What to do with that last bit of powder in the bottle?

[Shivahasagun]

I've used up a bottle of powder for the first time.

It's Titegroup with maybe 200 gr at most in it.

Do I put it in my Lee Drum hopper as usual, keep a close eye on it, and try to get the last 50-60 rounds out of it?

Or can I just mix the last bit in the hopper with more from a fresh bottle? (Of Titegroup)

 

[1KPerDay]

I just run the powder measure down as usual but weigh the last few charges individually.

I also wouldn't have an issue putting the last dregs of one bottle of TG in with a full new bottle of TG, though others might have kittens about that.

 

[Crosshair]

I pour the last little bit into the new bottle and shake it a bit. I'm not loading super hot loads.

 

[Charlie98]

Pour it into the new can and roll it over a few times...

When I was running a powder out, where I didn't have another can... when the level gets below the metal edge of my Hornady powder drop, I would check every 5th drop for weight.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I've used up a bottle of powder for the first time.

It's Titegroup with maybe 200 gr at most in it.

Do I put it in my Lee Drum hopper as usual, keep a close eye on it, and try to get the last 50-60 rounds out of it?

Or can I just mix the last bit in the hopper with more from a fresh bottle? (Of Titegroup)

Have a nondenominational service, invite friends and family, and load that last one or handful as a celebration of life! L’Chaim!

 

[JmacD]

Have a nondenominational service, invite friends and family, and load that last one or handful as a celebration of life! L’Chaim!

To be truly non denominational, there needs to be proper representation of shooters world, IMR, Hodgdon, VV, and Winchester as well. Perhaps some of the Norma’s as well… ok bad and possibly morose joke… no offense intended…

 

[Blue68f100]

I use it up. If not enough for a complete load I add new but make the case as a fouler. I never mix powders in bottles unless it's the same lot.

 

[Skeptic13]

I always just mix the last powder of one bottle with a fresh bottle of the same powder.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Thanks, y'all!

 

[EricBu]

I've used up a bottle of powder for the first time.

It's Titegroup with maybe 200 gr at most in it.

Do I put it in my Lee Drum hopper as usual, keep a close eye on it, and try to get the last 50-60 rounds out of it?

Or can I just mix the last bit in the hopper with more from a fresh bottle? (Of Titegroup)

Tail it, or dump it in the fresh bottle of TG. Unquestionably. I know some on here would have you believe that is the devil......but what do you think manufacturers do? You think small boutique ammo makers are throwing out potentially hundreds of lbs of powder every year at 20 to 30 bucks per? Yeah......NOT. Tail it and be happy.

 

[Gone Hiking]

If it's in my powder hopper, I'll usually just top it off with fresh. If I'm hand weighing charges, I use the last bit up. I'll mix the last few grains with fresh in a single load that I'll mark with a sharpie stripe as a sighter round. I sure don't dump it out!

 

[cfullgraf]

Generally, my loads in handgun cartridges are not near max. I usually top up the powder measure from the new tin. When I empty the powder measure at the end of the reloading session, any of the old powder that is in the powder measure just gets mixed in with the new powder.

Now, for max loads such as with W296/H110 I run the old powder out, weighing each of the last 30-50 powder charges.

I then run a few cartridges with the new powder to see if it performs comparably with the old powder.

The small amount of old powder left gets mixed in with the new powder.

 

[kcofohio]

I've put the last bit in ziplock baggies as a sample source for identity. Keep all the baggies in a Berry's plastic bullet box. Of course the next bottle of that powder gets emptied and joins the following container.

But I like to keep samples of all the bullets I reload for later comparisons.

 

[DMW1116]

Congratulations on finally using a whole bottle of Titegroup. How many decades have you been reloading?

 

[dcarr]

The very last bit of powder in the bottle gets put in the top of the new bottle of the same powder name. Different lot I'm sure but just plinking .

 

[Pottimus]

I looked for lot numbers on a bottle once. I will mix the last little back or top off the measure with new. but that is why I come back...to learn things...

 

[Random 8]

Tail it, but just be sure you tail it in the right bottle! I'm still working through a can of Red Dot with a trace of R15 kernels in it. OOPS! I'm shooting .38s in a few .357 guns with it, and not red-lining the loads. So far I haven't even noticed the R15 kernels performance wise. Usually gets 2-3 in a charge. You can smell them though!

 

[AJC1]

I have hand weighed what my dispenser won't, and I've just added it to a new bottle. If it's all new powder who cares. If your powder is over a decade old I don't mix them.

 

[WeekendReloader]

I use up the last bits of powder first, hand weighing the last few charges out of the powder measure if needed. I'll top off the last round by hand with new powder if there isn't enough for a full charge. Then I pour the new bottle in the hopper.

I don't like mixing old with new. No real reason to do it. As unlikely as it may be, I don't want the fraction of old powder going bad and ruining the new powder.

 

[Thomasss]

1) Put the last bit in a powder trickler and load it up. An empty shotshell works good too. Although I know some people that will add it to the next can of powder, that may cause you trouble down the road. I bought some 4831 from a friend whose reloading father passed away and did that and guess what I found?

 

[lightman]

I put the dregs of the nearly empty bottle in a new bottle and roll it around to mix them up. Been doing it for years. Check the labels on both bottles to make good and sure they are the same powder.

 

[Shivahasagun]

Congratulations on finally using a whole bottle of Titegroup. How many decades have you been reloading?

2 years. I think I'm half through a bottle of 700x, too.

All pistol ammo from a Lee Turret. And half a bottle of Enforcer, but that's easy at 13.9 gr in a .357 mag case.

 

[DMW1116]

I posted about having half a medicine bottle left of my Titegroup sample. I was told it was a lifetime supply. I've loaded about 125 rounds of 357 target loads with HBWC and it doesn't really look like I've used much. It's uncanny how far you can stretch a full pound of Titegroup. It's like slicing tomatoes so thin, the slices only have 2 sides.

 

[Bcwitt]

Roll it up w a stick & light it. 4198 makes good rockets. Idk if titegroup would or not.

 

[gwpercle]

Even when the price of powder was reasonable ... I could never see throwing away that last perfectly good powder left in the old bottle ! I just poured it into the new bottle , give a little toss and turn to mix and kept on reloading ... no harm in 50 years of doing it .
Gary