Leaving powder in powder measure

[Beans]

I have left powder in a Dillon hopper and a RCBS powder drop for a long time ( several weeks), however I just purchased a RCBS electronic powder measure, the one with the attached scale.

I left bullseye powder in it over night and now the interior of the powder measure/hopper is pitted and rough. When I turn the powder dump knob on the right side of the machine the powder just stay in the machine hopper and I HAVE to us a long handle artist bush to remove the powder.

 

[oldRoger]

As I said I can think of lots of reasons to dump the powder back in the can, takes about 4 minutes, all of you have added some reasons I hadn't considered.
I have not yet read what I would consider a good reason to leave it filled.

My progressive is set-up for 10mm, I had planned to load another 400rds, however I need to do a final range check, and three weeks have passed without me getting there. It may come to pass with the holidays that it will be another three weeks. Too long for powder to stay in the hopper in my view.

 

[scattershot]

If there is any doubt, just put it back in the container. I empty mine after each reloading session. It's just too easy to confuse which powder is in the hopper after an absence of a few days, not to mention that it's not in a sealed container.

 

[epj]

I leave the powder in the powder measure on my Dillon. I use the same powder for everything I load, so no danger of a mixup. The basement is cool, dry, and dark. No adverse effects so far. Been doing this for years, Just plain laziness, I guess. Actually though, the way I load I need to do this. I may get ten minutes here and there to load. Sometimes I may load as few as 25 rounds, go away, and later that day load another 50 or 100. May not get back for several days, may be back in an hour. Sure doesn't hurt anything to empty the measure, but depending on the circumstances it may not hurt anything to leave it.

 

[johnjohn]

I dump mine after each session. I got enough stuff on my poor feeble mind to worry about than what's in the powder measure.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

I side with those who say to put it back in the can.If one is in the middle of a project (load development,etc),I see no harm in leaving it in the hopper for a few days but beyond that,I can't see any reason at all for doing so.Since putting it back in the can is so easy,why would you even take the risk?

 

[Scrapper]

Always put the powder back in the original container don't take any chances. Be SAFE not sorry.

 

[nitesite]

I have four presses. Only one of them has ever seen powder stay in the powder measure past midnight the day I poured it in. It's a MEC 600-Jr that I keep "set up" for my boys and I to load 7/8-oz 20-ga loads using Unique.

It's the only powder I have ever used for 20-ga and that's the way it will stay so "no worry about what is in it". There's a hood over the powder bottle to prevent light and also make any temperature changes very minimal.

Everything else gets emptied when I am done for the day.

 

[WILDCATT]

powder

if its double base the nitro will leach out in to some measures plastic.
lyman is one plastic.I use address lables and mark the powder and charge
that at least tells me what the measure is set for.