Mixing Powder Lots.

BAO13

BAO13

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Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 21, 2017
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#1
Ok I’m not looking for opinions. I curious if any of you do this and have you done any actual testing.

I’m asking because I ordere 4 8lb’ers of Varget. When it came in it is 16 lbs of one lot and 16lbs of the other lot. 🤬

if you do this how do you mix?
 
#4
Supersubes said:
Mix what? Shoot the first two jugs, then move on to the second two.
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#6
32lbs doesn’t make a whole year with me. I’d rather not have too separate lots. That is why I ordered 32 of one lot. So none of you have done it?
 
#9
I've mixed my H4350 before. I just did it in the 8lb jug, but obviously you can't really do that.

I don't see an issue with using a very clean plastic tub/bucket and just mixing it all together thoroughly and then refilling your 8lb jugs. I would opt for a large bowl but doubt anyone owns a plastic bowl big enough for 32lbs of powder lol. Rubbermaid container for the win
 
#10
Do you think you can ever mix it enough you will get an equal amount of each lot per case? I don't.

You might check out some threads out there on drying Varget. It would seem to be a much more viable option than trying to mix lots of powder. Although the best option is what supersubs suggested. Shoot one, then the other.

What cartridge are you running 32lbs of Varget per year in? Thats about 5200rds of 308 or 9300 rounds of 223.
 
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#11
supercorndogs said:
Do you think you can ever mix it enough you will get an equal amount of each lot per case? I don't.

You might check out some threads out there on drying Varget. It would seem to be a much more viable option than trying to mix lots of powder. Although the best option is what supersubs suggested. Shoot one, then the other.

What cartridge are you running 32lbs of Varget per year in? Thats about 5200rds of 308 or 9300 rounds of 223.
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IF you mix everything together in one big batch, I feel like you can get it pretty well mixed. Mix it as best you can, then shake it all around for 5-10 minutes. Like a paint can mannnnn

If I can mix a cup of chopped horseradish and 3 cups of sugar into 5 gallons of cole slaw perfectly....then you can mix two lots of powder together lol
 
#12
Gustav7 said:
IF you mix everything together in one big batch, I feel like you can get it pretty well mixed. Mix it as best you can, then shake it all around for 5-10 minutes. Like a paint can mannnnn

If I can mix a cup of chopped horseradish and 3 cups of sugar into 5 gallons of cole slaw perfectly....then you can mix two lots of powder together lol
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Mixing things that don't dissolve is not the same as mixing sugar into a dish that dissolves and spreads evenly throughout the liquid. When making potting soil for bags, it takes hours of mixing dry amendments in a cement mixer to get an even mixture. Coleslaw does not have ingredients that are mixed evenly. Make a few bowls and start picking it apart. You are not going to find the exact same amount of ingredients in each bowl.
 
#13
supercorndogs said:
Mixing things that don't dissolve is not the same as mixing sugar into a dish that dissolves and spreads evenly throughout the liquid. When making potting soil for bags, it takes hours of mixing dry amendments in a cement mixer to get an even mixture. Coleslaw does not have ingredients that are mixed evenly. Make a few bowls and start picking it apart. You are not going to find the exact same amount of ingredients in each bowl.
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well it was damn good cole slaw lol. But I get what you’re saying...
 
#14
BAO13 said:
32lbs doesn’t make a whole year with me. I’d rather not have too separate lots. That is why I ordered 32 of one lot. So none of you have done it?
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ive done 24-32 lbs for similar reasons before multiple times...if there were any negatives, i couldnt tell...i just made sure everything i used to contain and mix was cleaned/wiped down with acetone/alcohol prior

find a funnel with a large spout, pouring back into the jugs with a standard vehicle style funnel sucks

i mixed in a plastic trashcan...stir, shake, stir, shake...til i felt content
 
#16
Thinking of the drying powder idea. If the difference between lots is actually moisture content. How well they are mixed isn't going to matter because the moisture in the powder is going to even out through the batch.
 
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#19
supercorndogs said:
Thinking of the drying powder idea. If the difference between lots is actually moisture content. How well they are mixed isn't going to matter because the moisture in the powder is going to even out through the batch.
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drying/moisture for sure matters and will change powder quick

years ago i left some powder in the fridge, some in my garage uncovered (A/C, stays around 75* year round, but im 100 yds from the water front in humid south tx), and some in my chargemaster hopper covered...i think it was only 2-3 days....fired 10 rounds from each batch...fridge batch was slightly faster than the covered chargemaster iirc, but the left open in the garage batch was like 50-60 fps slower and the ES/SD was like double or triple the other 2
 
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#21
Sogan said:
Because most places like powder valley etc know to send you all jugs from the same lot. Or if they can’t they usually call and let you know ahead of time and see if you still want them or not
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Yea I’m just trying to support a local dealer who orders it for a distribution house.
 
#22
Well I guess it’s time to test this. Test both lots for speed then mix and test. I guess I should add drying pre and post of all test while I’m at it?
 
#25
Years ago there was a noted difference in various lots of Varget. I ended up mixing about 8 one pound canisters in a stainless steel mixing bowl. My thought was to neutralize the lot to lot difference and create an 8 lb batch with the same characteristics. I never noticed a difference in the loads from this mixture.
 
#27
All I do is find my load speed node on my one lot. Then when I run out I just load a few to find that speed on my next 8lb. It’s usually off buy +-.3 gr.
 
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#28
I just finished a jug of H4350. I loaded ten with the same load, from a new lot. Speed was nearly identical, and SD was 1.7. I took the half pound that was left and mixed it in with the new lot. Not a big deal.

I actually dumped a little Varget into a jug of 4350. I just mixed it well, but never noticed any negative effects. SD on those loads was 3.7.

Of course, my preference is to keep everything one lot. But, that's not always possible.
 
#29
I manufacture pharma for a living.

All we do is blend “dry” materials.

I’ll save you from the boring stuff but, there is no way you will create a 100% mix at home using equipment available.

Never mind the mechanical sheering of the powder when compounding/mixing which may change surface area affecting burn rate.

Shoot each one and be done.
 
#30
I think a big factor on this subject is how hot you run your loads. If one lot produces more pressure than another, a given load might work with lot A but be too hot with lot B. If you mix them and do load development, the danger is you don't really know what percentage A vs B each case has in it. So a bunch of rounds might be safe, but if you get one that for some reason has a much different mix, it then might be over pressure.

If you run loads well below max, then it might not matter. But I did I have this happen to me. I had a load I was working on, and had tested previously with some H4350. I was just below max. Later I had two jugs with a small amount in them, one old and one new. I mixed them and loaded up more of the same test load, and now the bolt was very sticky. Temp conditions were similiar.
 
#33
Asking what he shoots 32lbs in a year with is irrelevant.

A properly scaled ribbon mixer will do a fantastic job of distribution. The problem is finding one that is correct for your volume of material.
 
#34
Gustav7 said:
I've mixed my H4350 before. I just did it in the 8lb jug, but obviously you can't really do that.

I don't see an issue with using a very clean plastic tub/bucket and just mixing it all together thoroughly and then refilling your 8lb jugs. I would opt for a large bowl but doubt anyone owns a plastic bowl big enough for 32lbs of powder lol. Rubbermaid container for the win
Click to expand...
A 5 gallon bucket you can get them at any Lowe’s Home Depot etc.
 
#39
big problem with ribbon blenders is that the dont blend that well lol
thats why they are still used mainly for protein powder/bulk/drink mixing
almost totally removed from industry because the cannot get the same blend uniformity as other styles of blenders
the bottom skimming is not always perfect and can cause crushing as you suggested
there can be "dead spots"
the material being mixed usually raises in temperature
but they can be made very large and move huge amounts of material

all things i do not want to do to my powder
 
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