I opened a new can of TB to load some 45-70, working up a load. I filled my RCBS powder measure, I keep it really clean.

As I was weighing each and every load, I suddenly started seeing crud coming out of the measure. Have no idea what that stuff is but it disintegrates when you touch it. It is also heavy.

I am trying to find the customer service link for Horaday Trail Boss powders.

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Trail Boss is sold by Hodgdon, not Hornady.
Contact info here:
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If you pour the powder directly from the original container into some other container, is the "crud" also visible? If not, then you have some buildup of some kind in your measure.

Opened as bottle of HS-6 one time and found a ball of what looked like threads of polymer.

Noted on the manufacturer, it is in the powder, I will go through the entire pound, but I loaded 40 rounds of 45-70 with 5477 and the same measure and no crud. Unless stick powder doesn't scrape the sides of the measure and flake does?

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My gosh..........

are they trying to put Blue Berry's in that cereal now !!

Technically IMR but same phone number

Contact Us

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Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?

Could the measure be smashing some of the 'cheerio' kernels? It seems like that would make dust rather than a heavy mass, though.

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Holy Cow!
I would complain (with the lot number) not only to IMR but to whoever you bought this from.
They should recall the entire lot.
Make sure they replace it with good stuff.
Keep everything. They may want it back to inspect.
I don't think that is just wet powder.
Looks like some kind of slag from manufacturing to me.
Especially as it weighs more than the powder.

I once got a bad case from Starline.
Once I sent photos they sent me 10 to replace it.

Attached Images

Bad_44_Special_800.jpg (39.6 KB, 196 views)

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I was about half way through my 60 rounds I was loading, different loads, trying to work up a load. I put each drop with crud to one side and finished loading from that can. I have the bad powder and can to one side but they all shot fine, and smelled fine, so it is not wet powder, and the powder it self seems fine just the crud.

The problem is that I usually i use my trail boss in my Dillon 550 and wouldn't necessarily notice if it dropped crud into the cases and that could be real bad

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I once found Rust Flakes in a brand new bottle of IMR 4064. Fortunately they were easy to remove by stirring the powder with a magnet. IIRC the actual powders are shipped to the distributors by rail in bulk so what I saw was probably contamination from the bulk container. One would think that Hodgdon would do a better job of screening the incoming powders but perhaps they don't do that out of concern about static electricity causing the powder to be ignited.

That looks like paint from the inside of the powder measure.

break down any cartridges loaded with this & then discard all the powder............ from this entire lot. to do anything else is to court injury, death & the ruin of a firearm.

I'm going with powder that was contaminated... either in your measure or if it wasn't sealed... before you got it. I've never bought TB, does it come in sealed cans? Did you buy this powder from someone who broke down an 8lb jug into smaller lots? As I said, I'm leaning towards you accidently contaminating this powder.. the manufacturing process has steps to preclude this type of incident. 100% empty and virgin containers that are then filled..

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Nope, there is not paint missing on the RCBS measure, it is almost brand new, also ran a bunch of 5477 through it with no issues, and also ran the rest of that can through it and didn't get anymore. Also if you just look at the flakes they powderize have never seen paint flakes do that

Talked to Mike at Hodgons and he had me send the flakes to him. and he is sending me a new pound

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Too late already shot 60 12 gr loads from this can through my Ruger #1 they shot great. It was in a sealed can, with the seal intact. I had opened it when I went to put it in the measure, had to peel the seal off.
Mike Daly and I had a really good talk about Trail Boss, he is the one who invented it.

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That is probably the best solution all the way around.
Sending the powder back would involve another hazmat license.
Have you tried to ignite one of those pieces of slag to see if it is flammable?
Please let us know what Hodgdon finds out if they bother to tell you.

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NEMO
"Everything 44"

Hadn't thought of that, took the contaminated powder and fertilized the flowers, don't tell the wife or toss a cigarette before the rain.

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Can you post the LOT number and date from the bottle? I've got quite a few unopened bottles. Hate to break the seal to investigate unless of course they are the same lot.

Picked them up at various times over the past couple three years.

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Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?

I searched for it in my emails, no luck just the address to send it to. I may still have the bottle downstairs will have to check, I have a bunch of empties I was going to split up a 4 pounder, so will see if I know the right one, I think I marked it.

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If you have a strong magnet you may want to consider "stirring" the powder with that magnet attached to something. I had a bottle of Longshot that was contaminated with rust flakes in a brand new bottle purchased from Fin, Feather, and Fur in Ashland, Onio. As for how that could happen, it's my understanding that the bulk powder is shipped to Hodgdon in Railroad Cars and I suspect that if we were able to inspect those railroad cards we would find many are rusting. Good news for me was that my Neodymium Magnet pressed into the end of a brass rod did a fantastic job of picking up the rust flakes out of the powder.

Got an 8lb jug of pull down H4895 once with wood chips from the cases the ammunition was received in at the vendor that did the pulling down. I contacted the company and they sent me a refund.

You would think that since everything is made out of polymer these days that powder would be packaged in that.
No rust, no paint, no wood, no moisture when sealed....

Sorry, I haven't gotten down to the basement to check for the powder can. 4 days after I responded the first time my youngest son, age 29, passed away suddenly so I haven't done much of anything since.

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I had a new old stock can of 4198 loaded with rust, I did the same with the magnet then took it outside, nice breezy day, and poured the powder slowly into a plastic jug using a funnel. Wind carried away the rust but, not the stick powder. No problems with that powder after the cleanup.

Just one question:
Was the bottle SEALED when you got it?

I am very sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers.

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So very sorry for your loss.

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Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?

Don't feel badly. one time in a chemistry lab, I opened a new bottle of mercury and it was contaminated with tunafish

My sincere condolences. It's a terrible thing to lose a child.

My condolences.

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