Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Metal can IMR 4064

HEY guys. been loading for41 years now. Been loading some IMR 4064 in a 338 win mag. I was talking to a gun smith about this powder which is probrably from the 1980s. He said check for rust on inside of the can. I did and i think there is some rust spots in there. Have almost used up one can. still have another can. Doesnt look funny or smell funny so..... but am thinking of not shooting full power loads with it in 338 mag anymore. might just use it for light loads in 22 250. not ready to throw it out yet.... what do you guys think. what are other indicators of bad powder. never really seen any signs before>> thanks .

It's not rust spots in the can you should be looking for. It's actual rust/red dust in the powder. It will be very obvious when you see it. Pour it out on a piece of white paper. If you see red dust floating around as you pour it, don't use it. It's gone bad..

If you have some bald spots on your lawn in the grass, it makes great fertilizer...

If you got some left over hippie neighbor, who grows his own dope, let him know it makes great fertilizer for his dope

if it blows up on him when he lights his joint, then you know it was still good. Think a Cheech and Chong Movie Scene.

No hippies were harmed in making this post....

I’d likely use it up, load & shoot.

I did have some old metal can IMR powder I cleaned out of my supply earlier this year. 4064 and 4320. One poured out in a cloud of rust red dust, the other seemed fine. Both ended up sprinkled on the back lawn. Can't say it did a thing- good or bad, for the grass. It is pretty weak as a fertilizer but safe way to dispose of it unless you want to make a cool ground torch

Best piece of advice I've heard in a long time!!!^^^

You can pour it down a squirrel hole and light it too. Just don't overdo it!!! Don't ask me how I know.

Ditto all the advice given. No red rust dust/bad smell: use it. If in doubt about its viability going forward (ie: crummy rusty cans), decant it into new containers for peace of mind. (My favorite for that is the round steel can with screw top sold by McMaster-Carr. Think of the old round steel cans that Winchester ball powder used to come in. Holds a pound of powder and is pretty cheap.)

I was gifted some truly ancient 4064, probably from the 1960's, whose cans looked like they set in a dusty garage for 50 years - which they did. The powder was fine, performed exactly as it should've contrary to the p*sspoor storage conditions it endured. I did take care to decant it into new containers and as such what's left still performs perfectly. This is NOT an endorsement for slipshod powder storage!

I will say though that I can't see any advantage to using suspect powder in the .22-250 vs. .338 for "safety" reasons. You gotta respect minimum and maximum charges regardless of case capacity and as such you'll still generate respectable pressures in the .22-250.