Do you leave powder in the hopper?

[garyb]

Never had a problem with moisture. But it does sound as if the plastics have changed over the years; or they are different in each manufacturer's hoppers; or there are differences in how each powder effects the hopper. Either way...I've removed the powder from my hopper and will do so after each loading session from now on.

[MW surveyor]

I don't leave powder in the hopper even overnight.
Course last time I did a reloading stint was about 6 months ago. So you can see where this could lead.
Still haven't been shooting as much as I have been in the past.
Do need to reload some more 38 special, 357, 9 and 45 though as I am getting low on each.

[HSparrow]

Nope

[TheLastDaze]

I've left powder in my hopper since I've been loading (almost 2months) no problems here, I have a LEE Pro 1000...

but since reading this thread I went a head and dumped it out, even though I don't think I need to ....

[marshal kane]

This is for real and I was a witness to it: My neighbor reloads in his garage on a Hornady progressive press. He habitually leaves powder in the hopper sometimes for extended periods of time. He reloaded 500 .45 ACP cartridges and took some with him to his local range. According to him, his first shot went "pop" and his bullet never showed up on the target so he checked his gun and found the bullet still lodged in the bore. Upon clearing the bore, the same thing happened to him again. On the third attempt, the light came on that something was wrong. When he got home, he called me over to his house and asked me to check his press to see if I could find out what was wrong. His press looked alright until I got to the powder hopper. I cycled the press several times and nothing was coming out of the powder dispenser. The powder looked fine until I poked at it with a screwdriver and that's when I hit the powder that had hardened and bridged in his hopper. That's when he told me that the powder has been in the hopper since last winter and last winter was a damp one. I suppose if any of you are prone to leaving powder in your powder hopper and moisture is not a problem where you live, it'll probably be alright but if you are not one of the lucky ones, I would suggest you empty the hopper after each reloading session. I empty my powder hopper after each reloading session and return the powder back to it's proper container not because I'm so smart but rather that is what I was taught to do.

[garyb]

This is for real and I was a witness to it: My neighbor reloads in his garage on a Hornady progressive press. He habitually leaves powder in the hopper sometimes for extended periods of time. He reloaded 500 .45 ACP cartridges and took some with him to his local range. According to him, his first shot went "pop" and his bullet never showed up on the target so he checked his gun and found the bullet still lodged in the bore. Upon clearing the bore, the same thing happened to him again. On the third attempt, the light came on that something was wrong. When he got home, he called me over to his house and asked me to check his press to see if I could find out what was wrong. His press looked alright until I got to the powder hopper. I cycled the press several times and nothing was coming out of the powder dispenser. The powder looked fine until I poked at it with a screwdriver and that's when I hit the powder that had hardened and bridged in his hopper. That's when he told me that the powder has been in the hopper since last winter and last winter was a damp one. I suppose if any of you are prone to leaving powder in your powder hopper and moisture is not a problem where you live, it'll probably be alright but if you are not one of the lucky ones, I would suggest you empty the hopper after each reloading session. I empty my powder hopper after each reloading session and return the powder back to it's proper container not because I'm so smart but rather that is what I was taught to do.

I agree. Beyond the point of not leaving powder in the hopper...not checking our powder drop each and every time is (in my opinion) a poor reloading practice. I check visually (light down the casing), with a powder cop on the following station, AND I weigh my charges every 6-12 rounds to verify that my powder drops are correct. I have never had a flawed powder drop from my Hornady AP-LNL. I admit that I was not emptying my hopper until I noticed the discoloration, obviously due to plastics breakdown. But now I've learned to empty it for obvious reasons. It's good reloading practice to empty your hopper after each reloading session and to routinely verify (visually and via a scale) your powder drops while reloading. Simple reloading safety measures.

[marshal kane]

Ditto that! Now all my neighbor had to do after we found the problem is to break down his remaining reloads and do them all again. Not a pleasant chore and one that could have been totally avoided had he taken the half second to verify the cases had powder before he seated the bullets. At least he had the brains to check the bore when the bullet didn't show up on the target or he would have destroyed his 1911 or worse.

[muggsy]

Gun powder should be stored in the original container that it came in. In that way you know exactly with which powder you are dealing. Trust nothing to memory, particularly at my age. Muggsy has spoken. The wise will listen.

[RRP]

Trust nothing to memory, particularly at my age. Muggsy has spoken. The wise will listen.

Yes, but will they remember?!!

[muggsy]

Not if they're my age.