Bullseye stuck in hopper

[Link]

MMMmm I left some Bullyseye in my chargenaster overnight. Today it was stuck all over the inside like glue. Whata PITA. I have never seen this before with any other powder. The room has ac so its always 74*. I know don't leave any powder un sealed.

Don ;[

 

[searcher]

I've never experienced that in the instances I forgot and left powder in the hopper. When I was 14 and new to reloading (no parental supervision..), I left some Bullseye in the hopper for about a month. I loaded up some .44 Special loads with it and it was like shooting black powder. White puffs of smoke and low velocities. That powder might be a bit more hygroscopic than others?

 

[Krogen]

I quit using Bullseye some years ago, because it gummed up my Redding powder measure. I didn't even leave it in the hopper. Just throwing a few charges made the drum stick. I had to take it apart and clean it with alcohol to restore operation. I blame it on an apparent formulation change. I had been using Bullseye in the old cardboard tubes for a long time without troubles. Then it appeared in the black plastic jugs and was deemed "improved" and "cleaner." That coincided with my gummy measure. Something definitely changed. I haven't used Bullseye ever since. I bet you're done with it too, Link.

 

[SSL]

I seem to remember an article from years ago that stated Bullseye, left stored in a plastic measure hopper, would degrade and actually pit the surface of the hopper. Been many years, so I could be mistaken.

 

[chkunz]

I started using Bullseye in 1967 and used it for the next 20 years. It was stored in the original containers both metal and cardboard and left in the powder measure for extended periods of time. There was never any of the problems that you described so something has definitely changed.

 

[tommeboy]

Newer Lee powder measures are the only ones that will not do that. It is from the nitro in the powder. Get a replacement from these guys and never worry again. https://dramworx.com/products/rcbs/

 

[jds holler]

I've always had so much of the old bullseye, that I've never bought any of the new stuff. And, I've never had any problems with the old stuff. However quite awhile back I started loading wimpy loads for some top break revolvers I've got, using 1.5 grains of Bullseye, and with that low of charge, my Uniflow was kind of "smudgy" with the drum and body. I've since moved on to HP38, and find it to work smoother and more accurately from the measure. jd

 

[243winxb]

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/warnings/


Powder left in the reloader’s powder measure hoppers for extended periods, overnight or several days,
should be avoided. Powder needs to be stored in original containers ONLY when not in use. Numerous mod-
ern smokeless powders are double base in construction, containing both Nitrocellulose and Nitroglycerine.
Many powder measures use plastics containing polystyrene, which Nitroglycerine adversely affects when
contact is made for extended periods of time, resulting in etching or misshaping the plastic. Normal usage
during the reloading process does not provide adequate time for this to occur, so simply draining hoppers
into the original containers when the reloading is completed for the day, prevents damaging the hoppers.

 

[Link]

Update.. I loaded some varget tonight and in about a hour it was doing the same thing, but not as bad. When done I stored it in the original container. I wonder if I should wipe the hopper out with alcohol"?

 

[Krogen]

If you wipe it with alcohol, then follow up with a a dryer sheet. Graphite in the powder helps mitigate static. A thorough cleaning with alcohol can take it out. The dryer sheet reduces dissipates static charge accumulation. Triboelectric charging for you techy types.

 

[D-4297]

Feel for ya , Bro . My Dad was a Big Time Bullseye shooter back in the early - Mid sixties , and I got the dubious chore of making sure "Everything" was cleaned when a loading session was done . And I do mean everything ! Forgot the Powder feed tube just once . Then I got to buy a new one . You couldn't get the powder out of that tube with a jack-hammer . Remember it like it was yesterday . Funny how some mistakes stick , ain't it ?

 

[Rickhem]

This sounds strange to me.
I was a fairly active Bullseye Pistol competitor from the early 1980s up through the early/mid 2000s. I had/have two Square Deal presses, one set up for small primers, one for large. My .38 load was 2.6 grains of Bullseye powder, and the .45 load was 4.2 grains. There was Bullseye powder in both hoppers for that entire time. I used to add to it when it got low, and I'd never fill it over half full, but I never ever emptied the hoppers. Both hoppers have a light grey tint towards the bottom them now, I assume from the graphite in with the powder, but I've never had any issues with the powder, or the accuracy of the charges those measures would throw.
Something else is happening here.