20 year old smokless powder

[lewmed]

 My neighbor and reloading buddy recently passed away his wife says I was his best friend and he wanted me to have all his reloading equipment and supplies. I accepted everything related to reloading metallic cartridges in return I made a donation to The Lords Diner in his name. For the last week or so I been sorting through all the supplies and I found 6 one pound containers of Accurate powders that say a product of the Czech Republic Accurate Arms Company Inc. McEwen, Tennessee. I know they are old because the price tags say $14.49 I also know Accurate powders have changed hands several times in the last 20 years. The powder should still be good it looks and smells fine but what load data would I use? Or should I just use it for fertilizer.

[m1a_scoutguy]

Are they all the same type or 6 different ones? If they are all the same and seem fine then I would say it's worth looking for info. If there 6 different types then you need to decide if you really want to come up with 6 different recipes or tests, etc. If they are pistol powders depending on what it is ya gotta figure that ya can get over 1K rds out of a typical can of powder, if there rifle then 150 or so give or take what it is. Free is good, figure out your time involved and go from there I say.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

Old data should still be available and there's nothing wrong with using the most recent data for a given powder. That's why we have starting loads. I wouldn't be concerned in the least about the age as long as it's been kept cool and dry modern smokeless powder can be good for decades. I still have 2 steel cans of red dot from the early 60's and it still makes great shot shells and .38 spl rounds.

[lewmed]

  What concerns me most is the older powder made in the Czech Republic can't be the same as newer powders made who know where.  i know Accurate smokeless powder has changed hands at least 3 times. I have reloading manuals going back to the mid 1970's I just don't know which one would be appropriate.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

If you think the powder is 20 years old then use data from that era. Once gain starting load and you'll have no issues.

[Wobbly]

Call Accurate Powders !!

Tell them what you have, what calibers you intend to shoot it in, and your email address. They will send you back a ton of historical information.

What's on their web page is simply the "most recently asked for" data. It's not all the data they have by a long shot. What you see on their web pages and in their pamphlets is only about 1/100th of the data they have on hand.

I had the same issue years ago after buying Solo 1250 at a gun show.

[lewmed]

 Thank you, Wobbly for the information.