How can I tell if powder is bad or to old to use?

[benny]

I bought out a friends reloading stuff, there is a lot of older powder tins that I have no idea how old they are accept these are tin containers where the same product is now in plastic containers.
I did a sniff test on then and didn't find any that had a strong oder but does that really tell if a powder is bad?

Yea I know some are going to say just throw it out, but I hate to waste it if it is still good.

Thanks

[LarryFlew]

IMO, and it is just that, i have purchased and used old powder just using the "smell" test. To me the bad stuff smelled acrid, the good smelled sweet and old but worked fine barely had an odor but had no bitter or acrid smell at all.

Your mileage may vary.

[BigDog58]

The only one I've found bad, was some IMR 4895 and as Larry stated, it had a very acrid smell. This particular powder also had a reddish/yellow looking powder coming off of it. It went into my yard as fertilizer.

I have a few of the old style cans (metal) of other powders and they smell, look and shoot just fine.

[mmcnx2]

Please consider some powders formulations have been changed over the years and thus while they remain the same number the associated load data may have changed.

[Seismic Sam]

The other thing to remember is that powder lasts a VERY long time once it's been loaded, which is also proof that it's VERY, VERY stable. Up until about 3 or 4 years ago, when I would go brass scrounging out at OGC, you could occasionally find recently fired RA-42 45 ACP cases. The case had the original primer in it, so the powder in that case was 70 years old. In addition, I never found and RA-42 duds, either. (RA = Rockford Arsenal)

[Randygmn]

The other thing to remember is that powder lasts a VERY long time once it's been loaded, which is also proof that it's VERY, VERY stable. Up until about 3 or 4 years ago, when I would go brass scrounging out at OGC, you could occasionally find recently fired RA-42 45 ACP cases. The case had the original primer in it, so the powder in that case was 70 years old. In addition, I never found and RA-42 duds, either. (RA = Rockford Arsenal)

Never gave it much thought. I often hear about Vietnam era ammo being good to go,but 70 years is WWII era. Crazy to think that stuff still shoots.

[farmerj]

Fired a lot of ww II .50 cal, .45 ACP and M2 ball.

Always went bang.

[shooter115]

I'm loading 55gr FMJ's 5.56 rounds with pulldown powder from the Vietnam war. Shoots great! In fact there's probably more than a couple bench rest shooters out there that would lose their minds over me using Walt Bergers Thunderbid T-322 to load 5.56 ball ammo.

[Seismic Sam]

And on the subject of stinky powder, shooting nearly 100 grains of Retumbo in a 338 RUM is quite the odor experience. On a hot, muggy day, it smells exactly like a diaper pail full of pee soaked diapers It must have more than the usual amount of nitrogen in it or something...

[BuckKlier]

I had some IMR 3031 in metal cans, that had red dust in it, I called Hodkins they told me it is unstable and get it out of the house NOW! If in doubt throw it out!