How old is too old? (powders)

[Bergie]

I have a bunch of junk laying around and wondering if I can use some of the old powders. (I got them as part of a batch buy) All I want to do is reload some plinking rounds in 308 and 30-06 with some -again old- 30 cal bullets I have in a coffee can. Or maybe some test rounds with 45-70? A buddy of mine said to just throw them all away....that seems silly. If the pic doesn't show, here's the list: IMR-4064, IMR-3031, IMR-4831, IMR-4350, Win Ball 760, H110. I wish I knew if they were 3yrs old or 30yrs old (the cans tell me they're obviously more than 3).

[smurfman]

I have cans of similar age in my cabinet and they work fine. I finished up some 357 mag loads with Alcan 9 that was at least 50 years old.

Assuming you have no reason to suspect the powder is mislabeled or different powders combined into one can (iif so use as fertilizer):

All I did was the long recommended procedure of first smelling the powder. If it smells acidic or different than an open can of newer powder then it is best used as fertilizer. If that test is a Pass, then I pour a bit onto a white sheet of paper and look for reddish "rust" looking dust. If there is "rust" then use as fertilizer. If no rust, then load up a small handful of shells and fire. If they work fine, then use the powder until finished.

[Rip Van Winkle]

I wouldn't trust the stuff in tupperware containers. The rest, if it smells ok, and doesn't look to be braking down, it should still be good.

Avoid max charges as the burning rate of older powder may not be the same as today's manufacture.

[Bergie]

I wouldn't trust the stuff in tupperware containers..

Yea, might not even be the powder it's labeled to be!

[Amazi]

Du pont hasn't made powder for longer then iv been alive so its up to you on what you do with it as you find a good load and then you have to hope that imr hasn't changed it over the years.

[Rowdy Roddy]

I just loaded up and shot a bunch of 380's with some Bullseye in a container similar to that W760 you have. If it looks and smells okay, it likely is.

[LarryFlew]

Had that kind of collection. After using probably 10 pounds the leftovers filled 3 one gallon freezer bags. Even that still smells fine - any REALLY brave souls before spring fertilizer?

[OldmanFCSA]

Had that kind of collection. After using probably 10 pounds the leftovers filled 3 one gallon freezer bags. Even that still smells fine - any REALLY brave souls before spring fertilizer?

My kids would have loved you if they could find FFF black powder to mix in with your powder - story is - works great on red ant mounds, not so good on the tree they were trying to save - "and now, the rest of the story".

[smurfman]

That 4831 is most likely WWII surplus H4831 which was commonly sold in bulk 15-50 pound containers into the 1970s. It was common to have one's smaller purchase scooped into a paper lunch bag to take home. That would explain the storage in Tupperware containers as those containers are from that era. One can find similar instances with H4895 and H4350 from WWII and later.

If the above smell and observance tests were "good" it might be cost effective to load up 5 rounds and send in to one of the ballistics labs for testing. Last I checked, prices were $5/round so shipping and postage would be maybe $30 all told. That would be about the price of a pound of powder at today's prices which is about what you have there.

[LarryFlew]

Had that kind of collection. After using probably 10 pounds the leftovers filled 3 one gallon freezer bags. Even that still smells fine - any REALLY brave souls before spring fertilizer?

My kids would have loved you if they could find FFF black powder to mix in with your powder - story is - works great on red ant mounds, not so good on the tree they were trying to save - "and now, the rest of the story".

I have a 1 foot diameter ash stump a few years old, maybe a "rocket" fire with some from those bags would to the trick