Old Powder & Reload Data

If the powder is still good I would compare the data and start with the lowest.

Kinda depends. Some of the newer data for handguns had been softened because of new pressure testing procedures/equipment. Some powders have been reformulated. For the most part, I would go with newer data since it is most recent and because it sounds like new the OP is going to have to buy new projectiles, which may not be in some of his older manuals.

Welcome back...

IMO if you have load notes of loads you used to like I would load them again with the old powder. The old data was safe with the powders of the time so I see no reason not to use both as long as the powder hasn't gone bad.

Companies strive to keep powders within a safe range year to year so the older data is usually safe to use. This is why they give us a charge range, to make us safe if there are any small differences in powder speed lot to lot and year to year, even if they are now using a different factory and or country to produce it.

Sniff test, start at the start, work up.

They should smell like solvent (acetone, thinner), not ammonia.

Eddy19 said:

Coming off a long hiatus from shooting and so glad I didn't sell anything. I have lots of old powder and data books from 1995. Powder has been stored in original containers and kept in a cool, dry, place.

Question is, do you think it's OK to use the latest (2019) mfg's reloading data with the old powder? or safer to go by the old data books?
Thanks!

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LOL. Damn, powder from 1995, I’ve got socks Older than that. A rule of thumb I’ve followed for 40 + years is to record the lot number, and when purchasing new powder of a different lot number but the manufacturers brand and type is to reduce your load by 5% for the first few rounds. I’d be comfortable with using the published data.

I use old data with old powder.

I discovered two unopened containers of Alcan #5 (not accurate #5 ) on my powder shelf during the last powder shortage . The powder was good and the 1974 Speer #9 manual had loads of Alcan data . Put it to good use reloading 38 special , 357 magnum and 41 magnum . Worked just fine .
Newer manuals had nothing with Alcan Powders .
Gary

Some times your only choice of loa d data for old powder is to use old data because that is all the data you can find. In those cases use the old data but work up your loads again.

Since the burn rate specification of a powder does not change over time, new data should be good for old powder with the same name. IE. 40 year old Unique had the same burn rate when it was manufactured as Unique made last year. However you may find that older powder has degraded to some extent and will produce lower velocities than it did when you used it previously. I have never experienced or heard of a old powder producing higher pressure but have experienced that it may produce lower pressures and velocities.

1995? I thought this was going to be about ooold powder like HiVel, Sharpshooter, Lightning, something like that.
Or a brown paper bag full of bullseye or unique.
Hell, I'm still using up my Hercules Unique!

Give it the sniff test, and you'll know pretty readily if it's still "good".

as far as working up a load..... I like to look through every available piece of literature I have about loads alike or similar to what I'm using.
factor them all together, keep in mind what type of fixtures were used in testing, and then find a sane spot somewhere in the middle to find my range of where I'll start and what lines I don't want to cross.

It takes a bit of time to look at it all that way first, but chances are you'll find the load you like, you won't blow yourself up, and you'll probably learn stuff along the way.

Powder does go bad, your stuff is just about 20 years old and that is ten years beyond the age that Federal says is the shelf life of their ammunition. They are being conservative, but you know, I have tossed a bunch of mid nineties powder. And so have others.










Powder that is fuming nitrogen dioxide is highly dangerous, it is ready to auto combust and burn your house down!

So, with your powders, break the seals and sniff the stuff. If it has has the slightest vinegary, bitter smell, toss it. If the smell knocks your socks off, pour it out immediately. Nitrogen dioxide turns into nitric acid gas and that is ungodly horrible.



If the powder has a neutral smell, it is past its mid life and it is about time to shoot it up.

In so far as reloading manuals. When I called Accurate Arms and Hercules, they blended their powders so the pressure curves were within plus of minus 5% (or 10%) of their standard for that powder. That was so you could use the same brand powder and reloading data that you created eons ago. However, powder companies can change their formulations at will, so it is best to find reloading manuals from the era of your powders and use that data.

This is an outstanding site with free old manuals:

http://marvinstuart.com/firearm/Manuals/Reloading/Reloading Manuals/

Eddy19 said:

Coming off a long hiatus from shooting and so glad I didn't sell anything. I have lots of old powder and data books from 1995. Powder has been stored in original containers and kept in a cool, dry, place.

Question is, do you think it's OK to use the latest (2019) mfg's reloading data with the old powder? or safer to go by the old data books?
Thanks!

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I wouldn't be afraid to go by either books. Especially if you have a chronograph to double check against.

Eddy19 said:

some didn't have any smell.

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That's the stuff you need to shoot up first.

I've used some really old powders. Way older than the 90's. as long as they were stored properly they're likely fine.

greyling22 said:

I've used some really old powders. Way older than the 90's. as long as they were stored properly they're likely fine.

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We all have used old powders. And because the lifetime of powders is so unpredictable, and shooters want powder to be immortal, they believe what fits their world image.But powders do not last forever, regardless of storage conditions. They do deteriorate faster in heat. Exponentially faster in fact.




Look for signs of deterioration and toss the stuff before it burns your house down or blows up your firearm.

I had some 90's rl7 go bad it smelled spicy and was rusty looking.
Still using some 60's green dot up it is weaker than new, worked up load over max book to get pistol to cycle.

If any of your powder is IMR 4320, use some extra caution in working up loads. I received some of this, unknown exact age but likely 80's judging by the packaging. It was too hot loading with modern data. 3000fps in 30-06 168 grain is a bit much. Vintage data I found was a couple grains lighter.