Is this a reasonbly good idea?

Hey guys,
Ive been reloading for several years but didnt shoot nearly as much as I do now. Id pick up a pound of powder here and there. Ive gotten to the point that I have several pounds of the same powder but theyre different lot numbers because I would buy them at different times. Would it make sense for me to say take a couple pounds of Varget and mix them together, mix them well, so I would have 2 pounds of 1"lot". It makes sense in my head I was just wondering your guys thoughts on this. Im sure someone is gonna roast me on this lol.
Thanks
Scooter

I've been told many times to never mix lots. You'll never ensure a homogeneous mix among other reasons


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I have a habit of mixing the remainder of a bottle into a new bottle and then double checking my workup. I don't know that I would mix everyone at once, but the last 1-2 oz of one into a lb of new doesn't bother me.

I've mixed lots for years and have never had an issue and have never seen or had these extreme spreads ppl talk about from lot to lot.
with that said I've never used varget but I have shot a LOT of RL-17-19-22 that I've mixed lots and from lot to lot never seen huge velocity swings.

All resellers like Hodgdon mix their supplier/manufacture lots to get the most consistent burn rate from lot to lot of their packaged product.

I'll not recommend anything one way or another...BUT...

I mixed, thoroughly, 4 one pound bottles of Varget about 2-3 months ago. I am getting good consistent results. I mixed a portion of each; kept adding and mixing into one large, clean plastic container. I mixed THOROUGHLY..THEN, when all were in the one large container, I mixed THOROUGHLY AGAIN. Then dumped back into the four one pound containers and started the process all over again. Once again when all were into the large container...you get the idea. Took me all afternoon, on and off. I've already loaded and shot about 2/3 of a pound. No problems, consistent groupings over various loads for .308 Win.

Just my experience in doing this. In the future I'll do my best to get 8 pound jugs but honestly, I will not be afraid to do what I've described, again, if necessary.

Brian

I've mixed different lot #s together for years as others have said. No issues. If I were you, if you can't get 8lbs of Varget, then get all the 1lbers you can and mix them thoroughly

Thanks for all the replies guys, I appreciate it. I hadn't noticed big swings in velocity, but I've got several hundred rounds to load for an upcoming prairie dog hunt. I don't want to get part way through my loads and go to a new lot of powder and it throw my velocity off. Now granted it's not a competition or anything like that and it would fairly easy to adjust for the difference but I'd just as soon not take the chance.
Silvercrow's method was kinda what I'd thought it my little brain, so I may try that and see.
Thanks again!
Scooter

Scooter get yourself a 5 gallon pale and make sure it is squeaky clean and mix all together at once, it now becomes same lot#. Do your load testing and it should have the same numbers and grouping through out the hole batch.
I've been doing it this way with IMR 4895 for years never had a problem.

Couldnt you use a brand new vibration tumbler for powder only? Turn it on and couple hours later put into container.

or just dump it in the same jug and kick it around the house a couple of times....same thing.

I would just roll the bottle end over end. Would not want to chance making it finner in tumbler. Finer would mean faster burn rate.

Nothing wrong with mixing different lots. Go for it, I sometimes do it.

Well... I've mixed some Varget up, I'll be at the range later today...and I'll see what happens...lol
I'll have my chronograph and am curious to see how much difference there is between loads I shot last week. I'm honestly not expecting there to be much.
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it.
Scooter

As Robin Hood said, mixing is how canister powders are brought to meet a burn rate specification. Phil Sharpe mentions it in his monumental Guide to Handloading, which goes back to the 1940s.

The factories then used a horizontal drum with vanes inside, like a cement mixer. Getting a really thorough mix takes some time, even with that sort of apparatus. Just shaking and rolling a 1 lb. jar won't do it. My HS chemistry teacher showed me how to mix liquids by pouring them back and forth between two containers. I would guess that would work for powders, too. Just be sure to use vessels that won't develop a static charge!

Just pour it on the floor and sweep it around awhile. Old Bruce Hodgen used to sell stuff labeled floor sweepings and it worked pretty well. lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by yobuck

Just pour it on the floor and sweep it around awhile. Old Bruce Hodgen used to sell stuff labeled floor sweepings and it worked pretty well. lol

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[emoji23] Now that's funny!
Scooter