Re: Thunderbird 4831..
4831 was the original surplus powder. It made Bruce Hodgden wealthy. He originally bought several train car loads and repackaged it. When it finally ran out he found manufacturers to make new 4831 to the original specifications. His original powder was recommended to be loaded as "4350 Data powder", meaning use the loading data for IMR 4350. As I understand it, smokeless powder, if it hasn't begun to decompose (off color, fumes, bad smells) only weakens with time. Since 4350 is slightly faster, meaning that you use a bit less in loading shells v/s 4831, I'd feel comfortable beginning a workup with 4350 data and continue till I got into 4831 regions. JMHO