Longshot powder surprise!
 

I posted previously that I’d been working up a 20g/2-3/4” load using Hodgdon Longshot rather than my usual Alliant 20/28 powder. I came up with a 7/8 ounce load at about 1150 speed, lighter than typical factory 1200-1210 speed loads. Mine has milder recoil and it reaches out to the farthest clays with authority. All good.

Last week while doing up a new batch of reloads my one pounder of Longshot dated 2006 got to running out and I opened a 8 pound bottle dated 2025 to refill the press canister. I use a MEC 9000 progressive. Then yesterday while shooting sporting clays I found that some of those reloads in the bag had much sharper recoil than others in my Browning 20g CXS o/u. I continued on and shot up most of the bag and the difference in recoil from shell to shell was very apparent.

Today I checked the powder drop averages of the Longshot from the new 8 pounder versus what I’d averaged from the older one pounder. Same press, same powder bushing, same everything except a much newer lot of Longshot. SURPRISE! 5 weightings of the newer Longshot averaged 9.8% heavier; and by AI extrapolation it appears that the speed of those 7/8 ounce loads is about 1250 and possibly more, and pressure is about 3000 psi greater. Then I found that a powder bushing TWO numbers smaller than used with the older lot of Longshot averaged about the same drop weight as previously.

LESSON LEARNED: From now on when I start using a different lot of the same powder I’ll be sure to check for a new average drop. Especially important when using the newer low volume/high energy powders. Yeah I know there will be lot to lot variances but I never thought it could be that great. Fortunately I was doing up a relatively mild load previously; but the result could have been different if I’d been loading top pressure/velocity loads to begin with.

It would be interesting to me to compare published data from the two vintages. One would expect the current load to be less than what they recommended in 2006.

Another thought that occurred to me is that it could come down to the bulk density of the twenty year old powder has increased, by expansion of the grains, which were originally formed by compression. Organic materials tend to contract with age, but IIRC, Inorganic materials expand.

Good information on longshot and in general having & using powders that you've had for going on twenty years & then updating to the same powder manufactured recently.

What this confirms for me is that my habit of doing a few powders drops & weighing them before each loading session is a good habit to have.

I appreciate Frank bringing this to our attention and it reminds me of the old deal about never trusting a given powder from lot to lot.

BINGO!!!!

Hodgdon Longshot
 

Hodgdon has sourced powder from many sources. Don’t know about Longshot but I’ve used 4227 in 32/40 and 38/55 rifles for many years. It’s been produced in 3 countries by 4 companies I know of. I always check weight charges thrown by volume and test a dozen cartridges for point of impact & sight settings before loading a supply of match ammunition

475 plus 32/40 loads in a jug, 410 or more 38/55’s after testing a dozen I load the entire jug keeping cartridges separated as one lot. Good idea to treat shotgun loads the same way. Check weight charges, load and test cartridges, then load as one lot, all components the same

New jug test again

William