Reusing powder from pulled hand loads?

[riggee]

Hi guys.

I'm newish to reloading, and over the past few months have tried out plenty of combos.

Over the months I've built up a collection of about 60-70 bullets which I don't want to shoot cause they're too inaccurate.

Wrong power load, or seating depth or whatever.

Plenty have fine bullets, just need loads adjusted. So planned to pull them all, reload all the powder in the right loads and reseat the bullets.

I picked up a RCBS Pow'r Pull Bullet Puller from my LGS and was chatting with the story while he rang it up.

When I got the the powder bit he tells me that I shouldn't use the powder again

He said primed brass and bullet is ok, but not powder?

I asked why and he said I just really shouldn't, for safety, but couldn't tell me why there was a risk... Doesn't inspire confidence obviously...

I can't see why there would be an issue in using the same powder again which I put in the cartridge 3 weeks ago?

If it was going to work the first time, what could be wrong the second time?

[VICHunter]

If you've just loaded them and know what powder is in them it should be no problem for hands loads.

Perhaps he thought you were talking about breaking down and reusing factory ammo?

You definitely would not want to do it for loads you weren't completely familiar with as differences in powder charges with unfamiliar powder could lead to disaster.

[Phaine]

I asked why and he said I just really shouldn't, for safety, but couldn't tell me why there was a risk...

Another gun shop know it all who doesn't know much...

[TPCKRT]

mate aslong as you know what powder is in each (if theyre all the same then its even easier) then theres no reason why its an issue. i do it all the time.

[Hardcast]

No problems at all, even old powder is ok, provided you know what it is.

Tip into a container, give it a gentle mix, (tumble) reload it and use it soon.
I don't think it's a good idea to keep it too long after the second loading because you've then
weighed it, poured it, handled it a couple of times which is not ideal for the granules and could alter the burn rate if they
become crushed or broken.
So gently does it, use clean containers etc, and you should have no problems.

[riggee]

I don't think it's a good idea to keep it too long after the second loading because you've then weighed it, poured it, handled it a couple of times which is not ideal for the granules and could alter the burn rate if they become crushed or broken.

So gently does it, use clean containers etc, and you should have no problems.

The first loads are only 5-6 weeks old max, so it's not like it's decaying old powder or anything like that.

I've pulled them all now and have the powder sitting here. Indistinguishable from "new" powder as best I can tell.

Gunna go ahead and re use it.

[Lorgar]

No problem in my experience.

This weekend in fact I pulled about 50-60 left over rounds from hand loads which turned out to be inaccurate.

Pulled all the cartridges which has unwanted powder charges in then, refilled them all to match the most accurate load, reseated the same bullets.

The second time reloaded cartridges were just as accurate as the first batch they were made to match.