Old H4198 and new H4198 Extreme

[Chuckbuster]

I have a question for any powder gurus out there that can calm that little niggling voice of doubt in the back of my head. I was loading up some .45-70 rounds for deer season and when it came time to charge the cases, my shelves were bare of H4198 Extreme. However, I did find a pound of old H4198 in, for lack of a better term, a "cardboard" can. I bought this in my LGS a couple of years ago, and forgot about it. I was all "Yes!" when I found it this evening. So, I loaded up all 30 empty cases that I had on hand, and then, of all things...found a can of H4198 Extreme. Anyhow, this is where the little voice kicked in. So, I opened it up to see if it looked the same. It did not. The kernels are short and greenish, whereas those of the old H4198 look like bits of grey pencil leads.

So, the voice has me wondering...if I am good to go regardless, even though I used the old H4198. I had the same reservations years ago when I suddenly realized I was using H4831 SC and not just plain old H4831, in another application...and everything was of course fine. So, same thing here?

 

[Ganderite]

If I was going to load my favourite load using a new can of powder (different lot #) I would make 5 with the old powder charge; 5 0.3 gr less powder and 5 of 0.3 more powder. I would shoot these for group, over a Chrony and then decide what to do.

Your change is a lot more than a change in lot #, so I would work up.

Test your ammo before you go hunting.

 

[Chuckbuster]

Yes, I had planned on testing them either this weekend or next. And, it seems you have indirectly answered my question as it dealt more with safety as opposed to variations in accuracy. So, thanks Ganderite, I will proceed to the range, mind at ease, to see what difference if any turns up with this batch of ammo.

 

[Ganderite]

Hunting ammo has an extra set of requirements. It HAS to work,

You don't want to fire a shot and find the action welded shut.

With hunting ammo, I cycle all the rounds through the magazine and close the bolt on each round. Any rounds that feel a little funny are for practice.

On a hunting trip I once dropped the bolt on my Mini 30 and found that none of my rounds would chamber. I brought ammo for another rifle that was neck sized for it. Fortunately I had a back up rifle in camp.