I use IMR products, do these products have a shelf-life? I did not find this on the can anywhere. What do you guys reccomend.
Thanks, JB

Got some IMR4350 that I use in one rifle and that can went through a housefire (actually hot enough to scorch the can). Well I was not sure so I bought a new can, the old one was about half full and 7yrs old ( I use a permanent marker to date all my powders) at the time of the fire, I loaded 5rds from the new and 5 from the old and got the same results. Same pt of impact and groups were the same. So stock up and have no fear in doing so. Take care and have fun. Swany

Powder can last more than 50 years. There's a few people who still have WW II surplus H4831 that's still good. On the other hand sometimes it goes bad early. The signs of deteriorating powder are a red dust and an aspirin smell. Pour some into a dish while you're facing a light, so the dust is backlit. Some say the smell is like battery acid. It is not the solvent smell of new powder.

I had a can of 3031 go bad after about 25 years. I'd bought 2 cans for the .222 of the same lot at the same time. I used half of one can before the gopher population crashed and discovered H3322 before they came back. I bought a .35 Remington a few year back and the rest of the first can didn't last long. When I opened the 2nd can there was red dust everywhere. Shot it up fast with some oddball bullets and old primers.

Bye
Jack

Have a can of WWII surplus 4831. Doesn't have any smell at all, the solvent has long evaporated. My father-in-law still favors the surplus 4831 for his .280 Rem hunting loads. He did have a keg of surplus 4895 go bad some years back, though.

If you shoot a reasonable amount each year, you won't have a problem if you keep the lid on the powder and store it according to instructions. I have some Bullseye that I bought 16 years ago when I first started reloading, in the cardboard Hercules container, that was still good when I burned it up in some .38's this spring. I started buying most of my rifle powders in the 8lb kegs a few years ago. You never have to question if there is enough in the can to make up a batch of shells, or worry about lot to lot variations (althogh I haven't seen much of this with IMR rifle powders). Besides, you can go through a can of 7828 in short order with some cartridges!

If you have an old steel can that shows signs of rust on the inside the powder has deteriorated. It forms nitric acid when it does this and has a sharp disagreeable smell (the old aspirin smell referred to above). Today's plastic cannisters won't rust and if tightly recapped will keep powder stored at room temperature good for decades.

Thanks to all you guys, going to get busy loading with my IMR7828.

Thanks again,
JB