What is the shelf life of powder? After I moved almost 2 years ago i haven't done any reloading. Now that i have the time again I'm getting back into it and i have left over varget, opened and unopened, retumbo h1000 etc etc... Is that stuff still good?
- Thread starter 186thFCo
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Still fine. Use it up. As long as it was kept dry that is
As long as it was stored properly it is absolutely fine. I have stored powder for almost 10 years and loaded it without incident.
Powder will last many decades if stored properly. I'm still using some WWII surplus 4831 powder. I'm also using up the last bit of Alcan #5 made in the 1950's for some .38 special and .41 Magnum ammunition.
A few years ago my father-in-law gave me some (6 lb jug) pistol powder that sat in his Houston garage since the early 1960s it worked fine (a touch slower than current day versions of the same powder). If stored even remotely properly, it should be fine.
Jeffvn
Jeffvn
Give it the sniff test. If it smells kind of solvent sweet to neutral it's GTG. If it smells sour/acidic and their's signs of oxidation then it may be going bad, typically from getting too much moisture. Two years is nothing, if given any kind of reasonable care.
I used powder and primers given to me by my dad which were 30+ years old for years with no problems. Granted it was not for precision reloading but it worked fine.
I will caution that the I did have a problem once when mixing old and new powder while using a volumetric based powder measure on a progressive reloading press. The old stuff had apparently swelled a little over the years and was less dense so as the powder measure transitioned to new powder, the charges became heavier. (And no I was not checking every 10 loads as recommended by many.) I learned not to mix powder lots from that experience but for the most part I weigh individual powder charges these days for my rifle reloading.
I will caution that the I did have a problem once when mixing old and new powder while using a volumetric based powder measure on a progressive reloading press. The old stuff had apparently swelled a little over the years and was less dense so as the powder measure transitioned to new powder, the charges became heavier. (And no I was not checking every 10 loads as recommended by many.) I learned not to mix powder lots from that experience but for the most part I weigh individual powder charges these days for my rifle reloading.
My father has cardboard containers that are at 35 years old and all work fine, proper storage is the key!!!
Here's what Hodgdon says:
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/relo...wder-stability
And Alliant (which includes more on how to tell if it's bad, similar to what buffybuster said)
http://www.alliantpowder.com/getting_started/safety/storage_handling.aspx
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/relo...wder-stability
And Alliant (which includes more on how to tell if it's bad, similar to what buffybuster said)
http://www.alliantpowder.com/getting_started/safety/storage_handling.aspx
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I just loaded a couple thousand rounds of 9mm with powder I bought in 1974. It works fine and shows no signs of deterioration. Like others noted I've been using powder from WWII and having excellent results. Powder doesn't age badly if stored properly.
Frank
Frank
