Bare with me please, Now i hear alot of talk about variations from can to can of the same powder, when i reload for my RUM i only get 76 loads per pound, so can someone tell me what the problem would be if i mixed all of my one pound cans of the same powder to get one consistant powder? since i almost never load only 76 at a time, and would like to keep the re-zeroing to a minimum..
mixing powder?
- Thread starter MT300RUM
- Start date
What was that? I have mixed powder before, felt as long as it was not a max load couldnt hurt. I had very small amount left in each container it was 4064, and wanted to consolidate it. Its looked down upon but like I said if there not max loads to begin with I could not see yourself blowing up. Keep in mind, might not be as accurate?
Ackman
Gold $$ Contributor
Mixing remnants of the same powder works fine. I've done it a bunch of times and will continue to do it. If they're from a different lot # I make sure they're thoroughly mixed. Then back off just a little and go up again to where it's most accurate....and it's always been the same.
I've got a friend who has taken a numerous of odd spare pounds of varget, which I understand has some notorious variations from lot to lot, and put them all in a clean, 5 gallon bucket, and carefully mixed it thoroughly. He then began working loads up slowly, as normal, and had no problems whatsoever.
I would just say that whatever you mix your powder in, be careful that there is nothing near that can ignite it, and keep any body part you want uncooked out of the blast area
MQ1
I would just say that whatever you mix your powder in, be careful that there is nothing near that can ignite it, and keep any body part you want uncooked out of the blast area
MQ1
I am and always have been a big proponent of a larger quantity of the same lot of powder. Back when I first started shooting 1000yd. with my 6.5-284, I bought 6, 8 pounders of 4831, of which contained three separate lots. So, I dumped all 6 into 2 clean plastic totes and poured them back and forth like a mad scientist till I figured they were suitably mixed. When I get a new barrel chambered up I now don't worry about where to start, and know where I'll probably end up,time after time.
Way back when N-201 became available again, some thought it was too fast and mixed it with equal amounts of N-200 to speed it up a tad. Powder companies will not recommend mixing, it's a liability thing. As long as they are like powders, and you don't mix next to the furnace or other heat, fire, or spark sources,I don't have a problem doing it.
Way back when N-201 became available again, some thought it was too fast and mixed it with equal amounts of N-200 to speed it up a tad. Powder companies will not recommend mixing, it's a liability thing. As long as they are like powders, and you don't mix next to the furnace or other heat, fire, or spark sources,I don't have a problem doing it.
MQ1 said:I've got a friend who has taken a numerous of odd spare pounds of varget, which I understand has some notorious variations from lot to lot, and put them all in a clean, 5 gallon bucket, and carefully mixed it thoroughly. He then began working loads up slowly, as normal, and had no problems whatsoever.
I would just say that whatever you mix your powder in, be careful that there is nothing near that can ignite it, and keep any body part you want uncooked out of the blast area
MQ1
I've done the very same thing with Varget and have never had any problems. Adhere to the normal safety precautions listed above. I would never mix two entirely different powders to try and develop my own 'blend' but what you are describing has been done successfully by many.
I noticed differences in Varget years ago and, at the time, Varget was made in the U.S. and Australia; at least that's what the side of the bottle read. I believe Hodgdon's claim was Varget has only ever been made in Australia but I know what the side of the bottle said. The Australian Varget, ADI Industries, was hotter with approx. 200 ft/s. velocity gain.
Lou Baccino
tenring said:
Varget has been known to vary lot to lot in the past and that's the only way to ensure the lot is homogeneous; by mixing. I was developing a load for my .243 A.I. using Varget several years ago. I hit upon a sweet spot and ran out of powder. I bought another 1 lb. bottle and reloaded with the same charge I had hit upon previously. My group went to hell and the velocity was approx. 200 ft/s. slower. I looked on the side of the bottle and it said either made in U.S.A. or packaged in U.S.A. I looked at the old bottle, which was still in the recycling bin, and it said made in Australia. I've since taken to buying 8 lb. jugs of powder and the problem went away but it's something every shooter should be aware of. Powder can vary from lot to lot, some more than others.
Lou Baccino
Mixing various lots of Varget does not present the same dangers as mixing powders of different burn rates: i.e. Clays and H4350! Someone apparently misconstrued my fear of mixing different burn-rate powders. Every powder manufacturer warns against mixing dis-similar powders. Trying to create your own 'CUSTOM' powder mix is iffy at best: extremely dangerous at worst. Powder manufacturers know what they are doing, whilst we, shooters, are merely guessing when we begin guessing. cliffy
cliffy said:
If you have no idea what your talking about at least stick to one story..No offense
cliffy
Site $$ Contributor
Registered: 04/06/09
Posts: 68
06/08/09
Reply with quote #2
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Don't MIX powders for ANY reason . . . They don't burn at the same speed in most cases! Just don't do that, and you'll be safer and remain more accurate. cliffy
__________________
Cliff O. Pliml, NRA Certified Range Safety Officer
Hell, the way my old Savage is shooting nowadays I could mix pigeon shit, kingsford charcoal and Jack Daniels together, let it dry in the sun, cap it off with an old marble and she will do just fine! So much for mixing powders!
On a more serious note, there is no reason why you can't mix the SAME powder to create an average burn rate. If the makers of Varget recommend such and such a weight for a specific pressure and velocity than they obveously trust their chemistry within safe ranges lot after lot. If not they would need to publish new load data for every new lot!
just my two cents
On a more serious note, there is no reason why you can't mix the SAME powder to create an average burn rate. If the makers of Varget recommend such and such a weight for a specific pressure and velocity than they obveously trust their chemistry within safe ranges lot after lot. If not they would need to publish new load data for every new lot!
just my two cents
Well, to be truly effective, how does one ensure that the powder has been mixed sufficiently to ensure 100% homogeneity?
And in doing so, is one breaking down the kernels, flakes, or granules?....which is KNOWN to have drastic effects on the burn rate.
Not saying I wouldn't do it....just something to ponder.
And in doing so, is one breaking down the kernels, flakes, or granules?....which is KNOWN to have drastic effects on the burn rate.
Not saying I wouldn't do it....just something to ponder.
LHSMITH said:
If you put the powder in a blender you would know for sure that it's all mixed 100%
On a serious note, You could test you mix by shooting it through a chrono.... if it's consistent, then you're good.,given that everything else that affects ES and SD are already taken out of the equation.)
I have occasionally mixed powder remnants with a fresh can to get a larger volume of the same burn characteristics. I have never had to change loading data either. It's always been small quantities though, like finishing up with a 1/2 full 1 lb can that is 3/4 full. I just pour them together and slowly tumble the can end over end and then reverse the direction, still end over end. I would be wary of vigorous or protracted mixing for the same reason that LHSMITH commented on. Otherwise, no problem. Just don't ever mix different powders together.
Tom
Tom
Link
Gold $$ Contributor
I posted a question on a forum and no one saw it important enough to answer.= 'dusty powder'
I had a 1 lb can of 4064 and when I pour it into my thrower it has a LOT of dust in the air.
So I took several 1 lb cans and took them outdoors where there was a nice breeze, then began to pour the cans of 4064 from 1 big container to another. This blew away the dust and mixed the powders to a consistant mixture.
At the availability of powder I was not goint to sh!t can this power!
It worked for me right or wrong?
Don
I had a 1 lb can of 4064 and when I pour it into my thrower it has a LOT of dust in the air.
So I took several 1 lb cans and took them outdoors where there was a nice breeze, then began to pour the cans of 4064 from 1 big container to another. This blew away the dust and mixed the powders to a consistant mixture.
At the availability of powder I was not goint to sh!t can this power!
It worked for me right or wrong?
Don
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