I have the oppurtunity to buy 20 pounds of RL 22 for $200 which is only $10 a pound. The only problem I have with it is that each pound is from a different lot. I have found that RL22 can have significant differences in load performance when going from one lot to another. Therefore, what I would like to do is buy this 20 pounds of powder and mix/blend it in a large container so that every charge I load with it will be of the same mix.

The question now becomes, what problems if any can occur by mixing the same type powder with different lot numbers?

NOTE: I'm not mixing types or brands. It will be RL22 mixed with RL22 with various lot numbers only.

You will end up with the lot number "Devildawg66". Specific to only you.

Your logic is sound. With 20diff. lots, you'll have to rework your loads w/ each new lot. Blending them will give you the "same" lot & you should be good to go for 20# worth. I've done it on a small csale, 1/4# w/ a new 1#, w/ no ill effects (not RL22).

It won't hurt to mix lots of the same powder and it will give you consistancy for that 20#.

Powder making is not a just a science, it is also the art of organic chemistry. Organic things vary so the product also varies. Reloader's "Cannister" powders have a range of quickness that falls within specific limits so they can be sold to us, but, as you recognise, lots vary with the limits.

The makers may mix lots of powders themselves to achieve more consistancy but even that effort has limits. They test for relitive quickness in a "Closed Bomb", a certain amount is placed in the bomb and ignited. The time/pressure curve gives the data they need. Our closed bomb is our chamber and we better pay attention to what the maker says.

Reloaders better not mix different types of powders to make a "custom" powder blend half way between any of them. NO ONE can predict the results of such experiments!

quote:

Originally posted by Devildawg66:
I have the oppurtunity to buy 20 pounds of RL 22 for $200 which is only $10 a pound. The only problem I have with it is that each pound is from a different lot. I have found that RL22 can have significant differences in load performance when going from one lot to another. Therefore, what I would like to do is buy this 20 pounds of powder and mix/blend it in a large container so that every charge I load with it will be of the same mix.

The question now becomes, what problems if any can occur by mixing the same type powder with different lot numbers?

NOTE: I'm not mixing types or brands. It will be RL22 mixed with RL22 with various lot numbers only.

Static elimination tips Could Static Electricity be a problem?

quote:

The question now becomes, what problems if any can occur by mixing the same type powder with different lot numbers?

I've done it numerous times over the last 30+ years. Last I did was 2 one lb and a five lb of RL22. Loads were the same between what I had from the old 2 and the new mix.

Devildawg66 ----- I load and shoot 10 plus pounds of RL-22 each year, I would not do the mixing. If you had a fail proof method of mixing each pound evenly, you may not see a problem, I doubt that you can achieve that even a mix. Presently I have 18 pounds of one lot, 8 pounds of another and 4 of another. Honestly, I would never think of mixing them for my use. If you proceed with the mixing, consider what the results could be, instead of saving money on the RE-22 you may end up with 20 pounds that are very unpredictable and useless to a safe reloader. You may have figured out that I ERR on the side of caution when reloading. Good shooting.

How much does RL22 vary from lot to lot?
It is already mixed to get the canister consistency.

I have not done allot of testing with RL22, but other canister powders seem to have the same lot to lot threshold of brass growth with in 1%.

What would worry me the most is generating enough static electricity to set that powder off. Twenty pounds of powder going in one big blaze of glory might not make your day.
What I think I would do is work up the load you want with one lot. Thenload up five load witht he next and try them. You might want to drop back about one grain to be on the safe side with five rounds and then five with your established load. I don't work with RL-22 so I have no idea how much variation there may be between the various lot numbers. I admit doing it the way I suggested is a bit of a PITA, but look at it this way. You'll keep your fingers and other body parts intact.
Paul B.

I think it's a smart idea and would do it in an instance!
Don't understand how someone can say it may be wildly erratic.

I mix different lots all the time, and it is the only way to standardize them. The "best" way to pour them all into a large vibratory case cleaner, and let it run for a while. Really mixes them up nicely.

Smokeless powder is coated with graphite to prevent a static charge build up. Gently pouring powder back and forth between several containers the finally into a single large container should not present a static ignition hazard, however, I would do it on a damp (but not precipitating) day out of doors, just to add a margin of safety. The vibrating tumbler idea sounds just a tad too aggressive to me.

You are correct that RL-22 has a reputation for lot-to-lot variation greater than many other cannister powders. If I understand you that you have 20 1-pound cannisters from 20 different lots (surely some of them must be from the same lot!), then blending them is the only way to efficiently utilize them. Your blended lot should be quite uniform and consistent.

I've done it myself with the same powder. Roumor has it that Re22 does vary quite a bit, so it seemed like a good way to get a batch of standardized powder.

I'd mix it.

But I'd do it this way: dump the contents of the 1# containers into an anti-static container large enough to hold all 20 pounds. Mix gently the very minimum amount needed to produce a uniform product. Too vigorous or too long might start to separate some of the graphite from the gunpowder.

Replace into original containers marked properly with your custom lot number.

I recently blended 32 lbs of WXR and about 20 lbs of RL-22. I got tired of the lot to lot variations in RL-22 but now I have what is probably a lifetime supply of standardized powder. I used an industrial mixer used to blend plastic resin and the entire process took less than 30 minutes.

As for blending having the potential to create an "erratic" powder, I say balderdash.

I've done similar mixing with other powders in the past . I use a SS drum about a 15 gallon size . It has a screw in cap on one end . I pour the powder down the edge all the while keeping the drum on the Ground at a slight angle . When I've got everything in , I screw the cap in then roll the drum gently back and forth along it's side. I always keep it grounded as to bleed any static Electricity off . Then reload the Original containers with the mix . Brass Aluminum mixing containers are best . Plastic can build high levels of static charges . Wrapping copper wire around plastic then grounding it or keeping it grounded is best for bleeding charges off . I try to never shake containers regardless of material used , gentle rolling is all that is needed !...

I've been blending identical powders since the first day I began reloading.

I've blended 18 pounds of Re22 without a hitch.

You will have your own unique "lot number" once you blend them.

No worries.

Thanks for the input! I bought the powder today and will be mixing it tomorrow. I have a 25 gallon aluminum drum and a wooden paddle that I will use to blend the powder. If I could find 20 pounds of IMR 4350 for the same price, I'd have enough powder to serve my reloading needs for a very long time.