The crowd is full of baloney and don"t read well.
1 you think your grandson gave you new factory ammo and you think it's bad?
2 what is it you think factory 150 super X ammo in 300 win.mag won't do?
3 expensive as factory ammo is, now your worried about reusing an unknown powder?
4 maybe you need to go back to.posting less and do what your wife tells you ,hell you asked...mb

I don't know why you are pulling factory ammo apart. Leave it alone and shoot it. No reason to pull it apart, unless it is not firing in your rifle or something. Why are you pulling it apart? If you are just wanting those 150gr bullets for your 30-30, pull them and use them, but throw that powder away. If you plan on loading those 300wm back up, you are going to have to resize the brass because your neck tension is not going to be good anymore after pulling those bullets. That short neck loses neck tension pretty easily and just pulling the bullets will render the neck tension loose or inadequate. Again, throw that powder away because you don't know what it is. Sprinkle it on the garden or pour it down a gopher hole..