Powder Lots...

[BravoEMike]

I am reloading for .300 Win. Mag..
I am now in possession of two 3/4 empty cans of powder (IMR 4350) with different lot numbers.
I want to fire form 50 cases so I will use most of the powder up on them. Loading some of the cases with one can...then proceeding to load the remaining cases with the other can. But at some point I invision having to mix the two lot numbers...perhaps in some small quanity.
I have talked with some reloaders who simply mix the two in there powder measure and just keep on reloading!!
My question is...
Should I mix the different powder lot numbers...or disgard the small amount remaining in the trash?
Thanks!
Bruce ~~___/)~*~

[Dave King]

Proceed at your own risk but I mix powder LOTs quite often. In fact I just mixed two different lots of H4831.

I mix them in the bottle, there's plenty of room and I then "blend" the stuff with a few end-over-end turns and some rolling turns NO shaking (in anti-Bondese it'd be "Mixed, Not Shaken).

[D.P.]

I mix the little bit left over and do the bottle turn like dave. I'm much more careful with switching lots with max loads. R-22 I had to drop 1.5 gr less and gained 30fps with my 300 win and 165's.

[BravoEMike]

Thanks Dave and Rimfire...

I took the leap...
Dumped one 3/4 empty can into my powder dispenser (PACT). I proceeded to dispense all the powder...
What remained in the bottom of the dispenser is estimated to be about 400 grains. I then added the other can to the powder tube and proceeded to dispense powder, until I had all the cases charged with powder.
So....I have 15 rounds from the first can. And 35 rounds with mixed and some partially mixed powders. No way of knowing as a large portion of powder remains on the bottom of the dispenser.
I will be going to the range next week...give it all a go.
I will write with my results...perhaps in "Braille".
Bruce ~~___/)~*~

[P-Steve-E]

After this past weekend I dont think I will ever mix 2 together
I fount (THE) load on the last five loads from a pound of H414

Went and bought 2 more cans only to find that the same load was 100 FPS slower with the new lot #--that group went to crap also
I got mad and jumped it 2 full grains and got an even better group with no pressure

If I had assumed it ws the same and the results were the opposite way --It could have been a mess [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[BravoEMike]

Greetings All!
I went to the range yesterday...
It appears all my efforts and your writings have come together.
The results! My rifle and reloads are doing well. Accuracy International AWM-F .300 Win. Mag. Shooting 0.260 groups, when I do my part. Hurray!!
Now onto more challenging distances.
Dave King...anti-bondese bottles and such...
I don't know what that is...can you help and advise where I can get one to mix the powders in?
Another question is? My groups...most all the deflection is vertical. I am shooting from a bipod and believe it is mostly the shooter doing the deflection. Accuracy International recomends pushing the rifle into the bipod before firing. However, this technique does not lend itself well for best accuracy.
Can anyone offer a more consistant method?
Again... Thanks to all who have posted...
Oh! Mixed power lots. I think they shoot the best groups. But, then I knew that would happen... Because I can NEVER reproduce it. LOL
Semper Fi
Bruce ~~___/)~*~

[Dave King]

The bottle I get my powder in are nearly always big enough to hold twice the original fill. If I buy two pounds of powder and it's two different LOTs I MIX them together to form one NEW LOT. I do a thorough mix, rolling and tumbling the bottle to ensure things are well mixed. There are powders that are better known for being very different LOT to LOT, Reloader 25 and 22 come to mind...be careful with your new Custom Mixed LOT and work up the loads.

If you can find some VV bottles they are really big or the Reloder bottles are extra large to. REMOVE the original powder label if you're going to mix powders in any bottle not the original. Mix the powders (tumble and roll in the "mixer bottle" and pour the NEW LOT back into the original properly marked bottles, line through the LOT numbers so you will remember that you've MIXED the LOT but maintian the ability to see the original LOT number in case there's a recall (you'll lose the entire mixed LOT on a recall).

The vertical stringing for me is caused when I don't position my shoulder in the same place on the butt of the rifle, a little too much high (heel) or too much low (toe) and the recoil will be effected. There's a great deal of data in some early posts on this site about shoulder pressure, heel and toe and all other variables when shooting from a bipod, try a search.

Bond-ese, James Bond, 007 "Shaken, not stirred!"