"Bucketing" or mixing powder from different lots. What say yee?

[badthirtyone]

I have given some thought to this before. I have (5) 1 lb cans and one 8lb can all of the same powder. Just mix the 5 lbs together or mix all 13 lbs ?

I like to have the largest available quantity that will be consistent for my loading over the long-haul. As others have stated here, most folks (me included) don't like to have to re-work up a load each time we open a new container/batch/lot of powder.

Therefore, as in your case, you could mix all 13 pounds to homogenize the burn characteristics then re-fill the 1 pound cans with this new homogenized - or "bucketed" powder.

Work up a load with the newly mixed powder, and you should be able to count on the same data for all 13 pounds of it.

Just remember to document (at least for your own records) and label ALL of the containers so that you are aware that they are a part of a previously mixed batch of ALL SAME PRODUCT - but different lotted powder.

It seem like that it will work, but never had done that. The only thing is I hope people don't mix different types of powders together thinking they are creating a new type of powder.

^^ This!

Unless you have a triple PHD in Rocket Surgery, I would completely advise against mixing DIFFERENT brands/types/designations of powders in an attempt to come up with your own "hybrid" mixtures. This would be a recipe for disaster.

I believe that this was the ultimate downfall of the cartoon Coyote. He never got his mixtures quite right.

 

[Greyfox]

It depends on the particular powder and use. I don't mix powders used for LRH loads or precision rifle competition. For these rifles, once a load is developed, I try to purchase enough powder from the same lot to last the barrel. In the cases where I haven't, I have seen differences in velocity and ES with different lots. I do blend with powders used in my handguns, shotguns, short-mid-range hunting rifles.

 

[TBuckus]

Someone will probably think I'm overthinking this, but define "mix well"?
I have 3lbs of H1000 from two lots that I should mix before I start load development.
I don't have a 8lb jug. Tupperware container? Shake or stir?

 

[badthirtyone]

Someone will probably think I'm overthinking this, but define "mix well"?
I have 3lbs of H1000 from two lots that I should mix before I start load development.
I don't have a 8lb jug. Tupperware container? Shake or stir?

Empty 8# Jug of H4350

I would just use up what you have, then do a velocity check with the new lot. Odds are it will only require a very small adjustment or none at all. Especially if you are in a good node.

www.longrangehunting.com

This is a container found by one of our members here for exactly this purpose.

I usually "tumble" my powder in an 8# jug of the exact brand/powder designation. Others use large stainless steel kitchen style mixing bowls etc.

 

[GLTaylor]

Pour in clean container (plastic bucket). Stir mixture with your hands/fingers and fold it in like a mix-master. Once you're confident you've mixed it thoroughly, pour back into 1 lb containers. Fill to top and seal off from air (see above).

 

[mntnflyr4fun]

I put commercially available oxygen absorbers in my cans as well as moisture absorbers packets to keep my open powder fresh.

 

[jtlittle]

Keep them cool and vacuum bag the bottles,you may have to store them laying down.

 

[Dphil]

Personally it seems redundant to go through the trouble. I buy a jug and reload and I am done. Lot numbers are established for recall purposes and therefore you could ruin your whole batch by mixing. I am a twenty year Army vet that's seen broken slides on pistols and damaged receivers on rifles because of bad lots. I use the K.I.S.S. method of keeping it simple.

 

[Old man 257]

I did it once with Disastrous results .I guess it Depend on the brand but I won't do it with any of alliant reloder powder

 

[TRexF16]

Old Man 257,
What was the disastrous result? Confirm you just mixed different lots of the same type powder? I can't think of how a bad thing could come of this. Please let us know what happened.
Thanks,
Rex

 

[Old man 257]

I try it once with alliant reloder 22 with Disastrous results .I guess it depends on brand but I won't do it with alliant reloder powder

 

[brian b]

It seem like that it will work, but never had done that. The only thing is I hope people don't mix different types of powders together thinking they are creating a new type of powder.

Back just a few years ago Accurate powder came out with 2 new powders LT30 and LT32.
LT32 was specifically designed to compete with VihtaVuori N133 at the short range bench rest game.
Quite a few bench rest shooters found LT32 to be just a bit on the slow side so they blended it 50/50 with LT30.............and created LT31. Some proved to be quite successful with this mixture.
In general it is normally a bad idea though

 

[Rich Coyle]

I always mix lots.

 

[mo]

I mix different lots together.