Wild Skies, yes I've bought many 4 pound bottles of PB; the only sizes I've seen over the past 7 years since I started shotshell loading were 14 oz, 4 and 8 pounds in plastic containers. Hodgdon bought IMR Powder of Plattsburgh NY in 2003 and they transitioned to plastic (versus metal) containers afterwards but I don't have a date on that. Yours looks like a metal containers and now I'm curious if it's labeled IMR Powder Co in Plattsburgh NY or IMR Powder Co in Shawnee Mission KS. Sorry I don't have a 4 pounder to get a pic right now, all I have is in 8 pound bottles.

For those interested IMR was originally an E I duPont brand which they retained when the government forced it to split off the double-base powder business to the Hercules Powder Co (now Alliant). The IMR line was later sold to the firm in Plattsburgh NY when duPont got out of the gunpowder business. IMR powders were and are single-base nitrocellulose and have no NG added, as in double-base powders.

On the back of the metal can it says:
"MANUFACTURED IN CANADA FOR
IMR POWDER COMPANY
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.12901, U.S.A."

Another 8lb. plastic jug of PB I have says Shawnee Mission, KS on the back.

Now you've got me wondering if the 5 pounder that I've recently bought is NOS powder. :vconfused:

Greg, I wouldn't worry about it as long as the can was properly stored.

A short story to illustrate: About 40 years ago Hodgdon was selling WW2 surplus powder, and a popular one was IMR 4831 that was made for 20 mm cannons. A friend worked at a sporting goods store where it could be bought for $1.00 per pound, weighed out on a baby scale and scooped into brown paper lunch bags that were doubled up (times have changed :rolleyes:). I just had a 300 Win Mag made up and this WW2 surplus IMR 4831 was THE POWDER for it at the time. Little loading data was available and it was called "4350 data powder" because Hodgdon said that recipes for the slightly faster, commercially available IMR 4350 could be used safely. Well the friend and I went in halfies on a 100 pound cardboard drum of the surplus 4831 which brought our cost down to 50 cents/pound. I still have that rifle and about 5 pounds of the 4831 remaining from my 50 pound split. And I use it every year and the loads are as hot as they were 40 years ago. Yep I have a chronograph. That powder is now about 70 years old and when I open the old Red Dot can it's now in, I get that ether/alcohol solvent smell same as I do with modern store bought IMR rifle powder. It always conjures up sweet old memories! :) Frank

I bought my last two kegs about five years ago. I don't know how long the supplier had it in his warehouse.

I used 7625 in a Bismuth load for roosters on Iowa public lands where notox is reqd. The shells lived in the truck from the start of the season - late Oct to last week 10 Jan. It was below zero often and sub freezing most all the time. The load crushed every rooster it hit. Misses were operator error.

funny how that works


i found a local shop with a good supply of the discontinued powders, no 4 pounders, but the price wasn't bad and the small bottles store easier.

Really? From Recob's IMR page:

"Hi-Skor" 700-X Double-base shotgun powder developed for 12-ga. target loads but also has applications in handgun rounds such as the .38 Special, 9mm Luger, and .45 ACP.

Does IMR make 700-X or is it another companies product relabeled?

BP

I was referring here to IMR PB, SR-7625 and SR-4756 the single-base powders that are supposedly being discontinued by Hodgdon/IMR, and the subject of this thread. Yep, the current IMR lineup includes 700-X which is double-base. Also, I presume the other IMR shotgun powders like 800-X etc are double base.

Frank, the powder I've had problems with in the cold weather was 4756. The 7625 worker well.

Talked to a large midwest distributor today. He said powder supply "looks like it's going to be worse than last year." This after having about a dozen 8 lb. jugs of Red Dot two days ago... to having none today. Of course, I missed out on that. I don't know if this is a sign or not. Maybe it's just Bad Luck Week.

I did see an 8 lb. jug of PB on another store shelf today. Nobody seemed to want it...