I think I scored

[45Bullet]

Jacketed bullet loader friend of mine just gave me (as he was crying) a 8 lb. container full of imr-4198. The container was full, like about 14/15 lbs. I haven't weighed it yet. The kicker is, in that 14/15 lbs. 1lb. of Imr-4350 was accidentally added. He was cleaning out his extra 1lb. containers, putting them in a 8lb. jug. While tossing the 1lb. containers in the trash he notice one was Imr-4350. I think he was looking at the label colors and not so much the numbers. I'm thinking I can load a truck-load of 30-30 and 38-55 cast bullet loads in my Hi-walls with this much powder after mixing it up good using the imr-4198 load data. Maybe even increase the charge a bit due to the slower burn rate of Imr-4350. What ya think?

[9w1911]

I think you have 14lbs of fertilizer.

[obssd1958]

I think you have 14lbs of fertilizer.

I agree!

[dubber123]

This has been hashed over before. If you load assuming you have straight IMR4198, you won't get in any trouble. May not be the most consistent, but if mixed in well, it will probably surprise you how well it shoots. I wouldn't toss it.

[Poygan]

Agree with dubber123. Adding a slower powder to a faster powder should not cause you any problems, although using 4198 data might get you a slightly lower velocity. Adding a faster powder to slower could be problematic.

[merlin101]

If it was just one pound or so I'd toss it but in this case.I agree with dubber, the only thing I'd add is start low and work your way up. But you already knew that right?

[GONRA]

GONRA agrees with dubber123.
Save it for loading relatively LOW PRESSURE cast boolit loads and you should be Just Fine!
Be dam sure to USE IT UP ("corrupted powder") once you find a good load.
Resist the urge to use it for "future projects".
(Get the feeling that most gun nuts don't keep detailed records on this stuff.... ???)

[Bent Ramrod]

You might get a couple square feet of plastic screen, and see if you can't screen the smaller 4198 from the larger 4350. I separated maybe 4 oz of Bullseye from the rest of a can of Unique once that way. I used each component by itself, and worked up loads like it was a new type of powder, just in case, but was able to reach service loadings with both after a few careful preliminaries.

Desperate times, desperate measures. :roll:

[JSH]

Powder is cheap, guns are expensive.
Whos to know if that was all that got mixed up.
To each his own.

[dtknowles]

Only you know if you are smart enough to do this right. If it was me I would use it. I would label it Tims Special and develop my own load data for my own guns and accept the responsibility for the consequences. My biggest concern would be that the powder out lives me that is why the special label.

Tim

[Mauser48]

I'd probably toss it if it were me. Mixing powders scares me.

[obssd1958]

The problem is "14/15 lbs" in an 8 pound jug. That means at the very least - 6 to 7 pounds of powder that didn't start out in that jug, and at least one of them was known to be a different powder. What else made it's way in there? Did he "accidently" put a different powder into one of the other jugs before he finally transferred it to the 8 pounder?
It's like buying partial cans of powder at a gunshow - you have no idea what is really in there.

[9w1911]

Yep who knows what else he forgot to put in there. I read these stories often, the I took this can and mixed with this keg and now I have Bullseye in my 2400! I just leave it all be, I like to finish supplies off to their lot number. The only way I would ever add a 1lb can to a 8lb keg is if the powders have the same lot number.

The 4350 is heavier than the 4198 so I feel it will pool in the lighter medium towards the bottom and would not surprise me if you did not see it rear its head until you are at the bottom of that keg and only after you become complacent shooting reduced 4198 loads thinking there is an even mix of 4350 and 4198.

[runfiverun]

you'd know if you reduced 4350 to 4198 levels.
pop fffft.

if your positive it's a pound of 4350 in with 4198 I'd use it as 4198.
I have a habit of shaking my powder jugs before pouring out of them anyway.

[45Bullet]

Visited with my friend again. He said he didn't know if it was even a full pound of imr-4350. Anyway I mixed it up thoroughly and dumped some on a couple of sheets of copy paper. You could tell the 4350 kernels, the coating is much darker but about identical in size of the 4198. No other fines or flakes of any kind was in the mix. I loaded 20 test loads and knowing the burn characteristics of 4350 I increased the powder charge from 22.0 grs. to 23.0 behind a Lyman 330gr. cast bullet w/fiber wad. Just as I figured, I saw no pressure signs and no deviations when throwing powder-charges and sight settings at 200yds. and group size did not change at all. The only thing different was a slightly dirtier bore with about 4 or 5 kernels of unburned 4350 powder left in the bore after each shot. So as of now, I putting this to rest and not buying any more powder for my 30-30 / 38-55 Hi-Wall single shots I shoot cast bullets out of. I'll just mix it good before use.

[GrocMax]

Only thing I'd worry about is two powders of very opposite ends of the burn rate having crazy combustion issues. Benchresters mix powders all the time but they're usually very close in burn rate to begin with.

IMR4198 .026" diameter .083" long
IMR4350 .038" diameter .083" long

Seems like it could be sifted.

[Peregrine]

Powder is cheap, guns are expensive.
Whos to know if that was all that got mixed up.
To each his own.

Not to give any recommendations one way or the other to the original poster, but when's the last time you bought powder?

There's very real safety factors that need to be considered here, but if you want to base it only on cost he could easily blow up and replace a 30-30 (maybe twice!) and still come out ahead opposed to buying 15 pounds of 4198.

Your concern is valid, your logic leading you there isn't. :p

[Ola]

This is also not a recommendation.

I know a very experienced reloader who puts all the powder he accumulates (from taken down factory ammo, or what ever) in a class jar. After a year or two the jar is full. Then he uses the powder to load shotgun ammo. There is little bit of EVERYTHING in that jar! He uses the data for the fastest powder available and so far he has had zero explosions or other problems. If very mild loads aren't considered problem.

Again: Not a recommendation, but seems that all kind of craziness can be (and IS) done.

[sundog]

What ya think?

How do you know that is the only mistake that he made?