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Trying to identify powder used in commercial or military loaded ammunition is like trying to play Russian Roullete with FIVE of the chambers in the revolver loaded. Most of these cartridges are loaded with a type of powder that is specifically made for the ammunition maker but is NOT available for sale to reloaders. It is VERY dangerous and definitely unhealthy for someone to try to interpolate powders and loads with known powders and loadings.
It is also false economy to use your salvaged powder. At 45 grains per load, you would have to break down 155 cartridges to get ONE pound of powder. Even if you did find a suitable load for your rifle, how are you going to duplicate that load after your initial supply of powder is used up? One pound of a suitalbe KNOWN powder will cost you about $30-$35 in a Gun Shop, and you are going to risk injury and damage to your rifle for that?
Even the maker of a certain brand or type of powder does not know for sure just what the burning rate of a Lot of powder will give. Savvy reloaders will find a load that works well in their rifle, then check the container for the Lot Number, and try to buy more powder from the same Lot Number. MANUFACTURERS also spend a lot of time with expensive equipment testing each lot of powder to see just what the burning characteristics are and then recommend suitable loadings
An example of this is a very well known Shotgun powder Red Dot. Hercules makes a Lot (Batch) of powder using the ingredients for and hoping to get Red Dot. Then then test the powder of this Lot for burning characteristics. If the tests show that the powder falls within the specifications for RED DOT TYPE 80, then it is put into containers and sold to the Public as RED DOT Shotgun Powder. Thus, any Trap or Skeet Shooter can go into the Gun Shop and ask for a can of RED DOT and get a powder of known burning characteristics to use for his target loads.
BUT, what happens if the powder tested does NOT fall within the TYPE 80 guidelines? The Manufacturer has thoroughly tested the Lot of powder and based on this testing, can have an idea for the proper use for it. Let us say that the Powder has a slower burning rate than RED DOT TYPE 80 and would be suitable for heavier hunting shotgun loads. The Manufacturer then contacts several ammunition makers and lets their Research and Ballistic people know that there is say 10,000 pounds of this powder available, and the recommendations as to usage and weights of charges for that usage. The Ammunition Company then requests samples and tests the powder themselves. If the Ammunition Company deems the powder is suitable for their needs, they buy THE WHOLE LOT of powder, and then adjust their loading machines to load a specific amount of that powder in their shotgun shells. When that powder is used up, the Ammunition Company has another Lot of powder ready so that they can continue loading shotshells, but that next lot may have different characteristics and the loading machines may have to be adjusted for it.
Also, the Salvaged powder that you might have just may not be suitable for YOUR rifle. Experienced loaders know that rifles are like fingerprints, each is just a bit different, and you can have two rifles that are identical, but one will shoot all over the place and the other drive tacks, using the same identical load. Any advanced loader has several types of powder, primers, bullets and cases on hand. The change of one component can drastically affect the accuracy of a load ---POWDER is a double variable as it has both TYPE and WEIGHT.
Go onto the Internet and type in ".308 Match Loads" or ".308 Accuracy Loads" and get some information on these using KNOWN powders. Also, use a BULLET that you can get more of because when you use up your present salvaged supply, then what are you going to use if you find an accuracy load for these bullets? Where are you going to get more? If you want to shoot these bullets you have on hand, use them up for practice!
I realize that this Post is long, but take heed of what has been said in it. It is Stupid and Dangerous to try to identify salvaged powder by sight or other means available to a person who is the average or even advanced reloader. There are going to be people who state that they have done it, but there are also Stupid People who race trains to a railroad crossing. Sooner or later, the Train will win one of these races.
