Anybody else ever notice powder changing color if you leave it out of the can for a while? Loaded some 8208 a while back and left some in a cup I dispense from. Went to load tonight and noticed it had changed a dark grey color, when the stuff in the can has more of a bronze color. If the color changes, I wonder what other properties can change when it's left out?
Powder Changing Color
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Where do you live? If humid, the moisture absorption into the powder will jack your stuff up. I always seal my cans with the lids after loading, even living in one of the driest climates in the US. I would guess that burn rate would be reduced with absorption of air/moisture.
I'm also very paranoid about "Eldest Son"-type events perpetrated by those who would use that technique, so I leave them a little...surprise, when on vacation. The poor souls that might try something like that in my place would seriously regret it.
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I would guess the same; either the powder is drying out, or it's absorbing moisture.
Drying out will make it weigh less. So compared to a normal charge, more powder will go into the case to achieve a given weight charge. Velocity will likely increase, as will pressure, which could be a safety issue if the load was already a max charge with "normal" powder.
Absorbing moisture will make the powder heavier. Thus, less powder is needed to achieve a particular charge weight. Consequently, velocity is less.
Either can affect accuracy.
Best bet is to keep powder sealed, and not leave it in a powder dispenser when not actually in use.Drifter
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I have a question that might be relevant to this thread. I bought powder and primers and bullets about 6 months or so ago expecting to start reloading. Long story short, I didn't start reloading, but am almost ready now. So, are the powder and primers still good to go? I live in North Texas and at various times they were stored in my garage in the heat/cold and inside in the A/C. Nothing was ever opened though. I anticipate some reduction in performance but my primary concern is creating a safety issue. I am (at this point) only reloading to save money. How concerned should I be?
And, for future reference, what causes the perishable components to perish? Someone suggested always storing poder and primers indoors in different locations; is that the norm?
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