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Thread: What's this powder?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy mwells72774's Avatar
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    What's this powder?

    Little over 4 lbs in a can labeled Winchester 231 but it isn't 231.

    Trusted the label and loaded 10gr in a 44 mag 240 cast load and it fired like a pop gun and went maybe 50 yds and hit the dirt.

    Inspected some HP38 I had on hand and it's spherical, not flake like. Looks like 296 or 748 to me

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Cowboy_Dan's Avatar
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    Hard, maybe impossible to tell. I'd probably write it off as "fertilizer". But 4 pounds is a lot to lose.
    "It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone to believe anything on insufficient evidence."
    -W. K. Clifford "The Ethics of Belief"

    "They hate you if you're clever, and they despise a fool."
    -John Lennon "A Working Class Hero"

  3. #3
    Boolit Master maxreloader's Avatar
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    It could be many powders "blended" together... my bucket looks like that when I am pulling down $hitloads of reloads to scavenge the components... fertilizer or cannon fodder.
    Looking for Ideal mold 419181 (44 Evans Long)
    "Joined Dates" are deceiving if you factor-in "lurk" dates.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy mwells72774's Avatar
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    4lbs is a lot. The can had been there for a while and the gunsmith who had it had passed. Several other cams there too so I wonder if they all have the same.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

    lefty o's Avatar
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    fertalizer!!

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I wouldn't toss it. In fact I would be happy to take it off your hands.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master maxreloader's Avatar
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    Is your safety worth 4lbs of powder?
    Looking for Ideal mold 419181 (44 Evans Long)
    "Joined Dates" are deceiving if you factor-in "lurk" dates.

  8. #8
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    it looks like H-450 & AA-3100.
    but who knows? there are a lot of powders I ain't seen.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

    lefty o's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by maxreloader View Post
    Is your safety worth 4lbs of powder?
    guess some folks dont need eye's.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    If you want to sell it for the right price, I'm interested. I know some people don't trust their own ability to find safe loads for unknown powders, but I'm not one of them.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master maxreloader's Avatar
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    I hope you live to a ripe old age Tracy but the odds are against you.
    Looking for Ideal mold 419181 (44 Evans Long)
    "Joined Dates" are deceiving if you factor-in "lurk" dates.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    That's your opinion, and means nothing. As your tagline states, "you cannot win an argument with an ignorant man." I will add especially a man who is ignorant of the facts because he has already convinced himself that he knows everything he needs to know. So I'm not even gonna try to argue with you. Especially since you're not the one who has the powder.

    Mwells, please pm me if you are interested in getting rid of this powder. I have ways of safely testing it, and have been using non-canister powders for a long time.

  13. #13
    Boolit Man
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    The can you have may have been the deceased gunsmiths junk powder can. I have an old bullseye can that has tape around it labled "Junk powder" where I save all my spilled fertilizer powder.

    Sell it to tracy, he wants it...

  14. #14
    Boolit Master maxreloader's Avatar
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    Tracy I throw $hitloads of it away all the time... if you want to sign a hold-harmless release and follow all the rules I would gladly load up your boat with fodder powder. Step right up sir!
    Looking for Ideal mold 419181 (44 Evans Long)
    "Joined Dates" are deceiving if you factor-in "lurk" dates.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I would gladly sign a hold-harmless release.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master maxreloader's Avatar
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    Lately I have pulled down a lot of 35 rem, 257 roberts, 30 rem, 30-40 Krag, 300 BO, and more. Some factory, most reloads (not mine). You tell me what thats worth. maybe 6 lbs of it right now.
    Looking for Ideal mold 419181 (44 Evans Long)
    "Joined Dates" are deceiving if you factor-in "lurk" dates.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by maxreloader View Post
    Lately I have pulled down a lot of 35 rem, 257 roberts, 30 rem, 30-40 Krag, 300 BO, and more. Some factory, most reloads (not mine). You tell me what thats worth. maybe 6 lbs of it right now.
    PM sent.

  18. #18
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    if it is all one powder you could get a real good idea of it's actual burn rate and use it.
    but you have to have other known powders to compare it to.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Tracy, been there and have done that with three different unknown powders and found it works well if you know what you are doing. The method has been explained a few times on this site. I wouldn't bother with 1 lb of powder because you could use a lot of it getting an approximate burn rate. 4lbs is enough to make it worth while especially if it is a faster powder as it would load a lot of 22H or 25/20 cast boolit loads. I was given 2 25lb bottles of unknown powder and found good loads for both. I would be glad to accept unknown powders and pay shipping, if they are in 4lb or larger amounts and would sign a disclaimer as well.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Another vote for fertilizer! Don't help idiots blow up guns. Saving money is good but not with a totally unknown powder.
    even it times of great shortages powder is available. It may not be what ypu normally use but it ia a know powder with listings in some reloading manual. Totally unknown powder is asking for damaged guns and/or bodies.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check