Not all powder is created equal

[jonk]

So for a hoot I tried comparing factory IMR 4895 to surplus. Which should be very similar, even if some variations exist lot to lot, right?

Wrong.

303 british, 150 gr .311 bullet (jacketed in this case), 40 gr of surplus, 40 gr of factory.

Surplus scattered it all over the paper. Factory was a nice tight group.

I also note that volumetrically the factory stuff is about 5% denser.

In other trials the surplus shoots better than the factory. Almost as if they were two different powders.

Moral of the story is just because it says it on the surplus jug doesn't mean you can just jump into the max load. In this case it would be ok as the surplus seems slightly slower than the factory but you never know...

[Ricochet]

My pulldown 4895 (from a 1956 lot of .30-06) is notably slower than recent factory 4895, using published charge weights and velocities in .22-250 as a guide.

[Junior1942]

My pulldown 4895 (from a 1956 lot of .30-06) is notably slower than recent factory 4895, using published charge weights and velocities in .22-250 as a guide.
So is mine in 30-30, 7.62x54r, and in 8x57.

[wiljen]

Moral of the story is just because it says it on the surplus jug doesn't mean you can just jump into the max load. In this case it would be ok as the surplus seems slightly slower than the factory but you never know...


I think you could leave out the word surplus there. Commercial lots have varied dramatically at times and they even occasionally put the wrong powder in some of them cans.

[alamogunr]

I think you could leave out the word surplus there. Commercial lots have varied dramatically at times and they even occasionally put the wrong powder in some of them cans.

That is scary! What if that happens to a canister of a powder you have never used before. There would be no way to visually recognize that it was not the correct contents. I don't try to compare appearance of every powder I buy with another sample of the same powder.

John

[Heavy lead]

That's why it is always wise to start low and work back up with a new lot number, even with same lot numbers take a note of how it looks.

[Junior1942]

That's why it is always wise to start low and work back up with a new lot number, even with same lot numbers take a note of how it looks.That's why it's also wise to buy 8 lb jugs of cannister powder.

[Heavy lead]

I agree 100% sir.

[wiljen]

Alliant has on at least 2 occasions that I can recall accidentally put Bullseye in Unique packaging and had to recall it. Starting with max loads could have been catastrophic in those instances and even starting loads for unique would average a 50% over charge of BE. It pays to always, always start low.