tires2burn Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I have looked around and can't find the answer I'm looking for. When I'm done loading, should the powder be returned to the bottle or is it ok to leave in the hopper till the next loading? The longest time it sits is maybe a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 It is fine to leave it in the hopper. Just remember that some powders (eg Titegroup) will discolor the hopper. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I have heard it said that powder can absorb moisture if it is not kept in an airtight container. Whether this actually makes a difference performancewise I do not know. At least, here in low humidity California, I haven't appreciated any changes in my loads using Vihtavouri powder when leaving the powder in the hopper. As TS mentioned, many powders can stain the hopper to the point where you can't really see inside, so I've gotten into the habit of emptying the hopper when I'm done (it also reinforces the recommended recheck of the throw weight before starting another loading session). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Rod Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 A week shouldn't be a problem especially if you are not in a really humid environment. I normally empty the measure after each session but I've left powder in the measure for several weeks a couple times with no adverse effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcracco Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 On my bench powder is left in what ever the machine is setup for. Which means powder is in the hopper for months at a time although contents are cycled as I produce ammo. It only gets emptied when I do a change over and the toolhead is stored. BTW, machine is covered when not in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmw5142 Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I keep powder in hoppers on both my LNL presses for weeks at a time. The powder gets cycled through as I load ammo, but they aren't normally emptied. Presses are in the garage in humid central Florida. No problems for me. I often leave primers in there too. YMMV. I always load a stack of ammo and chrono before a major match and have never noticed any fluctuations or problems. Jugs of powder and primers are stored in an interior closet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I keep powder in hoppers on both my LNL presses for weeks at a time. The powder gets cycled through as I load ammo, but they aren't normally emptied. Presses are in the garage in humid central Florida. No problems for me. I often leave primers in there too. YMMV. I always load a stack of ammo and chrono before a major match and have never noticed any fluctuations or problems. Jugs of powder and primers are stored in an interior closet. Same here. I'm in north central Florida, and it sometimes stays in the hopper for months. I do take a brass rod before each loading session and mix up the powder in the hopper to make sure there aren't any lumps or clumps. Never found any yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tires2burn Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Thanks for the info everyone. I always get great answers here for my questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPRSkip Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 I leave powder in the press but with the LNL some powder will actually eat into the tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 I have heard it said that powder can absorb moisture if it is not kept in an airtight container. Well, people say lots of things, but that one is incorrect. Smokeless powder is designed to be nearly entirely non-hygroscopic. Now, Gold Bond Powder, that's another matter altogether...... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcracco Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Wasn't there a story of one of the powder manufacturers storing a 'lab standard' batch of powder in water over the years? Then small amounts would be dried and tested as needed. Can't attest to the validity of the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claycrusher Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I've left powders in the hopper for a month or so here in MI with zero issues of any kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njl Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 If you do leave it in the hopper, make sure to come up with a good way to mark it, so if you're away for a while, you don't have to try to remember what powder it was. I never leave powder in the hopper when I stop a reloading session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Wasn't there a story of one of the powder manufacturers storing a 'lab standard' batch of powder in water over the years? Then small amounts would be dried and tested as needed. Can't attest to the validity of the story. Absolutely true. It was Hercules and Bullseye. Assuming Alliant still has it at their factory, that original sample batch is now 100 years old! I learned this during the deposition of a retired Hercules product manager who said, "Hell, I was there!" (or words to that effect). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Found this also: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroe3 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I've heard it's a good idea to cover the hopper, or the entire press, to protect it from light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babaganoosh Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Found this also: Yeah, I remember when the Hercules plant exploded. Maybe it was that 100 year old powder. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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