Blending powder , have you?

Kelly Timoffee

Kelly Timoffee

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Was just thinking the other day about blending different powders to either achieve different burn rates or if supply has dried up on something or whatever the reason something may not be available.

We know some of the manufacturers do and have "secret formulas" that are blends, so what is stopping us from out own tests and tribulations?

I'm not talking about using Retumbo in a 7.62 x 39 , but powder that is suitable for your cartridge.

Of course you wouldn't mix a ball with long extruded type of powder as this wouldn't meter very well and I would think you would have to mix/blend based on volume and not weight.

Any thoughts on this?
 
Have thought about it too as my cheap self but I prefer my face where it is... the biggest thing is that no matter how close the powders are, one will still tend to settle towards the bottom of the jar. Extreme case, of course, is the one you mentioned with ball powder and extruded. The ball powder would all end up at the bottom. But even with things like 4350 and 4831 the smaller 4350 should gravitate towards the bottom at least slightly.
 
There is a real world example of 7.62x51 made in Brazil in the 70s by CBC that was refused by their army. It wound up in Chile, where the rifle powder was adulterated (ie contaminated) with pistol powder. The Chileans refused the results. The next destination was North America where it ran through collectors' belt-feds and was immediately quarantined. The importer was sued heavily. Any CBC ammo was supposed to be returned for refund and destruction. Some came to Canada where it was re-remanufactured as Gold Cross target ammo. That is good stuff.
 
I occasionally mix lots of the same powder, but never mix different powders. I think anything more "extreme" than this is stupid.
 
The tail end of one lot of powder going into the new container but it must be the same powder. Re22 into Re22.
By dating the container when it was opened if the seal was broken a couple years prior it becomes fertilizer.
Over 30 years ago powder from 5 lots of 308 ammo was recovered and when all looked similar they were mixed.
Appeared similar to IMR4895. The primed brass was they reconstructed with Hornady Match 168 bullets.
Tested in four rifles and groups at 200 yards measured 0.85 to under 2". Considerably better than the issued 150 grain hunting bullets.
 
With so many powders available, I have never felt the need to try create a new blend.

I do however blend partial containers of the same powder together to save space in my locker when one canister is getting low enough. Not generally an issue for my loads as I usually load on the starting end of the data and rarely have to work up far.
 
I mix up large containers of a number of small bottles of powder, but all the same powder. I can make a 8 pounder of 4895 out of a bunch of left over small bottles.

Mixing two different powders does not work. I discussed this with the PhD responsible for IMR powder development. I was asking because sometimes we accidently mix a large quantity of two different powders. And there is no way I will scrap 1000 pounds of powder.

He said that if the powder is mixed thoroughly (and stays mixed) it can be used, but it will be inferior to the more appropriate of the two constituent powders in a given caliber.

The peak pressure will be controlled by the faster of thew two powders, meaning the advantage of the slower powder is lost.

I have the formula for many powers. Never seen one that deliberately used two powders.
 
Elmer Keith used to use two different powders when loading different creations of his. I think he called them duplex. He didn't mix the powders, he loaded one powder then the other on top and compressed them with the bullet. By compressing it they couldn't be shaken to mix. He even had brass with tubes in them to direct the primer fire to light the powder at the front of the case first.
 
Ganderite said:
I mix up large containers of a number of small bottles of powder, but all the same powder. I can make a 8 pounder of 4895 out of a bunch of left over small bottles.

Mixing two different powders does not work. I discussed this with the PhD responsible for IMR powder development. I was asking because sometimes we accidently mix a large quantity of two different powders. And there is no way I will scrap 1000 pounds of powder.

He said that if the powder is mixed thoroughly (and stays mixed) it can be used, but it will be inferior to the more appropriate of the two constituent powders in a given caliber.

The peak pressure will be controlled by the faster of thew two powders, meaning the advantage of the slower powder is lost.

I have the formula for many powers. Never seen one that deliberately used two powders.
Click to expand...

This was the type of answer I was searching for.Thank you sir.
 
I have blended some. These were powders that have fallen near the same burn rate. I have not had issues with it. Works like a damn in my 700 .223's....

There happens to be a BR shooter in the southern US who I have heard is the king of blending.....

I am not saying to do it.......
 
billdick said:
Elmer Keith used to use two different powders when loading different creations of his. I think he called them duplex. He didn't mix the powders, he loaded one powder then the other on top and compressed them with the bullet. By compressing it they couldn't be shaken to mix. He even had brass with tubes in them to direct the primer fire to light the powder at the front of the case first.
Click to expand...

He blew up a lot of guns too lol.

Elmer learned most of his lessons the hard way and was lucky.
 
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