How old is this alliant bullseye keg

[Recycled bullet]

I was just gifted this keg. It is a large cardboard keg. There appears to be some water damage on the exterior. Parts of the label are missing. I was told that less than 6 weeks ago it was open for the first time just to verify the contents have not become contaminated or degraded.

When I opened it up the powder looks good to my eye and it smells like good healthy gunpowder.

It reminds me of Red Dot with smaller flakes and without the pink pieces. I have never used bullseye before. I imagine that it will meter through my powder measure wonderfully -the flakes are tiny and consistent.

I have every intention of carefully working up loads for 308 Winchester, 300 blackout, 9 mm, 38 special, 357 mag and any other cartridge that I decide to sink my teeth into.

Penny for your thoughts?

[Txcowboy52]

I’m no expert, but it looks good to me . I would probably find a better container, something that protects it from light and moisture. If it smells ok , I would load a light .38 load and try it to be sure.

[Nueces]

From my experience with that canister design, I say it's 50 years old, more or less.

[G W Wade]

Believe I bought one about 40 yrs ago. GW

[MOA]

I ordered a keg of Red dot back in 1996 for a customer. That's the style keg that I received. That's what they packaged the big quantities in.

[Recycled bullet]

Thank you for the rapid responses. The keg says 8 lb down near the bottom on the front.

[Outpost75]

Hercules sold its gunpowder operation to Alliant in 1994.

[Texas by God]

According to Terry Weiland, an 8 pound jug of Bullseye is the gunpowder equivalent of “Loaves and Fishes”…..


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[Winger Ed.]

Not sure when those came out, but I was still getting 4 pounders like that in the 90s.

[Tall]

I bought some like that in the 1980's. It is likely very good.

[CastingFool]

This thread made me curious about my keg of Bullseye I picked up in a trade about 10-12 years ago. It has been stamped on the bottom, BE 661, shift 2, may 13, 1994. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not older. The guy I got it from told me it had been his neighbor's, who used to reload for a local sheriff's dept pistol team. Neighbor died, and the widow gave the powder to the man I got it from.

[j4570]

As others have said, since it says Alliant it's at least from the 1990's (one person mention 1994 as Hercules becoming Alliant).

And look for the date as suggested.

Bullseye burns fast and is typically small charges and used in pistols. You can load a LOT of pistol rounds with that powder (providing it's good). You might not be able to afford enough primers to load it all.........

[MT Gianni]

10 or 12 lb keg, previous to cardboard they used metal. I think the switch came about in the early 80's.

[Nueces]

Hercules sold its gunpowder operation to Alliant in 1994.

Of course, I missed that.

[WILCO]

Powder reminds me of coco puffs.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Yep, from 90's also that is a good powder. I know of a few that there go to powder for some loads.

The label and container look like its was stored to close to a wall and got some mildew/mold dry rot
look at the inside and I would scoop out the powder working my way down. I bet it good to go.

[Eddie Southgate]

Enjoy it any way you want but I'd stick to the .38 Special and 9mm of the cartridges you listed. Bullseye is only good in .357 Magnum for low to midrange loads. No experience with it in rifles but I cant see it being a good choice unless you want subsonic and then there are still other better choices of powder for that. It's great in .45 ACP, .45 AR and .38 Special though.

[Martin Luber]

It never goes bad AFAIK. I have used it from 1960s metal pop top cans. Great pistol powder, not best choice for rifle cast.

[Wild Bill 7]

I have two containers like that. One had Bullseye and the other has about five pounds of Unique in it. Sadly I used all the BE already. I was able to acquire another keg of BE a few years ago. I checked the bottom of the containers but no dates on them. BE is a real fine powder and maybe I’m not seeing the picture right but it looks like Unique to me. Just a thought to be careful.

[firefly1957]

Bullseye has never impressed me much I still have some I bought in the 1970's last thing I used it in was 3/4 ounce 12 gauge loads .
I hope for .308 loads you are referring to very light loads .

If you look at burning rate charts Bullseye has been rated both faster and slower then RedDot over the years .

I have noticed in 2400 & Re-7 the Aliant powders do not look the same as the older Hercules powders and it seems Aliant 2400 is a bit harder to ignite then older form. I found this in the 45-70 with ten grains of 2400 under a 200 grain bullet .