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Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2346 Location: West MI

Scored #3 of Red Dot in a recent reloading stuff acquisition...woohoo! It was in the bottom of one of those old Hercules #8 cardboard kegs. Smelled OK, not acrid but didn't have that acetone kinda smell + a pinch of it about the size of a pinch of chew touched off on the bench with a bic very quickly and burned w/little to no residue.

I know and respect the concerns about taking on "used" powder containers, but, the source is genuine and I have no concerns about the purity of this powder.

So; good to go? Any other grass roots testing I can preform to prove worthy of reloading??

The stuff is worthless, send it to my and I will dispose of it for you Embarassed

Good to go? Yes, enjoy

Mike

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

The smelll of bad powder is unforgettable---quite distinct from good powder.Note the condition of the container-does it have water stains,etc.

Joined: 19 Feb 2012 Posts: 27 Location: SW WI

Can you send me pics? I haven't seen any old or new powder in so long I'm thinking it might just be like vintage porn!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Putzie - I have had great luck with RD it seems no matter how old . Have had some REALLY old stuff , couldn't tell it from the new ... I've gotten some Herco tho that I approach with caution . Smells great , but there are both flakes and tons of dust . The 1st batch I poured out created such a cloud , I went outside . Never did that before . Poured it from the old container to a diff one with a little wind to assist dust removal . Twice . A little better , but just not sure . At least it is more consistent flaky . Need some newer stuff to compare - good luck with that !

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2346 Location: West MI

I appreciate the offer to dispose of this worthless stuff skeettx; and just how would you dispose of it? roughly 17gr at a time??...with a loud bang??...into thin air???...clown.... Very Happy

The cardboard keg is unblemished from anything other than having dust resting on it, I've emptied the remaining powder into spent modern plastic powder #1'ers, the empty keg should make a fine hull storage container + look sharp doin it.

Thanks for the input all, everything I've read and experienced led me to believe this is shootable powder, couldn't hurt to ask.

Hey 16D, NOW I can take advantage of all those RD recipes you've been so generous with. Now to find the time to burn some in the direction of some birds or clays is the big question.

Many thanks...

Member Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 401 Location: Tennessee

I love those old 8lb fiber tubs, I make shell carriers out of them. Drill a 1/2" hole with a sharp wood bit in opposite sides, below where the lid would rest, run about 5ft depending on your height of 7/16 rope between the holes, slip a big ol' washer on the inside of each end, tie a knot in each end and you have a carrier that will hold about 250 12ga or 300 20ga loads. I have 6 of these that I made up 30 years ago and haven't worn one out yet.
They also sit at the bottom of my loading bench with 2" pvc routed straight down from the shell ramp on my 9000G loaders then 45 degree angled out to dump my reloads straight into the carriers sitting at my feet.

My experience if it looks like powder and smells like powder, it will go bang. If it looks like Garrett's snuff, give it to Granny Clampett or my mother-in-law.

I've used a lot of old powder over the years--some of which came to me in coffee cans--with out any problems. Have some Herco and Red Dot right now that is probably 30 years old or older. Just shot some doves a few days back with some Green Dot that came in a Folger's can; loaded it up in some Winchester CF's with R16's.

A reloader friend just scored a large stash of shotgun and rifle reloading stuff from an estate sale. I've benefitted by purchasing 6 pounds of Universal; 2K Winchester 209's and 3 bags of Lawrence shot for a song. Makes me glad I gave him a couple of hundred Winchester 16 gauge CF's a few year's back. A few months ago, I picked up two bags of shot from an individual out of a newspaper add for less that half the going rate. So keep an eye out; every once in a while a blind hog finds an acorn!