Yikes, we hate these threads!!!!
I was given an 8lb jug of surplus powder by a fella that sells it for a living. Now, he swears it's a rifle powder but the label fell off. No telling now. It's a fine ball powder so it could anything; SMP842, WC842-844-846, or even a .50 BMG powder. He said "in theory" a person COULD try 20.0g in a .223 and if it went bang, work up with a 55g bullet until you get an AR to cycle, watching velocity and primer signs.
Sorry, I ain't doing it. He doesn't sell any kind of surplus pistol powder, not ball powder anyway, BUT what if it IS? Whatever that surplus powder that .30 Carbine uses, similar to H110 would be a death sentence.
So, conventional wisdom says fertilize the yard. I was just about to do that when I had a thought. What if I were to run it in .357 Magnum in an H&R Handi Rifle? Even if it was an H110 equivalent, I'd be okay. Which leads me to my question, aside from a squib, how would a ball rifle powder behave with such a small charge?
8Lbs is a lot of powder to me, but I just ain't putting it in a rifle. NOT gonna happen.