Ever pour out or give away good powder you don't like?

[kopcicle]

I find uses for any "leftover" energetic.

 

[Rule3]

I have about 2/3 lb of CFE-P. I've found it inferior in every cartridge I've tried and doubt I'll ever use it again.

I may just pour it out to make space.

Have you ever discarded or given away good (not old or expired) powder you just didn't want?

Wow, you must have very particular tastes in powders?? What exactly is so horrible about it??

CFE PISTOL


This spherical pistol propellant was designed for competitive shooters and handloaders seeking the perfect powder for target or self-defense loads.

CFE Pistol contains our Copper Fouling Eraser ingredient, originally used in military propellant, which greatly deters copper fouling and contributes to longer periods of top accuracy with less barrel cleaning time.

CFE Pistol provides optimum performance in cartridges like the 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 40 S&W, the 45 ACP and many more.

Available in 1 lb. and 8 lb. containers.

 

[Thomasss]

I had some powder once, that I couldn't tell what it was, so I spread out on my lawn. I also had some black powder that only had a couple of ounces left. I put it on a brick, bent over and dropped a lit match to it. Before I could stand up my eye lids were gone as well as the hair on my arm. lol
I also had some 30 year old plus H4831 that started to smoke by itself . So I also spread that across my lawn and watered it in.

 

[entropy]

I have given away partial containers of powders I stopped using, I only fertilize with mix ups or unknowns. I have some Green Dot and WST mixed, fortunately only about 4 oz. total.

 

[Howland937]

What exactly is so horrible about it??

CFE Pistol provides optimum performance in cartridges like the 9mm Luger, 38 Super

Different interpretation of "optimum performance" for starters.

 

[JSneezy]

I never heard anyone hating Power Pistol, or anything from Alliant for that matter. Not disputing it mind you, I have never used an Alliant powder, I am just saying that’s the first time I have ever heard someone hating it.

I hate that I can't find Reloder 15 for a reasonable price. Does that count?

 

[deadeye dick]

I never throw out any unused powder of known origin. When i get down to the last bit i hand measure till it's gone than open the next ottle.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Wow, you must have very particular tastes in powders?? What exactly is so horrible about it??

CFE PISTOL


This spherical pistol propellant was designed for competitive shooters and handloaders seeking the perfect powder for target or self-defense loads.

CFE Pistol contains our Copper Fouling Eraser ingredient, originally used in military propellant, which greatly deters copper fouling and contributes to longer periods of top accuracy with less barrel cleaning time.

CFE Pistol provides optimum performance in cartridges like the 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 40 S&W, the 45 ACP and many more.

Available in 1 lb. and 8 lb. containers.

Erratic velocities even when loaded to max.

More erratic loaded mid-level. Fails to cycle some autos then.

Unburned powder seen as a grey cloud in front of the muzzle and more residue left around the barrel / slide.

Increased recoil. As in, lower and / or erratic velocities than another powder ( such as 700x or Titegroup) while creating more recoil.

Same experience in about 5 different cartridges. I'm done with it.

Sure, it goes bang. But I don't like it and don't want to use it.

It is less than a pound, so maybe $20 worth.

The "Firework" idea is a great one!

 

[Shivahasagun]

Firecrackers!!!!!!!

I can never post images here!

Anyway...Thinking cat meme:

"I should buy some cannon fuse".

 

[Bcwitt]

You can wrap it w paper & tape to a stick. Makes decent bottle rockets. Imr 4198 works pretty good.

 

[bigpower491]

I can never post images here!

Anyway...Thinking cat meme:

"I should buy some cannon fuse".

Yea man I know it's a bummer when you have powder on hand you really never want to use again. I've got more than enough myself. Some I'll find some kind of goofy load to shoot with it, just for trigger time. Others, not sure yet. But I do have a ton of cannon fuse......

 

[Y-T71]

I've never given or thrown away powder but I was given a new bottle of Titegroup 7-8 years ago and I'm trying to burn it up to get rid of it; though it's hard to do when using such small charges.

If I would ever chuck any powder into my backyard it will be that.

Still sitting on 6-7 lbs of Varget and doubt I'll buy any more when it's gone.

 

[red rick]

I gave away an almost full bottle of Blackhorn 209 because my muzzleloader was having hangfires with it . For what it cost now , I doubt many people will buy it .

 

[Bcwitt]

You could also mix it w sulfuric acid & distill it to fuming Nitric acid. Then you could.... nevermind

 

[cfullgraf]

Generally, if I have a powder I do not like, I manage to load it up in practice/plinking loads to use it up. Generally I buy only one pound containers at first for new to me powders so the pain is not too bad.

Occasionally, I have dumped the bottom of a container if I do not plan to use the powder any more and there is not enough left in the jug to make a reloading run worth while.

IMR 3031 and Tite Group are the only powders banded from my reloading room. The former primarily because I do not load any cartridges 3031 is optimum for. The later because I do not trust the loading data. To get my 38 Special loads to clear the barrel of my 4” revolver, I had to drastically increase the powder charge. Worked fine in short barrel revolvers so I consumed the powder in my 38 Special snubbies.

 

[Dudedog]

and I hate using primers to shoot a powder up that isnt working well for me

Yep, I am pulling 200 rounds right now that I loaded with Universal, my notes say accuracy so-so,
going to reload them with come CFE-P I want to burn it up, my notes say CFE-P with that bullet gave me good accuracy.


Mixed range brass, S+B SP 5" 1911, charges as thrown after setting measure
String: 1
Date: 8/26/2018
Time: 11:45:43 AM
Grains: 124
Hi Vel: 1049
Low Vel: 1007
Ave Vel: 1027
Ext Spread: 42
Std Dev: 18
4.7 CFE-P RMR Target HP-Plated 1.08
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
1007 124.868 279.179
1010 125.24 280.845
1031 127.844 292.645
1040 128.96 297.776
1049 130.076 302.952

Yep crummy 2 digit SD, but hey they seemed to shoot well.
I would suspect the charges on rounds one and 2 might have been a little light, but on the other hand I would be fairly confident all 5 cases were a different headstamp (very mixed range brass)

CFE-P has worked really well for me in .380 at Close to MAX, MAX charges.

Kahr P380 (very short barrel, things are harder when it's short)

Factory Federal
String: 2
Date: 8/14/2016
Time: 8:44:02 AM
Grains: 95
Hi Vel: 845
Low Vel: 826
Ave Vel: 832
Ext Spread: 19
Std Dev: 7
Federal .380 95 FMJ
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
845 80.275 150.605
828 78.66 144.606
835 79.325 147.061
829 78.755 144.955
826 78.47 143.908

Kahr P380, S+B SP, mixed range brass, charges as thrown after setting measure
Note: 4.0gr is book MAX
String: 2
Date: 8/14/2016
Time: 9:23:07 AM
Grains: 100
Hi Vel: 862
Low Vel: 843
Ave Vel: 853
Ext Spread: 19
Std Dev: 7
380 100 Xtreme 4.0 CFE-P
Velocity Power Factor Ft/Lbs
862 77.58 148.477
843 75.87 142.004
855 76.95 146.075
850 76.5 144.372
856 77.04 146.417

Better vel than the factory Federal, but SD and ES were the same, had to laugh, couldn't have done that if I was trying. (single digit SD in this load)
(have 100 rounds pick 5 to chrono, picked the right 5, LOL)

What is inferior with CFE-P compared to your other powders?
Vel
SD
ES
holes on paper (what really matters)

The only thing I have found that I prefer it for vs other powders is .380 so yes it is inferior for some loads, but at least to me I don't feel like I got ripped off buying it and it's "junk"

Other than the .380 app I prefer other powders than CFE-P
but in all the other things I have tried it in it was not so terrible that I consider it useless.
Give it to a friend, put it on the back of the shelf for hard times.

Some of the USPSA guys loading 9mm Major for matches seem to like it.
(of course they are loading charges that are above book MAX by quite a bit)

Edit
OP wonder if the batch of CFE-P you have is going bad, the things you mentioned seemed like what you could expect if a powder has started to degrade/go bad.

Powder does not keep for ever, and does go bad.
I haven't had this problem but what you mentioned seems to fit what people who have had powder go bad have reported.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

I trade, not give.

 

[KandBA]

I can’t imagine pouring out perfectly good powder. I did give my best buddy an open pound of Ramshot True Blue the other day, it just wasn’t what I was looking for.

 

[lightman]

I've never poured out a known good powder. I have recently poured out a few that were suspicious. I have sold, traded or given away powders that I was just not happy with.
Truthfully I don't throw powder out. I put it in a large fruit jar and take it to Deer Camp for my annual "light show" around the camp fire.
I also save duds that I pick up and pull the bullets, dump the powder and salvage the brass.

 

[.38 Special]

I've never had a powder I thought completely useless. Certainly there are some I don't like all that well, and they just sit on the shelf awaiting I don't know what. At worst they'll someday go bad and get used as firepit sprinkles. At best they will work well in some application which I don't yet foresee.

 

[jmorris]

I never have. I take powders I don’t like, bullets I don’t like and cases that I don’t want anymore and load them up for one of our “play days” and don’t blink an eye at rounds fired.

Most people have just as much fun shooting anything that always goes “bang”, as they would your “top shelf” handloads.

 

[hdwhit]

Nope.

I still have powder that dates from the 1970s (and shows no sign of deterioration) that I keep in the hope of finding a use for it.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I've traded and gave away powder to my apprentices that I have taught to reload, and to friends.
I have thrown powder in with a package deal to make it look better also.

 

[Random 8]

I've gotten a few partials over the years in auction lots that I didn't trust. Also self-contaminated a partial jug of H110 once D'oh! A few odd lots from pulldowns.

I've never poured out or given away though. NFA approved hobby rocketry is a good use! A wooden rocket propulsion device and simple cardboard tubing rocket is quite easy to build, and a slight modification of smokeless powder makes it suitable as a propellant. I use a longish cannon fuse to ensure remote ignition, and it's a winter hobby to eliminate any fire risk.