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venomus66
I was wondering if pyrodex power has a shelf life I was using some that I that is about 4 years old and it would not ignite from my cap. I even pour some on the ground in a safe place and set it off and all it did was fizzle like a weak fire work[?]michaelmyers93@yahoo.com
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  • venomus66
    Can someone help me identify two seperate types of reloading powder I have. One is WC 820 and the other is NM 13. Both are comercially boxed in 8lb jugs. I was told that the WC 820 is like H110 and the NM 13 is like 700x, but want to make sure. Any help would be appreciated.
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  • 22WRF
    You didn't say what you want to load with those powders. No matter the first rule of reloading is to load only using the load data for the powder, cartridge, and bullet your loading. No "Is like powder".
    It either is or it isn't.
    I have read that WC 820 "is more like AA#9"
    Here is reloading forum discussing this subject
    http://www.handloads.com/forum/showthread.asp?topic=2&thread=603

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    SOLD MY COW SO I DON'T NEED YOUR BULL
    A Grumpy Old Man
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  • jonk
    I have found that unless a surplus powder is also available commercially (like IMR 4895), best stay away from it unless either:

    1. Load data is available. Not common but there are some published loads for surplus stuff.
    2. You have a chronograph. If you do and you know a ballpark start load you can slowly work loads up until you hit an appropriate velocity for a certain bullet weight for a certain caliber, all the while checking for pressure signs. This will then only be valid for that batch; next jug, even same number, might perform totally differently.

    For example, I bought a jug of slow WC852. I was told by one source it had a burn rate similar to H414, and by another source similar to something else. Come to find it is really, really slow and needs a magnum primer to burn completely, unless used in a large volume high power case. Anything smaller than 30-06 and it just doesn't burn; even then nearly 60 gr. are needed to complete burning and velocity is only about 2200 fps with a 150gr bullet. Pretty slow. Just shows how much surplus can vary.

    "...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf
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