Just how bad is it to leave the hopper of your powder thrower half filled with powder from your last reloading session? I just did it! On Sunday, I reloaded 150 rounds of 45ACP using Clays powder. On Tuesday, I noticed it and returned the unused powder to the 1# plastic bottle. I've heard many proclaim that to be a bad practice of which I'm guilty, but just how bad is it?

No problem as long as you don't dump a different powder on top of it....

Randy

As long as it doesn't go bad or etch the hopper-no problem

It depends on the plastic the hopper is made out of. I always place a tag on the outside of the hopper with the powder type I'm loading, so there's no doubt what powder is in the hopper. Some hoppers are susceptible to etching, mainly from the ether in the powder, that's why it's usually not a good idea to leave powder sitting for too long in most hoppers. Dillon hoppers will definitely etch. MEC hoppers (shotshell) don't seem to have any proclivity to etch, and I generally leave powder on the hoppers for extended periods with no adverse effects in my shotshell reloaders. It's your call, just be sure everything is well marked.

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

I always leave it in the hopper. I only use one powder (HP38) so no chance if mixing it up. I just like having it there in case I have some time to crank out ten or so. I single stage load.

Should I dump it back into the bottle?

At one time it was reported Bullseye had etched the sides of powder measures and lost efficiency if left in a plastic measure. I think it was due to high nitro content. Other powders have a high content as well, especially RL7 to name one. I always empty my measure if leaving for more than an hour.

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Front sight and squeeze

TWO days? SERIOUSLY? Do NOT overthink this as long - as entioned above - you didn't dump something else on top of it.

Personally, the powder drop is the last thing to get cleaned up - and since I always cover each piece of equipment when I am done for the day, it is a no brainer to dump the measure.

Whatever pattern/routine suits you, practice it every time so you don't do it again

As stated above, be sure and label what kind of powder is in the hopper. As far as leaving powder in, from my experience it seems to depend on the powder. I’ve left Unique in the hopper for a couple weeks with no ill effects. Power Pistol, a whole different animal. After 3 days my hopper was barely clear enough to see the powder level. Discolored and etched it bad. Since used the powder, it didn’t seem to cause a problem with the powder itself.


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As long as you're not reloading in the sauna you're fine.

No problem as others stated. Just mark the hopper with masking tape as to what powder and weight of charge being thrown

I returned some Reloader 17 to a pound of H4350 once. That about made me cry, I couldn't find H4350 for years after that.

I forgot and left the double base powder H335 in my RCBS ChargeMaster for three days and it ate into the green plastic.

The problem when not in a sealed container is if the powder absorbs any moisture/humidity the burn rate might change.

Bottom line, keep the powder in its sealed container and the powder will be uniform.

I keep the bottle for the powder I am loading on the bench until I'm through with the batch I'm working on . When I'm through I pour the powder back in the bottle and put it back in the appropriate place on my powder shelves . I don't leave it in the measure and never have but the one powder on the bench at a time . I don't like mistakes that cost me money or get me hurt .

Eddie

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

That right there.

Like everyone else has said, the only risk is damaging the plastic on your measure, and even that is usually just discoloration.

One note - if you don't bother to clean the hopper, leave enough that you can tell there's still powder in there. I reloaded about a month ago and pretty much emptied the hopper, but left a few tablespoons of powder in there planning to come back to it in a day or two. I never did. So, a month later I have completely forgotten, pull the hopper out and spill powder. Then I remember I left a bit in there. At least I didn't dump something else on top of it, but lesson learned...

I usually load in batches and once batch is done remaining components (if any) returned to their containers (powder/primers/bullets) and press is cleaned; even if I'm going to be reloading same load in a couple of days. I might "waste" few minutes refilling components but that's the routine I've developed for myself to reduce number of variables.

After loading since 1968.
my plastic lens is a light grey, but I can still see the powder inside.

Depends a lot on where you are and the humidity and high to low
in the summers and winters.
I dump my unit since it is located in the same room as the washer & Dryer !!

Just keep it separate and dry...........

I've left loads of Clays and W231 in my Lee hoppers for 3-4 months at a time with no issues. The handgun loads they eventually went onto still went bang with reliability. No damage to the hoppers either.
That said, I wouldn't recommend such a practice. Especially if your application demands ultimate consistency.
FWIW, I always leave a slip of paper in my hopper denoting powder type so I don't forget what I was doing.

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Dave

My process exactly.

The only time I clean out the Hopper is when I change powder. I also put a piece of tape on the hopper identifying the powder. I don’t worry about the plastic hopper as the powder now comes in Plastic bottles.

It will discolor that plastic. It's possible that newer hoppers may be made of a plastic less affected, but who knows.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Oops! I left power in mine too. For the last 6 1/2 years. But I bought a couple extra hoppers. When and if they become discolored I will change them.

Herculese Unique will etch the green hopper of a RCBS powder drop. The newer Unique may not but the older Herculese will.

Mine is locked and climate control and I leave the powder container behind the loader. If I get distracted just close the door and lock. Everything is in the same place when I return.

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Just me, I guess, but why would you leave powder in the hopper after a loading session? Would you leave primers in the premier tube? Would you leave loaded ammo on your bench? Would you leave your firearm and loaded ammo on your bench? To each his own; I just secure my loading area after each session putting it back to the condition it was in before I started.

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"Your other right........."

I don't bother with that for one very good reason; there is NEVER more than ONE powder on the bench at one time. The rest are on a shelf in a closet. That way I'm not staring at it wondering was that Bullseye or Universal I just used?

The END is NEAR!!

I used to worry about that until I realized that Green Dot powder stayed in my shotshell reloader hopper all the time. With no ill effects.

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Do it outdoors

I always keep the powder bottle on the bench so I know what powder I’m using.
I never, never, seven times never, have more than one powder out at one time. The chance of mixing powders is just too great.

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and what his trumpet saith

Only powder I ever had a problem with was Bullseye. In an RCBS Uniflow measure. Can't leave it in, it reacts with the plastic.

All other powders, I just leave them in until the next time I'm going to do some reloading. I do store the measure remotely, and with the actual can that the powder is from. An extra measure to insure I don't mix powders.

When I set up my Dillon 550B, I tested leaving Bullseye in it. Never had a problem. I guess Dillon and RCBS use different plastics.

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I've still got it made.

Flitz is your friend, polish it clear. Yep.

While it is no longer on the net, Shooting Times had an article by Skeeter Skelton where his loads varied from expected to unexpected barely clear the barrel. He traced it to leaving BE in the measure, IIRC. Also reprinted in "Good Friends, Good Guns, and Good Whiskey".

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Front sight and squeeze

I leave the powder in my electronic powder measure/scale (with a note as to powder type) but i remove it after each session from the powder measure. I thought i had read that it should be replaced as the measures use volume and not weight and the powder could slightly compress over time / vibration etc.
each time i use that measure i confirm the throws are accurate/repeatable before i start up again.
my $0.02

My Dillon 650 is about 15 years old. I have never emptied the
powder. Never had any problems. But, it is in an air conditioned
and headed environment. Sometimes I go as long as 8 to 9 month
between loading. The powder is Clays. YMMV

I don't leave powder in my hopper, but over the years my Herters hopper has discolored somewhat.

Anyone have a use for a lb of 231 with about 25% WST mixed in? I keep resist throwing it away, I just know there is something worthwhile to do with it. Yes, it did discolor and score my Dillon powder measure.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I did this some years back with H4227 and H4895. I couldn't
bear to think of throwing it away.Finally sucked it up and fertilized the lawn with it. Just grit your teeth and get it over with.

Me, personally, would only use that mix as a fertilizer. My body parts worth more than $20 for me

Red Dot won't etch the plastic, but others ? I don't take the chance. I like to be able to see how much powder is in the hopper, I don't want it to get cloudy or etched, therefore I don't leave it in there more than a day or so.

I recall Skeeter's article as noting that the powder that degraded was Unique. Or at least one article, the load in question being the 250/7.5 gr Unique .44 Special load. I'd love to have a video of the bullet failing to penetrate a cow's skull-and the look on everyone's face.

I expect there have been changes in powder measure material and know powder chemistry has changed somewhat, but I flat don't leave powder in anything by the original containers after I'm done loading.

Fresh Titegroup will turn the plastic in the RCBS hopper almost opaque in a day or two. Ask me how I know.

Powder isn't cheap but when I find a little in the bottom of the hopper, or in the dish on the scale (from a previous loading session), I just throw it on the bushes out front.

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S&W Rover

This happened to me, also. I called RCBS customer service and asked them how much a new replacement powder hopper would cost, and the lady said if I would give her my name and mailing address, she would put one in the mail to me - at no cost. I repeated that it was my fault, and not a defect, and that I would be happy to pay for the replacement hopper, but she said RCBS would handle it under their warranty program. One more reason for so many happy and loyal RCBS customers.

Regards,

Dave

Left it hopper for months at a time. Never any problem. Heated and cooled garage.

I've left all types of powder in my RCBS & Dillon hoppers for months on end without a problem... until I did it for 2 days with Titegroup. It destroyed the RCBS plastic hopper which RCBS replaced for no cost. Won't happen again as I'll never use Titegroup again.

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Dave
SWCA #2465

I never noticed anything actually 'bad' happening, yet grew to avoid doing such, as my Dillon power drop plastic would become discolored by some of the powders.

I've also modified my older habit by not loading more than I think I'll use during that particular reloading session. The lid seems to keep the powder dry enough, and I never did get 'caking' or 'lumping'.

What I did get once...er, what I heard a guy did once....was after a frustrating string of wildly erratic charges from a half-full measure.....eventually dump it all out to discover somehow a small brass cartridge case had fallen into the measure and get covered up with powder....*kaff*kaff*.....

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Dum vivimus Vivamas