mauser06

so...when buying Reloader 15 for my 35 whelen, i bought a pound to get started......

amazing enough, im down to the last few loads with it...

this is my first batch of ammo...and i dont know what to do...

i went back to where i bought it...noone has bought any since, but none of the same lot...

1 can left that was made the same day and on the same shift as the pound i had...but a different lot number...

the other 3 bottles are newer...


will i see a difference if i buy a new pound?? this happened RIGHT in the middle of loading for my fall hunting ammo....im moving to NC next weekend and wont be taking my reloading gear...i'll be home within days of bear/deer season here in PA..and will be hunting with the rifle in NC i think..depending on how long the job lasts..

anyways...what do i do??? the rifle is shooting that load pretty well and the scope is zeroed..

i MIGHT squeek by without having a bunch of ammo...i got 15 loaded and probably enough for another 10-15rds or so..

so that MIGHT get me through...but, it might not...lol..so will i see a difference with the new pound? or should i be OK?? obviously if i gotta buy it, i'll mark those loads and check their zero...be nice to know that my groups and POI should be the same though.....guess this is why they make and sale 8lb jugs....lol


also kicking myself...i got a pound of Varget and wanna try varget from the whelen..but have no time to work up a load and see how it does in the whelen compared to RE15...

it would be nice to shoot Varget as i'll be using it in the 22-250...so i just wanted to see what it did..but never got the chance...

thndrchiken

You probably won't have any issues between lots. If you do it will be minimal.

mauser06

thanx thndr! thats what i was hoping to hear...just dont have real life experience as thats my first pound of powder gone...


i actually "asked the experts" at Alliant powders i just found on their website...we'll see what they say...im sure they will likely say i'll be fine...

i'll probably pick up that pound that was made the same day and shift as my last pound...if anything will be close, that will be it...id assume! lol...

HOPING that i can get enough loads from the powder i have left so i dont have to buy another pound...id really like to try varget since i have it handy...but that wont be till next winter...but, RE15 is almost as "universal" as varget in terms of different calibers...so having it handy in the future wont hurt matters none...so in the end it doesnt matter if i gotta buy another pound or not as it'll work in some of my other calibers i'll be loading for in the winter...

Frank in the Laurel

I would think that velocity changes and pressure issues would be caused by powder sensitivity to temperature rather than lot differences.. I would just shift over to one of the powders that are not sensitive to differences in temperature, such as the Hodgdon line of extremes. Either that or just use the same loads as you did last hunting season, heck I've let shells sit for ten years or more and never had a single problem, they shot the same as they did..there's a lot of bull out there and sifting through it is an adventure..

thndrchiken

I hear you, that's pretty much why I decided on most of my loads being with I4350 or I4064, can load everything from the 243 up to the big magnums. Tried H4831SC, RE19 and 22, with them either the accuracy or velocity weren't there on some cartridges. I settled on the two main powders and bought 8lb jugs. The only other powder I use is 748 for the 223 and 223AI, those are my ground hog rigs so they don't get shot very often. Found there load and honestly if I put 40 rds down the pipe on each of the over the past two years I'm lucky. Don't get out to the farmer's cornfield's very often and last year he started allowing the mining company to start taking core samples in a couple of his fields and that just drove the GH's into hiding.

mauser06

thanx guys...

i appreciate the info..im new to reloading and love it..just dont know the finer details...and hear this and that about switching lots or whatever...

RE15 is supposedly consistent at all temps...which i kinda proved..it shot the same when it was 20-30 degrees as it does now when its about 65-70 degrees...

Varget is supposed to be like that as well from what i read..even better..and Varget seems very universal...

i just havent gotten time to load for my other calibers other than the whelen so i havent gotten to try anything..and only used RE15 in it because across all the charts, RE15 was the fan favorite so i went with it for starters..its accurate and shoots well in my loads..

i just didnt know how switching lots effected things..sounds like i aughta be fine...


i'd use last years loads Frank, but, the rifle is new and when i got it, i started reloading..got half my reloading equiptment paid for already lol..50+ a box for accubond loads..im loading them for maybe 20$ or so a box and already fired close to 100rds....

im moving to NC for the summer for work...i'll likely be hunting with the rifle down there in the fall as deer season and bear come in EARLY and i'll likely be there...then, i'll get home just in time for our bear and/or deer seasons i'll be using the rifle...so im trying to get 50rds or so rolled up..just to have on hand..not expecting a war with the bear or deer needing mass fire power..be lucky to shoot a round or 2 all season in both states..but know if i dont have it on hand i'll end up needing it come fall...just wanna have that rifle ready for fall..and cant take my loading gear with me..could..but not worth the hassle..

got the scope zeroed yesterday (just put a new scope on it the other day..) and will check it before i hunt with it one last time..just would like to have a stash of ammo incase something happens and i need it..

spaniel

I have seen minor variations between lots at similar temps loading the same load for the same gun. Certain powders seem to have more of a reputation for it than others. Reloader 22 is one of these, although so far I have been lucky and have not had a problem.

When I really care, however, I run a lot of shells from the same batch and verify my load/drop chart then save the rest of the batch for final sighting in and the hunt. I'll use odds and ends of reloading runs for plinking and banging steel.