Got my old reloading gear down..

[ironglow]

  Been about 30 years..but I went up in the loft in my barn where I stored the gear & supplies and brought it down. It has always been stored where dry and usually cool..although summers up there were sometimes warm. The powder all smells OK..so I wonder if it is OK.
  I have;
1) Hercules 2400
2) DuPont ..IMR 4198
3) DuPont...IMR 4227
4) Hodgdon ..4831
5) IMR....IMR 4895

   Since I bought these so many years ago..can I safely assume that the powder in today's data for instance, labeled 2400 or DuPont 4227, is the same powder it was back then ?
  My 2400 is Hercules brand..don't see Hercules anymore...the old DuPont numbers seem to be all IMR now..are they the same load wise ?

                                                                                                                     ....thanks, Ironglow

[mjbgalt]

2400 is still made http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/2400.aspx

as for whether the loads are the same, compare your old data to new data to get an idea.

www.hodgdon.com will have a lot of loads to look at and compare.

the powder may very well be fine. but it could also be deteriorated. guess the only real way to know is to work up a safe load and shoot it over a chronograph.

powder isn't going to get MORE potent, would be LESS. so might as well try it out.

[bilmac]

You have the old powder, you mean to say you don't have your old loading manuals too? Just use the old manuals, they were better anyway, before everybody got afraid of lawsuits. I've always read about how powder deteriorated and had a red mist or rust when you opened the can. Never knew if I had any or not, but then I opened a can that had gone bad, and there was no doubt then.

[Graybeard]

That's a long time for powder stored improperly and in the loft of a barn is VERY improper storage. It got HOT there in summer unless you live in Alaska I'd think and the humidity was whatever it was outside so unless you were in a very dry climate that means at times quite humid.

Still if it looks OK and smells OK then I'd be tempted to load a few rounds and see how it performs and go from there. Had it been properly stored I'd say it should be OK for sure but in the loft of a barn is not proper storage not even close.

[LaOtto222]

I stored a bunch of powder in my relatively dry basement off the floor. Some of it was in the tin cans. I found that the powder had rust in it - a definite rust color on the power from the insides of the can. Those got dumped. I had some that were in the cardboard style with metal ends, it was OK and I am still using it. The plastic cans they use now days are much better at storing powder - IMHO.

[ironglow]

  Thanks Guys;
   Guess I'll take youir advice and work up a few loads and chrony them. The main loads I will be doing in the near future will b e for 22 Hornet and .223. I am Optimistic about the Lil' Gun powder I just bought.
   I do have an old Hornady manual..and my grandson just gave me a new Lyman manual..so I will compare where possible.

[mbopp]

Yeah, I got back into shooting after a 25 year hiatus. My I4198 went bad but the 4350, 4064, and 4895 look OK. I bought new Bullseye and Unique, one thing I did notice was the new powders are denser, throwing about 10% heavier charges with the same powder measure settings. Of course I go by weight, not volume.