Powder question, been nagging at me at the bench off and on

[M1A4ME]

Say you buy a 4 lb. (some pistol powder) or 8 lb. (some rifle powder) jug and take it home.

It's been handled at the manufacturer, it's been handled when loaded/unloaded for shipment to a dealer, it was handled at the dealer, it's been transported here/there/yonder during all this.  If bought at a gun show, it might have several trips/transports under it's belt.

What does handling, bumping, bouncing, transporting do?  It causes particles of different sizes to separate into "layers" top to bottom in the container.  If there are differences in the powder flake/granule size some separation will occur.  Gravity, particle size, particle surface and shape characteristic affect how much separation occurs and how fast it occurs.

I used to work in a manufacturing facility that made/used flakes of material as a raw material for other processes and used chips of varying sizes as raw material for other processes.  Particle separation is a fact (based on size, shape, handling, surface/shape, etc.)

So, has anyone else noticed an issue with this in a big jug of powder over time?  I wondered if that was what was going on when I'd set my powder measure up for a certain weight and load a few hundred rounds only to find out as I worked my way through the jug I'd have to use a different powder measure setting as I worked the powder off the top and got down into the middle/bottom of the jug.

I've wondered if I should be setting my jugs down on the floor and rolling them back and forth before pouring the hopper full.

Just curious what the other reloaders here think about this.

[IDescribe]

I shake and swirl mine before pouring into the hopper.  I'm not even convinced it does anything significant, but it's one of those things that takes ten seconds, can't hurt, but might help, so... why not?   

[ReloaderFred]

I try to buy all my powders in 8 pound jugs for rifle, handgun and shotgun loading, since that's the best way to work with one lot of powder for a period of time.

I simply shake the jug every time I handle it, pour more into the hopper, etc.  I haven't noticed any differences in powder drops from one session to another.  For instance, I have a load for .38 Special that requires 3.4 gr. of Bullseye, since I load about 10,000 rounds of this load annually.  That load hasn't varied in years from my dedicated Hornady LnL powder measure.  I have one drum set up specifically for this load, and each time I have a loading session, I check the powder drop "just to make sure", and it doesn't vary.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[1SOW]

I usually buy 4# jugs of my primary powders. Still have an 8# jug of one powder.
I also buy some 1#  bottles of each.  When the 1# bottles empty,  I re-lable and refill them from the jugs.  These are kept on the bench shelf for filling the press hopper
  The 1# bottles  are easy to handle and keep loosened up. I have never seen any sign of clumping or changes in particle appearance or performance in the powder drops.

I still have half of the first powder I ever bought --- a little1# bottle of Win 231.  Maybe I'll load up a few rounds just to see how it behaves and chronos.

[Danjoe]

I roll my powder jugs every time I pull them out of storage.  I don't know if it actually does any good, but I think it helps with consistency for the reasons you laid out.

[armoredman]

I have never heard of that, never had any issues. I have to change my hopper settings every time anyway, since I use the same powder measure for everything, no worries. I usually do 100 or less at a time, anyway, but it is an interesting idea.

[M1A4ME]

I was loading 100's of .38 specials for the boys.  I had the uniflow set up for 5.0 grains of powder.  Near the end of those 3,000 rounds the uniflow started putting out 4.8 grains of Unique.  Regularly, not now and then but more 4.8's than 5.0's so I ended up making a slight adjustment.

Yeah, I usually change the settings, too.  From one pistol caliber to another, one rifle caliber to another, different powders, etc.  This run was unusually long.  I'd pour from the big jug to the 1 lb. jug and when it got low I'd fill it up from the big jug again (big jug is a pain to tip up, hold steady, and pour into the hopper due to the diameter of the lid vs. the smaller 1 lb. jugs.)

[1SOW]

Re pouring from the big jug into the hopper:

At least with my VIT bottles,  Cutting the top third off of a 1# bottle makes a great funnel (with a screw lid) that fits my hopper without having to hold it..  Makes it much cleaner/easier to fill.

[Wobbly]

Part of the powder manufacturing process, in order to make a highly consistent burn rate, is to insure a very consistent granule size. Powder is not like breakfast cereal where the flakes can get busted during shipping, leaving crumbs in the bottom of the box.

Still swirling the can could be a good habit.

 

[1SOW]

I do know VIT small rod powders are NOT all the same length.  Some are half the size are others.  I always wondered if handling the jugs or pouring it in and out of the hopper broke a few.  The weight checks are still good. 
What about the large flake powders?

[IDescribe]

I do know VIT small rod powders are NOT all the same length.  Some are half the size are others.  I always wondered if handling the jugs or pouring it in and out of the hopper broke a few. 

My drop cuts those rods every pull of the handle.  Every time I empty the hopper back into the bottle I'm adding a few shorties back into the mix. 

[M1A4ME]

I may be worrying about nothing.

You know how it is, sometimes when you're doing something steady/repeating an odd thought will hit you.

On the other hand, I do think I'll start trying to roll the big jug in my hand before I pour out of it into the 1 lb. bottle.  The 1 lb. bottles don't last too long, sometimes.

[Wobbly]

On the other hand, I do think I'll start trying to roll the big jug in my hand before I pour out of it into the 1 lb. bottle.

That's another interesting idea of yours.

After knocking over an 8lb jug of 231 during the powder shortage and getting down on my hands and knees with tweezers to pick it all up, I now pour the 8lb into a smaller 1lb can for use on the bench top.

You are so full of ideas.

 

[M1A4ME]

I come up with a lot of stuff because I'm lazy.

I only have to lift the big jug once to fill (more than a lb, because the 1 lb. jug is really full when I fill it) the smaller jug and it'll fill the powder hopper 3 or 4 times before it has to be filled again from the big jug.

Or, lift the big jug every 150/200 rounds to fill the hopper again.

Laziness.  Lot's of good ideas come from lazy people.

[armoredman]

Powder is not like breakfast cereal where the flakes can get busted during shipping, leaving crumbs in the bottom of the box.

Because it's GRRRRRREAT!!