Accidently mixed two different powders

L

Leeroy

Machinest / Gunsmith
G'day Gents

As the title says i've made a bit of a blue when unloading the unused powder from my powder thrower. I was loading some 284 shehane with
ADI 2213sc and picked up a 3/4 can of ADI 2208 by mistake and poured the remaining 2213 into the 2208 bottle. I guess about 1/2 cup full.

So now i have this mix of about 70% : 30% 2208 and 2213sc and am wondering what the hell to do with it?
Common sense tells me to just throw it out on the lawn as fertilizer, but i can't help but think i may be able to still use it for fire forming etc.

So what say you? Would it be ok to use this mixture if i treat it as 2208 and use starting loads for fire forming? (6mm BRX)

Opinions welcome..

Cheers
Leeroy
 
Leeroy said:
G'day Gents

So now i have this mix of about 70% : 30% 2208 and 2213sc and am wondering what the hell to do with it?
Common sense tells me to just throw it out on the lawn as fertilizer,

Cheers
Leeroy
Click to expand...

You give good advise.

But;

Many shooters do blend powders and there is some common sense things to consider.

Do you know the burning charismatics of each of these powders intimately? If, no, put it on the lawn.

Do these two powders have the same granular structure (both ball, both extruded with about the same grain size)? If no, lawn time.

And more importantly, do these two powders have about the same burn speed? If no, green grass is pretty.
 
Leeroy,

I have a similar delima. Half pound of Varget added to 5 lbs of H4350. Been staring at that container for two years now wondering the same thing.

So far the best advice is to use it on the lawn. I think that if I do that as soon as I get home, the temptation to actually use it will disappear.

That is what I cam going to do today.

Bob
 
Make a thin trail with it and put some black powder in spots along the way...then light it up. Maybe put the black powder spots on things you don't like. Then, as the trail burns, you could sing "Another One Bites the Dust."

On second thought....dispose of the mixed powder in accordance with accepted regulations both state and federal.
 
Be carefull with the black powder.

One police officer that I know burnt a pound of black powder in the parking lot.
His eyebrows took a while to grow back.

Glenn
 
Once when I made this mistake, pouring from a powder measure into a container of dissimilar powder, I used a utility knife to carefully cut the container an inch or two above the level of the powder, and scooped the offending powder (and a little of the underlying powder), that was dissimilar in appearance, off of the top of the powder that belonged there. I discarded the powder that I removed.
 
Stonewall said:
Be carefull with the black powder.

One police officer that I know burnt a pound of black powder in the parking lot.
His eyebrows took a while to grow back.

Glenn
Click to expand...

My dad had a black powder accident that burned his arm badly - hospital badly. he dumped out a big pile on the ground to get rid of it (blasting powder) at the end of a job. Tossed a "gopher" match like he had done many times exept this tim the match hung in a weed top. He bent over to flick it off just as it fell into the powder.

"Booger's" pool hall was always a source for burned fingers around muzzle loader season. "Boog" had some black plastic ashtrays and you couldn't see a layer of black powder in the bottom.

Black powder waits for no one!
 
Leeroy said:
G'day Gents

As the title says i've made a bit of a blue when unloading the unused powder from my powder thrower. I was loading some 284 shehane with
ADI 2213sc and picked up a 3/4 can of ADI 2208 by mistake and poured the remaining 2213 into the 2208 bottle. I guess about 1/2 cup full.

So now i have this mix of about 70% : 30% 2208 and 2213sc and am wondering what the hell to do with it?
Common sense tells me to just throw it out on the lawn as fertilizer, but i can't help but think i may be able to still use it for fire forming etc.

So what say you? Would it be ok to use this mixture if i treat it as 2208 and use starting loads for fire forming? (6mm BRX)
Click to expand...

Well, here's how I'd think about it. Thinking is not a recommendation... I jusr covered my behind. & since I'm just thinking, I'll use VarGet & 4831, OK? They're both single-base stick powders, right?

You need about 45,000 psi to fireform. A little more is better, but 45,000 is usually OK. So, what charge of VarGet in a 6BRX is max? What's the pressure if that weight of 4831 were to be used? That's the outside parameter. If that weight of 4831 can successfully form a good BRX case, you've got no problem.

And since your mixture is comprised mainly of VarGet, you're even closer. As you suggest, pretend it's VarGet only, use no more than a max charge, and see how the cases look. My thinking is it will work.

On the other hand, if you start getting one-hole groups, you're in bad trouble. The temptation would be to try & replicate it for match shooting. Unlikely though. VarGet seems to work best near max pressures, and you'll be lowering pressure with the "not more than" rule.
 
Charles E said:
Well, here's how I'd think about it. Thinking is not a recommendation... I jusr covered my behind. & since I'm just thinking, I'll use VarGet & 4831, OK? They're both single-base stick powders, right?

You need about 45,000 psi to fireform. A little more is better, but 45,000 is usually OK. So, what charge of VarGet in a 6BRX is max? What's the pressure if that weight of 4831 were to be used? That's the outside parameter. If that weight of 4831 can successfully form a good BRX case, you've got no problem.

And since your mixture is comprised mainly of VarGet, you're even closer. As you suggest, pretend it's VarGet only, use no more than a max charge, and see how the cases look. My thinking is it will work.

On the other hand, if you start getting one-hole groups, you're in bad trouble. The temptation would be to try & replicate it for match shooting. Unlikely though. VarGet seems to work best near max pressures, and you'll be lowering pressure with the "not more than" rule.
Click to expand...

Mate you read my mind.. I was thinking almost exactly the same thing. I still have the contaminated powder, maybe i'll get brave enough to give this a go. Maybe....

Thanks to everyone who replied..

Cheers
leeroy
 
So the price of a pound of powder is worth the possibility that an inexperienced person reading this could make a real mistake?
 
Well, you can always.............

try to sieve it, if the powders are dissimilar enough in appearance. I did that once when I dumped ball into extruded. Then again, since its less than 40%, and if they're close enough in burn rate and type (ball, extruded, etc.), why not mix them thoroughly and use them for forming or whatever else?? It isn't the end of the world, and you can fill the case and TP a wad in the neck........? Gives new meaning to the direction, "...never have more than ONE open can on the bench at any time." Well, I don't put ANY other can on the bench now........
 
I wonder how an experienced person becomes experienced, are they born that way?
 
I knew a red neck that was famous, his last words spoken were, "Hey guys!! Watch this........
 
I, myself, wouldn't chance it. It's not worth the cost of the gun and any injuries that might happen.

Toss it out and be done with it.
 
double what ever the load calls for and load one and pull the trigger....
 
I have done this many times. I keep a separate container labeled FIRE FORM powder and use it for just that. I write on the Bottle what the fastest powder in the mix is, then use that powder data to fire form all my new brass. I have about 7 different rifle powders in the mix now with never a problem. I load it light but I verify that the bullet has actually left the barrel the first couple times.Shooting over a chrono would work as well.
 
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