Any body mix different lots of the same powder

[Abbynormal]

I am having a rousing discussion with a close reloading friend. He thinks that mixing 2 different lots of the SAME BRAND POWDER is ok and safe. For example mixing 2 different cans of Unique with different lot numbers. In particular we are talking rifle loads. Specifically FMJ and match grade 5.56.

I don't feel comfortable doing it and don't feel it is safe. He does, what's your input?

 

[schutzen-jager]

i'd contact the manufacture + inquire - i have done it putting a small left over amount into a new can + shaking it well , but i was much younger then -

 

[kraynky]

If I have a small amount left in the hopper when I'm changing calibers and powder, and all I have is a new canister of the same powder, I'll pour them together. Shaking to blend that small amount with a full pound cannister OF THE EXACT SAME POWDER, does not keep me awake at night.

I know different batch numbers can vary a little from batch to batch, but I doubt it will ever be enough to mess up my loads. I'm not a bench rest shooter, so it won't matter in that regard. And I doubt it will cause an explosion.

Everyone will have their own opinion of course, so if little things like that make you toss & turn all night, and you'll likely decide to throw the whole batch out in the morning, you best not do it.

Curious what the general consensus is, because I know there will be many on the other side of this. Good question.

 

[AJ]

A long time ago I was told never, ever mix powders. The same or not, I just load all I can from the canister and then move on to the new canister. Any left over goes in the wife's flower bed.........

 

[Nevada Ed]

If a small amount, I will mix to the new container of the same powder but.....

When loading steel pellets for ducks...........

Alliant Steel powder lot to lot could have a big jump in fps.........
so you did not want to mess up the slower/lower fps jug, by mixing it, to the better powder !!

If you have a chrony this can be found out but some just have to work with loading manuals and never know the difference, that may be taking place.

 

[MyDads38]

I'll admit, with small amounts left over, I will mix with the next new container. It's usually such a small amount, I don't see how it could affect the next loading session. I always check my powder measure/grain weights when I start a new powder container/lot anyway.

 

[pasound]

Small amounts of pistol powder, I will mix and shake. I've not seen my favorites change in many years. Rifle and shotgun, no.

 

[1&done]

I do it all the time.

For pistol shooting, as others have said, I run a can down towards then end and then dump the fresh powder into the hopper on top. If I was going to switch calibers and had only a little left I would not feel bad about dumping it into the top of the new jug (just make sure you dump it into a can of the same power) I do not normally run my pistol reloads near max so I do not feel the need to recalibrate my load data when switching powder jugs.

For precision rifle, I am a member of the OBT school of thought. In this case we are calibrating our load to the rifle barrel, taking into account powder burn rate as well as the ambient temperature. I want a large batch of powder, like 16# to do my load development on and then continue shooting with, so if I can only get 8# jugs then I will dump them together and mix them up before I do my load development.

This is what I do.
I know multiple other long range shooters that do the same.
It is probably not SAAMI compliant.
I do not advocate that you should do this.

 

[Leonard]

Do it all the time no problem. I once asked my late friend Ed Matunas a ballistics expert if it was a problem he said absolutely not an issue.

 

[fredj338]

I have always done it. You have 1/2oz in the bottom of a 1#, much less 4# can, adding that to a diff lot means nothing. Even in precision rofle, just neber seen tje diff on paper or over the chrono.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I have always done it. You have 1/2oz in the bottom of a 1#, much less 4# can, adding that to a diff lot means nothing. Even in precision rofle, just neber seen tje diff on paper or over the chrono.

Geeezze Fred;

you better step away from the bar and have a cup of coffee..............

that typing is pretty bad.

 

[Abflyboy]

I know I'm not supposed to but I have for many years. I used to do load workup with every new batch of powder and ALWAYS ended up at the exact same load prior to the new batch.

I couldn't tell you exactly how many pounds of Sport Pistol I have burned but it would be at least 40. Same goes for H110. Some big jugs, some single pound bottles. I have never had an issue.

As for my PRS rifles, I bought a large quantity of powder and mixed it all together ONCE. Never again. The jugs the powder are sold in are way to convenient on many levels, mainly with static electricity. So I just keep the powder hopper topped up and if there is a new bottle of powder, I take the time to verify my zero with the new batch. Haven't touched my adjusters for YEARS.

FWIW, YMMV, my $0.02

 

[smoothshooter]

Unless you are sorting your brass, primers, and bullets, by lot number, it is probably a waste of time.

And then there are temperature and humidity.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

MIXING

Have always done it with handgun loads but never rofle loads- shotguns that as well. So far so good

 

[AJ]

Have always done it with handgun loads but never rofle loads- shotguns that as well. So far so good

Been taking spelling lessons from Fred?

 

[Skeet 028]

Years ago when many of us started loading ammo I did not mix lots. When we(me) were much younger Lots of powder could have a fair amount of difference. Today's quality control gurus have gotten this powder stuff down to a real science and most lots are just repeats of the previous lots... I only mix smaller amounts with another can. And then I shake it fairly well so it is mixed. Rifle pistol and shotgun powders when you only have an ounce or so left....not much to change the load anyway. Usually more than the difference you may create with round to round differences. The guy at Hodgdon told me this when I did the shot show quite a few years ago.. Gotten better sinceWhy throw 6 to 10% of the powder away??

 

[gwpercle]

I started reloading in 1967 and don't remember any dire warning about mixing the same powders . Just don't mix different types of powders .

my common practice when running low on say Unique was to buy a new bottle and pour the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cup of old Unique into the new bottle and turn it around a few times to mix new with old .
Nothing bad has ever happened ... to be honest I do this with all the powders I use ...lots of pistol powders have gone through my reloads .
Since I've been doing it for 53 years ...I either fail to see the danger or the Good Lord does look after children and Foolish Reloaders .
Gary

 

[Kurusu]

No. Never.

And for a very, but really very, good reason. One of the powders I use the most, Vectan BA9 is inconsistent from lot to lot. I was told so in advance. And realized it was true when I opened a new lot and found out that the load I was using before (reliable accurate and mild), was still accurate and mild(er) but not reliable anymore.

Edit. Forgot to add. Point of impact was not the same either.

 

[glenwolde]

I try to "load through" the end of a can by pouring new powder on top of the previous lot in the powder measure, and then loading enough to use up whatever was in the hopper from the older lot.

This way I'm not constantly carrying-forward powder from each lot. In theory if you just mix the old with the new each time, some from each lot may accumulate in the leftover. I'd rather just deal with two.

But as I said...in theory. For years, nay decades, I just mixed (well ) the leftover with the new.

 

[Rule3]

A tiny bit of powder (a few oz), diluted in a another can of 16 oz or more and shaken will not make a hill of beans difference,