I'm convinced it is safe as well. I've done it too many times for too many years. AND, I've done it the most with the powder that most shooters would say is the highest risk: Reloder 22!

RL 22 is notorious for having wide burn rate variations from lot to lot (and I've had issues with it in the past). I had various lots of RL-22 that totaled about 10 lbs. I mixed this with 32 lbs of WXR of a single lot number. Voila! I now have a lifetime supply of RL22/WXR with a single burn rate.

I mixed this in an industial resin mixer at an injection moulding shop. Took no more than 30 minutes.

I think they corrected the Re22 problem. I do remember getting some info years ago about a bad batch that went out. Alliant sent me 2 or 3 new pounds, which I promptly mixed with the 2 pounds I had on the shelf that I bought in the 90s. Still never had a problem.

ForrestB ----- Explain what WXR is and who makes it. What do you shoot with the RL-22 and WXR combination and how long have you done it. Good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by phurley5:
ForrestB ----- Explain what WXR is and who makes it. What do you shoot with the RL-22 and WXR combination and how long have you done it. Good shooting.

WXR is a Winchester slow burning powder. Been using it only a short while Seems to0 have a burning rate slower than any of the 4831s. probably close to 3100. Just now stopped writting to look at burning rate chart and yes it is close to 3100. roger

WXR is supposedly repackaged RL-22. It seems to be identical in all respects. If it's different, then it's not so different as to make any discernable difference when blended.

Winchester distributed it for a short while and discontinued it when they brought out 780.

I've been using the blend for a few years in multiple rifles in 270 Win, 300 Win Mag and 416 Rigby. It should be suitable for any rifle that likes a slow burning stick powder.

It's only blown up a few rifles.

ForrestB ----- Now you really have my attention with the mixing of a Winchester powder and an Allient powder. I shoot several pounds of RL-22 each year through my .257 Wby, 7mm Wby, .270 WSM's, .300 Winny, .338 Lapua and .416 Rigby. I think at present I have 26 pounds on hand, of three different lots. I can load one round for the .300 Winny and tell exactly how to load that lot for everything else, when I change lots. I am sure you are quite comfortable with your mixing techniques, I certainly would not say that about my buddy that blew the rifle. He could have done many things to blow the rifle, however he had just been talking for weeks about all his mixing ideas he stated he was going to try. Once again, if you feel confortable with your mixing, by all means continue, as for me, I still want to know what is going to happen when I pull that trigger. Had I acquired that much WXR and it shot like the RL-22, I would have shot it up then, shot the RL-22 until I needed more. That is what makes this reloading game interesting, we load and learn, and can do our own thing. Good shooting.

The "Winchester" powder and the "Alliant" powder are both made by Bofors (who also makes powder for Norma). It's like WW760 and H414; they're both made by ADI. The name on the can rarely tells you who actually makes the powder.

Given my experience in dealing with the lot-to-lot variations in RL22, I'd thoroughly blend the 26 lbs you have on hand and then you wouldn't have to go through the motion of tinkering with your loads whenever you changed lot numbers.

DOC ; No offense but what advantage did mixing the powers give you ?.

If you had simply used each individual container of powder rather than mixing them all together

would you have gotten different results ,using the same load formula ?. Remember the key here is 3%

variation on Powder and 2% on Primers .

I myself have mixed powders but to NO ADVANTAGES which are repeatable .*

An only for my previously stated reason .

Accuracy and Chronograph-ed loads don't lie . If some one is doing an enormous amount of shooting

and wants consistency in those loads , I'd suspect they would purchase 8 lb units of same lots of powders

rather than mixing different lots , least wise that's what I do !. * Exception is Duplex loading of different

burn rates of which I'm not getting into publicly, for what should be OBVIOUS reasons !.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc224/375:
DOC ; No offense but what advantage did mixing the powers give you ?.

If you had simply used each individual container of powder rather than mixing them all together

would you have gotten different results ,using the same load formula ?. Remember the key here is 3%

variation on Powder and 2% on Primers .

I myself have mixed powders but to NO ADVANTAGES which are repeatable .*

An only for my previously stated reason .

Accuracy and Chronograph-ed loads don't lie . If some one is doing an enormous amount of shooting

and wants consistency in those loads , I'd suspect they would purchase 8 lb units of same lots of powders

rather than mixing different lots , least wise that's what I do !. * Exception is Duplex loading of different

burn rates of which I'm not getting into publicly, for what should be OBVIOUS reasons !.

SO when you have say 1/10# of a powder left, not enough to load the number of rounds you want/need, you throw it away? No, I mix mine w/ another lot of the same powder. Again, I have seen little to no affect over the chronograph or in accuracy. It may vary w/ certain powders that have wild swings, like RL22 or Solo1000, but I just haven't seen it.

fred says,

quote:

It may vary w/certain powders that have wild swings, like RL22...

Damn. I shoot RL-22 in my 300WSM. What causes these swings? I don't shoot when it's hot enough to bake a cake or cold enough to freeze a beer. Does the stuff vary from lot to lot? Info, please...

quote:

Originally posted by Doc224/375:
DOC ; No offense but what advantage did mixing the powers give you ?.

If you had simply used each individual container of powder rather than mixing them all together

would you have gotten different results ,using the same load formula ?. Remember the key here is 3%

variation on Powder and 2% on Primers .

I myself have mixed powders but to NO ADVANTAGES which are repeatable .*

An only for my previously stated reason .

Accuracy and Chronograph-ed loads don't lie . If some one is doing an enormous amount of shooting

and wants consistency in those loads , I'd suspect they would purchase 8 lb units of same lots of powders

rather than mixing different lots , least wise that's what I do !. * Exception is Duplex loading of different

burn rates of which I'm not getting into publicly, for what should be OBVIOUS reasons !.

no offense taken.

advantage: after blending I have ONE LOT totalling 6 pounds.

advantage: I don't have to worry about a possible change in pressures each 2 pounds once a lot was used up.

advantage: I don't have to worry about grabbing the wrong pound when loading up previously loaded ammo to make more. No more "lot #" searching.

advantage: shelf space saved by combining all 6 pounds into 4 containers.

advantage: proven mixing over 20 years, as in this case, gives me SIX pounds of powder, ONE LOT created by me, with which to work with on load development instead of 3 separate lot numbers where I may have to dicker with loads again once each 2 pounds of each lot is used and having to somewhat start over just for safety purposes.

DISadvantage: NONE.

You asked a good question and that is what advantage did I achieve. Another good question is what are the disadvantages. I see none.

What did I gain? see above. Blending lots is worth it to me. BUT, I will not mix an additional pound of Re22 with what I have. I will buy a few more pounds in hopes that they are all the same lot #. If not, I'll mix all of the future bottles as well.

The larger containers of powders usually aren't available where I buy unless it is IMR or Hodgdon. I have seen a few 4 pound containers of alliant coming in starting last year, however.

Please understand, I'd prefer ALL ONE LOT, and 8-10 pounds at a time and not mixing. But convenience hasn't always been on my side.

quote:

proven mixing over 20 years, as in this case, gives me SIX pounds of powder, ONE LOT created by me, with which to work with on load development instead of 3 separate lot numbers where I may have to dicker with loads again once each 2 pounds of each lot is used and having to somewhat start over just for safety purposes.

OK ALL points well taken it's a matter of convenience too you personally having it all together .

See Doc as I never really concerned my self with dealing with 3 or 7 different lots of powders.

If it's one particular manufacturer and I'm happy with loads using it , their batching processes are close

enough for me for predicted repeatability ( of course when precision is at stake Load firing is critical

whether mixed or separate lots IMO ) I do however see and understand your position and as you stated

I see no disadvantages either .

Not necessarily a bad idea on my opinion and I have been doing it for a number of years. Basically as stated above If you have loading data with Lot#1 and loading data with Lot#2 and you mix remnants of the powders it now becomes Lot #3...and all new data must be worked up as though it were a new powder lot. I generally find that the variation is not too high when mixed and often I end up choosing an accurate load within a grain or so of the unmixed lots. I mix the powder in a large plastic canister treated with anti static dryer sheets and clearly label the new powder as a new lot.
I do like many of the posters buy the powder in as large as a quantity as I can to avoid mixing but have done so successfully for years.
Paul

quote:

SO when you have say 1/10# of a powder left, not enough to load the number of rounds you want/need, you throw it away? No, I mix mine w/ another lot of the same powder. Again, I have seen little to no affect over the chronograph or in accuracy. It may vary w/ certain powders that have wild swings, like RL22 or Solo1000, but I just haven't seen it.

fredj338 ; NO !



From my Original Posting


The only reason I mix powders ,is if I need to load more rounds than the container I have can load .

I then take the smallest container pour it into a separate non metallic container and open a new

container and either eye ball or weigh out what I'll be using . Without contaminating my NEW Powder !.

NEW
I had no objections of mixing a particular brand of same powder of different lots together as for myself

there is no advantages . However Doc did bring up valid reasons and I agreed with him on those points .

Those of us who have been loading seriously for some time knows what's safe ,an what advantages a particular

method holds over another . Just like cleaning brass many things work however I prefer simple solutions .

I should have posted ; I fail to see any Ballistical advantages in mixing of powder an that would have been

more too my point of my opinion on this subject .