Same lot # on powder??

Mike G

Mike G

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Do you guys believe in using or buying as much as you can of one lot # of a specific powder. It's taken me a long time to work up the perfect load for one of my riffles. I still have 3 pounds of the same powder same lot # but then what. Will the same powders from different lots do The same thing or will velocity and POI change. Just wondering what your thoughts and opinions are.

Thanks Mike
 
While it is nice to have the same lot # for your powder, realistically, you will eventually have to change lot #'s. Usually not that big of a deal although some powders do vary slightly over the years. If you do lay in a good supply of a given lot, it will just be that much longer before you may have to "adjust" your load. But typically, the changes in different lots are minimal if they are even noticeable.

If your load is at max you may want to back of a bit with a new lot, just in case. If you are not at max, load the new lot and give it a try.:)
 
The whole concept of reloading is that you have control over as many variables as possible. Primers, powder, cases, and bullets are some of the things we can control. When you buy a box brand X of ammunition from year to year, you do not always have the same ingredients. When we reload, we do have the same components.

This is the concept. Some take it much more seriously than others. Further to this, its good advice to stock up when you can in bulk purchases. Availability of components can be an on/off thing. Buying bulk/lot batches ensures you not only have it, but its the same.
 
You also have the tools to test. If you end up changing lots and your groups open up, then you can work up some loads to see if the node moved -- I don't think the variance between lots is so much that you couldn't find the new node within a grain of the old one, so the work involved in working it up should be significantly reduced.

I've met people who will, if they can't get enough of one lot, will mix powder from different lots to get a consistent mix with enough volume. That's beyond where I would go.

(And +1 on the caution about backing off if you're near max).
 
Some powders have bigger lot ot lot variations than others.

No harm in buying lots of powder. But, the can you open will dry out and speed up. Try to keep it sealed up as much as possible. Put the lid on the powder thrower. Don't leave the powder in the thrower.
 
If I can't get a keg of 8lbs, I will buy as much powder of one type as I can. I won't even look at the lot numbers. I just take all of it and mix it together.

This may sound ridiculous but I have found that the only powder that doesn't seem to blend consistently is IMR 4320. Everything else, seems to just level out. When I try a new batch, I will usually reduce the test loads by as much as 5%. I load 5 test rounds then if all looks well, go to the base load, recorded for accuracy.

As Ganderite mentioned, some powders have huge swings in burn rate from lot to lot. That is why it is such a pain when you're buying a pound at a time. I feel sorry for the guys that pick up half cans and less at gun shows, because that's all they can afford. Hardly worth the effort if you are an accuracy nut.

Even if that's all you can afford, mix the lots into as large a batch as you can put together. You will be surprised at how consistent your mixed batches will be.

One of the biggest problems with powder today, is you don't know what plant it was made in or even which country. Any given lot of powder, can be made anywhere from Sweden to Russia, to France to Pakistan to China etc. There will be differences between all of these.

Learn to blend powders of the same burn rate and mark. Gets rid of the roller coaster effect.

I've seen guys completely dumbfounded when their pet loads in their fly chaser all of a sudden goes awry. More often than not, it can be blamed on a new can of powder or a new batch of bullets. Bullets are so consistent today that there is little or no variation between lots.
 
"but it really only matters to bench rest shooters"

I disagree. For target shooting, especally at long range, you want your ammo to be quite similar in speed from batch to batch, otherwise the elevtion difference could put you off paper. If 2950 fps works, you don't want to laod some that is 2,850.

When I have too many jugs and cans of different lot numbers, I dump it in a clean garbage can I use for just that purpose, and mix it all together into a new lot. That 40 pound lot will last awhile and be all the same.

When you buy surplus powder or pull down powder, note that it is not canister grade powder. Non-canister 4895 could be closer to 3031 or 4320 in speed, so it has to be load developed for that lot. This is why it is a good idea to mix all the same powder you have, test it, and then use the same powder for as long as possible.
 
Listen to Ganderite on this. He knows what he's talking about. Many powders are very consistent from lot to lot. There is always the exception.

I don't buy loaded commercial ammunition, other than pistol ammunition and shotgun ammo. I find, I can't really save much money or justify the time for the difference.

Rifles on the other hand are another story. I like to hit what I shoot at. Many people figure that a rifle that shoots into 8cm is "good enough for huntin". It isn't. At 100m that group can and will miss a mid sized coyote. At 250m it will wound a deer, rather than kill it quickly.

If you're going to hunt an animal, you owe that animal a death that arrives as quickly as possible. Keeping your rifle accurate and consistent is one of the things you have control of.

Lot inconsistency is a fact of life. The newer powders, like Ram Shot etc, cover larger spectrum's than the older powders and are extremely consistent from lot to lot. Much better than the old standbys, like H4831. Not that H4831 is that bad.

I will repeat myself again. If you can afford to purchase a couple of cans or several cans of powder, blend them. If you are penny pinched (I've been there) and are buying part cans of powder to keep in the shooting/hunting game, blend the part cans.

Just be very careful that you aren't blending different powders by description.

A bit off topic but I ran across a financially stressed fellow last weekend in Chilliwack. He had a bag of powder in his pocket and wanted me to identify it for him. When I explained that was impossible and he should throw it out, he went into a long rant that it cost him as much as he paid for the powder to get in the show and no one could tell him what he had. I gave him $5 for his powder and led him to another table where he could purchase a part can of powder that was rated in the speed range he needed for his old 303. IMR 3031. He got a good deal, 2/3 of a can for $5. I spread the powder on the flower beds this morning.
 
Does powder expire, or rather break down or become clumpy - and thus beyond use. If not then you can stockpile and ensure consistency with the lot #'s
 
For my Target rifle I buy it in 24 lb lots and mix it all together and pour it back into the jugs. Switching powder lots can change point of impact 3" in my tests.
plinking rifles ah no biggy.
 
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