How to dry out new powder, or is this a bad idea?

[NC/Br Shooter]

In search of narrowing down every possible variation, anything that I may have control over.
I had read somewhere sometime back about this short range shooter drying out powder in the sun in middle of winter. It was one of those threads in the middle of winter I was reading way back in the archives last year. I remember reading it but back then I didn't shoot short range. At a match earlier this year I over heard two guys discussing it.
I'm asking about how to do this. So, I'm under the impression that if you do this it some how get your lot of powder to the lightest it can get so later on it won't change on you as bad, change as in draw any moisture and become heavier, therefore charging your load. I understand it maybe very small amount. I keep my jugs tight, and never exposed. Is this something that shooters actually do? If so, have you actually seen a measurable difference.?
Iv not seen it discussed here, only just some thread from way back. I may had read about it on another sight for all I can remember.
So, like I say, I may have it all all wrong, would like to know more about it if I'm not misremembering or mistaken.
Thanks for any input.

 

[big5ifty]

There is always a degree of humidity in the air.

In the middle of winter, if you have winter rains or snow, you will have higher humidity.

Deliberately exposing powder to humidity ?

Unless one of the two shooters at the short range match were in it to win, and feeding deliberate misinformation to the other. Like some pro's are known to do.

 

[MikeRu]

No need IMO, just store it tightly closed in humidity-controlled room such as 40-50% humidity with good air circulation.

 

[WyleWD]

It's a bad idea. Store gunpowder according to the manufacturer's recommendations. WD

 

[jimmymac]

Don’t overthink it.

 

[BoydAllen]

If you are preloading in a controlled environment I see little use for conditioning powder. If you were going to be loading at the range and the humidity was low enough that the powder was likely to be drying out and therefor increasing its burn rate as the day progressed. It might be advantageous to expose the powder to that condition beforehand so that the degree and rate of change would be minimized, by the powder starting the day at a moisture content that was close to what range conditions would produce. If you want to see the difference that conditioning would make for your local conditions, put some powder out in a tray for an hour or so during average ambient conditions and afterword use it to load some rounds, to the same charge weight that you have previously loaded using powder from a freshly opened container. Comparing the velocity should tell you if you need to have a plan for dealing with the issue. Over the years I have know quite a number of very skilled short range group shooters who did very well in competition including winning matches and setting records while completely ignoring this issue....but some people seem to love complication.

 

[Walt Krafft]

By "drying" the powder, you now have no idea what it really is. DON'T DO IT.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Years ago, there was a story that a well known Benchrest shooter got so disgusted with 133 not shooting at Phoenix that he spread a couple of pounds out on a towel in the bathroom of his RV and turned the shower on hot, and closed the door.
I’m not sure what this steam bath did, but at least he was trying.

 

[NC/Br Shooter]

Well, basically all I really had heard was a story or two. I just wondering if there was anything to it. Now I know.
Thanks

 

[Evlshnngns]

Its a good question. I like the response above about keeping the room consistent temp/humidity year round.

 

[Bronsin]

It's always been my understanding that powder was supposed to have a certain amount of moisture. Completely drying it out dooesn't sound like a smart move to me.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Changing the moisture content of a powder will affect its burn rate, so how are you going to.
measure how much moisture you have removed and what the new burn rate will be.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

As Joe would say...."don't".

 

[Jeff Porter]

Well - I had a lot of H4895 that was giving me way less velocity (200 fps) in a 6 BRA than advertised by a lot of other shooters. Varget Velo was near where expected so I did not think it was a "slow barrel. The H4895 Jug I was using was found to be not very well sealed and I was thinking it had gained moisture due to my poor storage. I used a food dehydrator at low temp (105 F) for a couple of hours and the velocity returned to expected ranges. I found a few shooters who did this with every lot of Varget or H4895 and they indicated it was removing the lot to lot variability these two powders can exhibit.

I am not advocating drying powder, just saying it has been done before.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Im no expert certainly dont do what I do, but here is my experience. I live in las vegas. The humidity in the house is usually around 15 to 20 %. I fill the hopper on my scale and the powder stays in there for a while as I do testing. Could be a few weeks. I noticed early on that if I opened a fresh bottle of powder and loaded it, next week the identical charge would yield significantly faster velocity. I now try to only put as much in the hopper as I think I need that day.

 

[NC/Br Shooter]

Well - I had a lot of H4895 that was giving me way less velocity (200 fps) in a 6 BRA than advertised by a lot of other shooters. Varget Velo was near where expected so I did not think it was a "slow barrel. The H4895 Jug I was using was found to be not very well sealed and I was thinking it had gained moisture due to my poor storage. I used a food dehydrator at low temp (105 F) for a couple of hours and the velocity returned to expected ranges. I found a few shooters who did this with every lot of Varget or H4895 and they indicated it was removing the lot to lot variability these two powders can exhibit.

I am not advocating drying powder, just saying it has been done before.

Sounds like you had success doing it then

 

[NC/Br Shooter]

Its a good question. I like the response above about keeping the room consistent temp/humidity year round.

I'll probably watch that one tonight

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Reminds me of a story from a buddy who was with the Royal Ulster Constabulary during the "troubles". They all piled into a flat to make an arrest, to find Paddy making napalm in a metal bucket on a gas stove. Slowly backs away...

 

[William Vogel]

The powder needs to remain stable whatever it’s moisture content. By drying it out your load is going to change and you might have to adjust your load. I’d only expose enough to load and quickly reseal. Load up and pour it back, seal. It’ll cost a little time but it’s consistency that’s important. I never leave powder in the dispenser. I don’t shoot competitions.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Sounds like you had success doing it then

I did , but buying sealable MTM storage containers with desiccant bags in them and being more careful with where I store the powder was the long term solution.