Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 27 Sep 2022, 1:05 pm

How long do you feel comfortable leaving the cap of the powder bottle when you're reloading?

How hygroscopic is it and is it losing any volatiles?
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by bladeracer » 27 Sep 2022, 2:05 pm

Jackaroo wrote:How long do you feel comfortable leaving the cap of the powder bottle when you're reloading?

How hygroscopic is it and is it losing any volatiles?


I put the cap straight back on unless I'm actually scooping from the bottle, but I leave it open as little as possible. I prefer to dump some into a wide-mouth vitamin bottle for easier access for scooping and then dump it back into the bottle when I'm done.

I left a small amount (hopefully enough to load a dozen .303 rounds) in a spare powder hopper for almost three years, not sealed (it just has a gravity cap). It wasn't really enough to dump back into a fresh bottle so I put it aside. In Central Gippsland it's pretty moist which must have effected it to some degree, and the temp ranges from just below zero in the winter to over 40C in the summer. I left it standing on the back of my loading bench with a piece of paper with the date on top, but over time I've lost the paper. Pretty sure it was late November, early December 2019 though. It didn't occur to me to leave some out in the open though, it would just attract dust, mouse and rat poo, and dead insects and I can't imagine anybody actually storing their powders that way :-)

It's gone just a little brown, and Rose can't make out any difference in smell. The plan is to load it in some .303 next week alongside some fresh stuff and see if there's any difference. I suspect there'll be no noticeable difference, but over a chronograph there might be a measurable difference perhaps.
Attachments
20220927_135358b.jpg
AR2206H unsealed for almost three years
20220927_135358b.jpg (251.04 KiB) Viewed 1757 times
20220927_135351b.jpg
Fresh AR2206H
20220927_135351b.jpg (175.63 KiB) Viewed 1757 times
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Oldbloke » 27 Sep 2022, 3:58 pm

I reckon blade will be right. SFA difference. People use powder 30 yrs old. No problems.
More worried about spilling it.
The greatest invention in the history of man is beer.
https://youtu.be/2v3QrUvYj-Y
Member. SFFP, Shooters Union.
SSAA, the powerful gun lobby. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hunt safe.
User avatar
Oldbloke
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 11192
Victoria

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 27 Sep 2022, 4:24 pm

bladeracer wrote:
Jackaroo wrote:How long do you feel comfortable leaving the cap of the powder bottle when you're reloading?

How hygroscopic is it and is it losing any volatiles?


I put the cap straight back on unless I'm actually scooping from the bottle, but I leave it open as little as possible. I prefer to dump some into a wide-mouth vitamin bottle for easier access for scooping and then dump it back into the bottle when I'm done.

I left a small amount (hopefully enough to load a dozen .303 rounds) in a spare powder hopper for almost three years, not sealed (it just has a gravity cap). It wasn't really enough to dump back into a fresh bottle so I put it aside. In Central Gippsland it's pretty moist which must have effected it to some degree, and the temp ranges from just below zero in the winter to over 40C in the summer. I left it standing on the back of my loading bench with a piece of paper with the date on top, but over time I've lost the paper. Pretty sure it was late November, early December 2019 though. It didn't occur to me to leave some out in the open though, it would just attract dust, mouse and rat poo, and dead insects and I can't imagine anybody actually storing their powders that way :-)

It's gone just a little brown, and Rose can't make out any difference in smell. The plan is to load it in some .303 next week alongside some fresh stuff and see if there's any difference. I suspect there'll be no noticeable difference, but over a chronograph there might be a measurable difference perhaps.



Cheers, let us know how you go when you shoot the reloads.
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 27 Sep 2022, 4:26 pm

Oldbloke wrote:I reckon blade will be right. SFA difference. People use powder 30 yrs old. No problems.
More worried about spilling it.


I don't like spillin' a grain these days, specially of pistol powder......and you should see me on my hands and knees looking for a single SPP on the ground!
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Blr243 » 28 Sep 2022, 9:23 pm

I took a phone call once while reloading , and spoke for longer than expected, returned to realise I had left he top off my bottle ... ptsd , counseling sessions , abuse of prescription painkillers Recurring nightmares ,nothin seems to b working I doubt I will ever be the same again
Blr243
Brigadier
Brigadier
 
Posts: 4479
Queensland

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 29 Sep 2022, 8:34 am

Blr243 wrote:I took a phone call once while reloading , and spoke for longer than expected, returned to realise I had left he top off my bottle ... ptsd , counseling sessions , abuse of prescription painkillers Recurring nightmares ,nothin seems to b working I doubt I will ever be the same again


That's a careless thing for a gun owner to write on a public forum.
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by bladeracer » 29 Sep 2022, 10:37 am

Jackaroo wrote:
Blr243 wrote:I took a phone call once while reloading , and spoke for longer than expected, returned to realise I had left he top off my bottle ... ptsd , counseling sessions , abuse of prescription painkillers Recurring nightmares ,nothin seems to b working I doubt I will ever be the same again


That's a careless thing for a gun owner to write on a public forum.


He was joking :-)

All forums are public, anything you put online anywhere pretty much belongs to anybody that wants to look for it.
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 29 Sep 2022, 11:23 am

bladeracer wrote:
Jackaroo wrote:
Blr243 wrote:I took a phone call once while reloading , and spoke for longer than expected, returned to realise I had left he top off my bottle ... ptsd , counseling sessions , abuse of prescription painkillers Recurring nightmares ,nothin seems to b working I doubt I will ever be the same again


That's a careless thing for a gun owner to write on a public forum.


He was joking :-)

All forums are public, anything you put online anywhere pretty much belongs to anybody that wants to look for it.


Still a very careless thing for a firearms owner to write publicly.
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by bladeracer » 29 Sep 2022, 12:32 pm

Jackaroo wrote:Still a very careless thing for a firearms owner to write publicly.


You can certainly choose to believe that if you prefer.
Practice Strict Gun Control - Precision Counts!
User avatar
bladeracer
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 12655
Victoria

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 29 Sep 2022, 12:50 pm

bladeracer wrote:
Jackaroo wrote:Still a very careless thing for a firearms owner to write publicly.


You can certainly choose to believe that if you prefer.


With Queensland's 'Fit & Proper Person' that can so easily be used to disqualify a person's gun license, it makes sense to be as careful with one's freedoms to own firearms as possible -

https://www.police.qld.gov.au/weapon-li ... bout%20you
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Sep 2022, 4:13 pm

I understand where jackaroo is coming from but it's pretty obvious blr243 was being facetious.
The greatest invention in the history of man is beer.
https://youtu.be/2v3QrUvYj-Y
Member. SFFP, Shooters Union.
SSAA, the powerful gun lobby. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hunt safe.
User avatar
Oldbloke
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 11192
Victoria

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Jackaroo » 29 Sep 2022, 5:05 pm

Oldbloke wrote:I understand where jackaroo is coming from but it's pretty obvious blr243 was being facetious.


Totally agree, it was tongue in cheek but things like this can come back to bite us years down the track and we (like minded shooters) won't be the ones sitting in judgement. It will be proffered up as "I ask you, did you ever write "ptsd , counseling sessions , abuse of prescription painkillers Recurring nightmares ,nothin seems to b working I doubt I will ever be the same again" on a public forum. Please answer the question Yes or No.

I would suggest that a Mod make all reference go away.
User avatar
Jackaroo
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 202
New South Wales

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by deye243 » 30 Sep 2022, 3:07 am

Just bloody relax I am sick and tired of this Lefty look over your shoulder or don't you dare say what you think biggest problem we have today is we self-regulate that is definitely wrong.
we should be outward tell everybody what we do don't like it get f***** when I seen the first draught of the 1996 firearms act (vic) I was horrified where one line said you can't carry a firearm in a manner as to alarm the public we fought very hard to have this taken out obviously it didn't work because 10 to 20 years later we have a s**t load of people who think the only people who should carry a firearm is a cop.
if you have ever been to a range when they are practising it's a horrifying site to know that these clowns carry Firearms in public.
I miss the good old days when I was 10 yes 10 years old riding a pushbike up the road with a Ruger 10/22 over my shoulder local copper couldn't give a crap because he knew who I was were I was going you really think I would do anything wrong don't think so.
User avatar
deye243
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2208
Victoria

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by northdude » 30 Sep 2022, 3:49 am

I said a swear word in front of my powder once. Hope I dont loose my licence
22 hornets and most things 6.5
northdude
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 834
New Zealand

Re: Leaving cap of the powder bottle

Post by Diamond Jim » 30 Sep 2022, 9:49 pm

deye243 wrote:Just bloody relax I am sick and tired of this Lefty look over your shoulder or don't you dare say what you think biggest problem we have today is we self-regulate that is definitely wrong.
we should be outward tell everybody what we do don't like it get f***** when I seen the first draught of the 1996 firearms act (vic) I was horrified where one line said you can't carry a firearm in a manner as to alarm the public we fought very hard to have this taken out obviously it didn't work because 10 to 20 years later we have a s**t load of people who think the only people who should carry a firearm is a cop.
if you have ever been to a range when they are practising it's a horrifying site to know that these clowns carry Firearms in public.
I miss the good old days when I was 10 yes 10 years old riding a pushbike up the road with a Ruger 10/22 over my shoulder local copper couldn't give a crap because he knew who I was were I was going you really think I would do anything wrong don't think so.


I'm ready to be flamed but just have a look at the proposed WA legislation about to be brought in.... "Anyone suspected of posing a possible threat..."

I think we need to be careful of what we say online because there are those who will use anything they can get against LAFOs. Doesn't mean you can't have a laugh with mates around the campfire.
Listing your firearms is as good as a fingerprint.
User avatar
Diamond Jim
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 389
Western Australia


Back to top
 
Return to Reloading ammunition