I have 12 pounds of IMR4895 in the old tin cans. I've loaded from it a few times before and had good results. I pulled some of my old data and had a good node at 43.5gr shooting 168gr smk's. Also had some of those loaded rounds left over. I loaded up 50 more and set out. Went to shoot the old rounds first and had an extremely tight bolt life and eject. Switched to new rounds and same thing. Swapped guns twice, same issue. Primers pretty flat with square corners. Thought it couldn't be... so busted out the chrono. Book max at 45.4gr compressed should yield 2758fps according to the imr book. My loads with 2 grains less clocked in at 2855-2860. Think this powder is getting dumped and loaded rounds pulled down. Ever heard of this?
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Old powder scare
- Thread starter Urban_Hunter
- Start date
I would expect the opposite. If powder deteriorates I thought that it would give lower and/or erratic velocities.
How does the powder smell and look?
How does the powder smell and look?
Same rifle(s) as before?
DaveB
Well-Known Member
Smell the powder. If it smells like battery acid or acid from pool cleaning stuff, that powder is bad. If you see a reddish brown tinge it is bad.
If the smell is the same old IMR smell, then your load is too hot, I would unload them.
Since I have the same 4895 in the same old tin can from I believe the late 80's, I took a whiff. No problem here. I have had some rounds loaded for nearly 25 years....no bolt lift or primer issues.
trouble shoot: Drop bullets into chamber and close bolt then eject the round. Should have no difference in effort than opening/closing just the bolt.
Re-zero your powder measure. Load up one round at the book MINIMUM and load it to SAAMI length. Fire the round and closely examine the results. Bolt lift normal? Primer look normal?
If all seems well then work up a new load following all routine procedures.
If the smell is the same old IMR smell, then your load is too hot, I would unload them.
Since I have the same 4895 in the same old tin can from I believe the late 80's, I took a whiff. No problem here. I have had some rounds loaded for nearly 25 years....no bolt lift or primer issues.
trouble shoot: Drop bullets into chamber and close bolt then eject the round. Should have no difference in effort than opening/closing just the bolt.
Re-zero your powder measure. Load up one round at the book MINIMUM and load it to SAAMI length. Fire the round and closely examine the results. Bolt lift normal? Primer look normal?
If all seems well then work up a new load following all routine procedures.
Bad habit
Well-Known Member
I have about quit using IMR powders because of some that I have in unopened cans that was brown dust when I opened them. They were 20 years old but my Hodgdon and Alliant powders held up just fine.
