Feasibility of repurposed powder

Suther said:
Speer lists 41gr as the start in Speer #12.
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I was presuming, perhaps incorrectly, that it was all factory ammo of one brand & one lot. If not, well...., that's a completely different matter entirely [double modifiers intended!].

If my presumption was correct, it may, or may not, be somewhere around these, in terms of burning rate, given the OP's initial parameters of .308 Winchester, with 180 grain bullets, with an average charge of 43.7 grs. of a ball / spherical powder, yielding an average of 2,565 fps from a 24" barrel:

The first grouping of ball / spherical powders reflects a 54,450 psi, which is 87.5% of MAP, which SAAMI / CIP manufacturers stick to as a matter of course.

Type gr fill (%) MV Pmax (psi)
Accurate 2520 43.1 93 2,590 54,250
Lovex D073.6 43.1 96 2,590 54,250
Shooters World Match Rifle 43.1 96 2,590 54,250
SNPE Vectan SP 9 43.2 96 2,584 54,250
Ramshot Wild Boar 43.5 93 2,594 54,250
Ramshot TAC 43.7 93 2,558 54,250
SNPE Vectan SP 7 44.1 94 2,564 54,250
Somchem S341 44.3 94 2,570 54,250
Hodgdon BL-C2 44.5 93 2,616 54,250
Hodgdon H380 44.6 100 2,595 54,250
PB Clermont PCL 516 44.7 96 2,584 54,250

This second grouping reflects a charge weight of 43.7 [+ or - ~1.0 gr.] at the obtained MV.

Type gr fill (%) MV Pmax (psi)
Ramshot Wild Boar 43.0 92 2,565 52,252
Somchem S355 43.4 101 2,565 52,101
Hodgdon BL-C2 43.6 91 2,565 50,745
Ramshot TAC 43.8 93 2,565 54,744
Hodgdon H380 44.1 99 2,565 52,194
SNPE Vectan SP 7 44.1 94 2,565 54,300
Somchem S341 44.2 94 2,565 53,863
PB Clermont PCL 516 44.3 95 2,565 52,949
SNPE Vectan SP 11 44.6 99 2,565 49,407
Ramshot Big Game 44.6 96 2,565 49,817

Notice the common powders in both charts.

Once again, if my initial presumption was correct & if the OP really wants to use the left-over powder, I'd start looking for loading data for those powders, for his specific bullets, working up from the BOTTOM!
 
Well…for a measly 8oz of powder if there were no other options as someone previously stated ‘in an apocalypse’…sure!!

May 24 weekend coming up, burn it along with your fireworks. Sooner or latter these experiments may yield a nasty surprise. Until then High-5 because this road could lead into a High-3.
 

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If it was myself, I'd consider the 43.7 weight that came out of the ammo for reference, then pick a starting load from a manual using probably W748 data with your 80 gr. bullet.

Load one cartridge.. Chronograph the speed. Examine the case for pressure signs. Wear shooting glasses.
If you get a velocity within the range of loading manuals that also exhibits no high pressure signs, you're there.
If necessary adjust the load. Shoot one more cartridge repeating the above.

Use your findings to decide on a load for the rest and happily shoot 'em.

Addition: jamesharrison's post above is excellent information.
 
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bearhunter said:
I've never been much of a "plinker" other than with handguns and 22rf chambered firearms.

Just didn't see much point when factoring in cost, and especially felt recoil.

Like the SKS users I see at our local range, blasting away ammo, just to feel the recoil and hear the bang, while shooting up the overhead berms and target frames.

Each to his own. Not dissing plinking at all, but with CF rounds, especially in higher end firearms, it's just not worth it to me.
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Very understandable.

My range has a gong at 200yds. It's pretty big, maybe 16"? I've never measured. Sometimes I'm just happy to whack the gong rather than chase tiny groups on paper, and for that I'm happy to just throw together something. For example I shoot the 130gr speer hotcor in my 7mm08 as my "plinking load", and I just took the powder charge from my 140gr partition load i worked up for hunting and called it a day. Is that load the best I could make? Highly unlikely. But at the same time, if I miss the gong it's not the loads fault.
 
TJCote said:
What do you know about the original ammo? You never stated if it was factory, mil surplus or somebody’s old handloads.

Old handloads would compound the risk as you wouldn’t know if it was appropriate powder for .308 180gr in the first place.
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My question exactly. I'm one of those guys who colors outside the lines like it's a sport, but provenance of the powder would have me hesitant, even though I don't live by the "Oh noes...hodgdon/speer/someone hasn't posted data, gonna get blowed up"mindset. Some ball powders are funny when you step outside their happy bubble. Here's lookin' at you BL-C(2):ROFLMAO:
 
jamesharrison said:
A 43.7 gr. load under an 80 gr. bullet in his .243 Winchester, using W760, will yield 3,143 fps @ 48,434 psi.

If his powder is ~W748, you get 3,406 fps @ 67,424 psi!

Even if it's around Ramshot TAC's burn rate, it'll still yield 60,447 psi & give him 3,288 fps.
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I did not mean in any way he should load 43.7 grains of powder into the 243, only to use that number to make an educated guess what kind of burn rate the 308 powder is. That is, to pick a canister powder's data that should be close.

Then use that powder's load data in 243 at starting or less weights to try it.
 
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xBen15x said:
Came into some 308 win 180g ammo, didn’t have a need for it, and am to remote to make selling scary, dangerous explosives (according to shipping companies) feasible.

I repurposed the brass for the 243, sold the bullets, and kept the powder.
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xBen15x said:
Average of 40 rounds was 43.7g (per my Fx-123 balance) of a ball powder.
Ammo shot 2565 fps from a friends 24” 308 rifle…
While im aware that generally this is not advised…
Thoughts?
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If you don't know what the powder is beyond a doubt, you have nothing. A chrono won't help, you'd need a pressure gun to work up loads. You have no idea what kind of bomb you built and detonate inches from your eyes.
 
browningautorifle said:
If you don't know what the powder is beyond a doubt, you have nothing. A chrono won't help, you'd need a pressure gun to work up loads. You have no idea what kind of bomb you built and detonate inches from your eyes.
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I also use a loading program myself. In well over 200lbs of salvaged powder I have not had anything but success. Don't project your own #### on others. This is something that can be done safely with zero history of the powder. Just because you can't doesn't mean anything for others.
 
browningautorifle said:
If you don't know what the powder is beyond a doubt, you have nothing. A chrono won't help, you'd need a pressure gun to work up loads. You have no idea what kind of bomb you built and detonate inches from your eyes.
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You have NO IDEA? You know that 43.7gr of that powder drove a 180gr 308win bullet at a given velocity, you know how much powder and what bullet you put into your new load, AND you have chronograph data to confirm velocities, but you have NO IDEA?...

By all means, if you don't feel comfortable playing outside of the book data, dont. Please don't. Nobody is saying you should go beyond what you're comfortable doing. What we are saying is if OP IS comfortable, it is doable if you're smart about it.
 
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browningautorifle said:
If you don't know what the powder is beyond a doubt, you have nothing. A chrono won't help, you'd need a pressure gun to work up loads. You have no idea what kind of bomb you built and detonate inches from your eyes.
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No, you wouldn't need a pressure gun, it might be handy, but for most folks just too expensive.

Look at the charts and just choose the fastest powder used to get the loads in the manual to achieve the velocities they say are safe for the 308Win.

If you find something close, go to the manual to check that same powder in the cartridge you want to use it in, and use the starting load to work your way up.

browningautorifle, there is a very good reason they give you starting loads and maximum loads.

I've seen more than one rifle where the starting load was also the maximum load for the combination being used in that particular rifle.

It happens more ofen than most think.

I'm not suggesting you're a newbie, but many people, even those with some experience, don't realize they've gone beyond the point of safe shooting, even when they've started at the half way point.

The powder used in the OPs 308 case should be useable in the 243Win, but in lesser quantities.

Do not try to extrapolate by comparing powder charge or bullet weight. The bore diameter reaches a saturation point much quicker with small diameter bullets, no matter what weight they are.

It's not the same as comparing lighter to heavier bullets of the same diameter.
 
bearhunter said:
I'm not suggesting you're a newbie, but many people, even those with some experience, don't realize they've gone beyond the point of safe shooting, even when they've started at the half way point.
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I'm far from a new shooter or reloader, I'm not the one condoning using unknown powders to load with. I wouldn't do it at all.
 
browningautorifle said:
You're advising him to use an unknown powder to load with. He has no idea what it is and guessing would be foolish.
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While it is technically unknown, if it created a known velocity with a known bullet weight in a known cartridge from a known barrel length its not COMPLETELY unknown.

If OP was given a bag of powder with NOTHING known about it I would agree, but that isn't the scenario we're talking about.
 
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