May have mixed some powder

[scott_r]

I think I dumped about 75 grs of Benchmark powder in my H322 1 lb can. I scooped the top quater of the can and tossed the powder but am wondering if its safe if I missed some??? The powder looks exactly the same and both work for the same cartridges but if its dangerous Im goig to error on caution.
Have any of you guys done this and did you use the powder?

Cheers!!

 

[Ganderite]

Give it a shake and carry on. It won't make a differece withthose two powders.

A common cause of blown up rifles is having several cans of power on the bench and then emptying the powder thrower into the wrong can. If you empty a hopper of Win 296 into a half can of Win 748 (both are ball powders and look the same) you won't know until the bullet and mag floorplate obtain similar velocities. It will shear the bolt locking lugs, too (in a Winchester M70). It will blow a Remington M700 receiver into 27 pieces.

Read below....

 

[warrenb]

So I read your post early this morning and thought to myself, "yes one has to be careful not to accidentally mix powder".

Then I went and pulled 10 rounds containing H4350, which were not grouping well, and dumped them into a seperate container. All because I had read your post. Over 400 grains of H4350 saved. Great!.

Then for some reason I had a spontaneous lobotomy. I pulled 2 rounds containing 43 grains of H4895 which also were not grouping well.

Guess where I dumped the powder. Yes in the container of H4350.

So it looks like I'l be chucking that lot. At least it was not all in my 1lb canister.

 

[Onagoth]

Your talking about 75 grains in a 7000 grain canister, just over 1% contamination, or a little under 1/2 grain in a typically rifle charge. give it a good shake for about 10-20 minutes and carry on.

 

[H4831]

Because Benchmark and H322 is not that far apart, I would agree with the statement by Ganderite, shake and shoot.
But Warren, 4350 and 4895 are a fair distance apart in burning rates, so without a doubt you would be doing the right thing by discarding it.
I would pour it out on concrete, maybe making a pattern, then burn it.
Getting powder mixed has the potential to be extremely dangerous. That is why one of the major safety rules in reloading is to keep only one kind of powder on your bench at a time, and then only when you are using it.

 

[bc308]

I agree with Onagoth's math, but that much shaking may scrub the burn deterent coating on the grains, increasing the level of dust and changing the burn rate. Rolling the can around for a couple minutes should suffice.

 

[Eagleye]

I agree with Onagoth's math, but that much shaking may scrub the burn deterent coating on the grains, increasing the level of dust and changing the burn rate. Rolling the can around for a couple minutes should suffice.

Good Grief! What do you suppose happens to the powder in a can when it is being transported across the country? I'm quite certain that it moves in the tin pretty well constantly. Scrubbing the deterrant coating off of powder with 20 minutes of mixing is unlikely. In any event, I feel less time is needed for a good mix. Regards, Eagleye

 

[todbartell]

I remember in my early handloading days when I was about 16 yrs old I was using IMR 4350 in my 7mm Mag. Ran out on my last shell to load, topped her up (to my 4350 charge weight) with 4831. Probably wouldnt do that today but it would be interesting to see how it would change the pressure/chrony speeds

 

[martinbns]

I remember in my early handloading days when I was about 16 yrs old I was using IMR 4350 in my 7mm Mag. Ran out on my last shell to load, topped her up (to my 4350 charge weight) with 4831. Probably wouldnt do that today but it would be interesting to see how it would change the pressure/chrony speeds

I think the operative part of this phrase is "when I was about 16"...lol



There are days I am talking to my now 15 and 20 year old kids and wonder how I ever made it this far and how mild their lives are compared to mine in High School.

 

[blacksmithden]

If you are too afraid to shoot it, send it to me

You'll be fine. Shake it up.

 

[bc308]

Greetings Eagleye and others. Goods being shipped whether by truck, rail or water shift very little (I work in transportation) compared to the agitation that 20 minutes of shaking would cause. We are, however, way out in theoryland on this.
My concern is more with the dust factor. Here in BC we have had strange explosions caused by dust in the grain elevators. All dusts are prone to explosions. Aluminum doesn't burn easily (although parts of the Sheffield did), but aluminum dust will explode under the right circumstances.
I raise this dust business because I have not heard if anybody has come up with a definitive answer to wierd exlposions connected with reduced charges. I offer this as a link. Isn't internet theoryland wonderful?
Regards, bc308

 

[John Y Cannuck]

I remember in my early handloading days when I was about 16 yrs old I was using IMR 4350 in my 7mm Mag. Ran out on my last shell to load, topped her up (to my 4350 charge weight) with 4831. Probably wouldnt do that today but it would be interesting to see how it would change the pressure/chrony speeds

Insert pic of Bartell with scarred up face here.

 

[RR]

Mix it and load it You will naver know the diff

 

[Eagleye]

A few years back I went to our local Club's range to sight in a few rifles. As I was setting up, the guy two benches down started shooting. I couldn't help but notice that his rifle [Turns out it was a 22-250] was shooting out a humungous ball of flame each shot. Curiosity getting the best of me, I waited till he was finished his group, and then asked what type of a load he was using in this rifle. Imagine my surprise whan he informed me it was a mix of H380 and IMR 3031!! He then went on to inform me that it was about a 50/50 mix, since he had inadvertently dumped a near full hopper from his powder measure into a half full can of the wrong powder. His very candid statement: " I didn't want it to go to waste, so just loaded up some rounds with a mild load for 3031, and here I am shooting it off!" I told him I would not have tried that one myself, then packed up and moved over several more benches to give a bit of room between myself and him. Turns out I was talking to a local gunsmith several weeks later, and when I mentioned the incident he made an interesting comment: "Oh that nutcase!, I have repaired two or three of his rifles when he could not open the bolt after an overload." A small amount of powder of similar burn rate is unlikely to give any grief, but ½ & ½ of powders several burn rates different, one a ball powder and one extruded? I don't think so.......REgards, Eagleye.