Loading some 30/30 tonight, had been at it for about 2.5 hours (depriming, sizing, trimming, priming, etc.) and had round #48 of a planned 104 loaded/finished when I noticed something strange: there was quite a bit of powder coming out past the pan (RCBS Chargemaster w/scale) and onto my bench. Got to looking a little closer. The grains on the bench were very small and lighter in color than the IMR4064 I had already loaded with. RED FLAG. Not normal. I looked in the clear hopper where the powder sits in the Chargemaster, noticed the same distinct difference in size, color, and consistency. The IMR 4064 was clearly in there, but so was something else. Poured out what was still in the plastic jar, same mixed look. Haven't seen this before, ever. My suspicion is that at some point earlier this year I grabbed the 4064 jar (blue label) when I was putting some IMR4227 back in the jar (blue label) that wasn't used last time I loaded 44mag / special...looks suspiciously like 4227, very fine and a different color /diameter than 4064. Don't see any other possible explanation, unless the 4064 broke down somehow?
I guess better safe than very sorry (pistol and rifle powder mixed) so it looks like my poor little kinetic bullet puller has 46 more rounds to break down. Then I break open a new can of 4064 and start over.
I guess I can just refill powder in the rounds and reseat bullet afterwards?
Jeff

I almost did the same thing a few years ago. Nearly mixed up H110 and BL-C2. That would have been REALLY #$&%$# BAD.

Since then, any powders with similar charachteristics and/or packaging get special attention. I put a sticker with the powder type on the lid written in red marker for pistol powders, blue for rifle. I now store my powders away from the bench and put only one in the vicinity of the bench at any given time. I have also thinned my herd to 4 powders. 2 rifle, one heavy handgun and one light handgun/trap load. The 2 fast powders are distinctly different types than the 2 rifle powders.

Glad you caught your oops before anything bad happened. To re-use your primed brass, you will have to remove the decapper pin from your die and run them a shallow pass to partially resize the neck.

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Attn Big Bro... I consider any "private message" exchanged on this or other forums or email to be a private paper protected by the first and fourth ammendment in the same manner as sealed US Mail or Land Line telephone call.

I am anal about this. When I am loading, one powder on the top of the bench. When I am done, all unused powder is returned to that container, then it is put back on the shelf. Wrong powder has claimed far too many firearms. Good job catching it.

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Be careful, the toes you step on today may be attached to the butt you have to kiss.
Lord, give me patience, because if You give me strength, I'm also gonna need bail money.

+10! Only one powder can on the bench/in the measure at a time...

I am also very keen on the one powder at a time rule, was following that tonight- I guess I need to label more vividly like was stated earlier. I'll be sure to do a resize without the decapper. Just so glad the Lord led my eyes to the red flag before I destroyed a rifle and quite possibly my face.
Thanks to all, I appreciate the constructive advice and knowing I'm not the only one it's happened to.
Jeff

I live by this

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Second place is the FIRST loser

+1 on this for me too!!!!

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THE ZOMBIES ARE LOOKING FOR BRAINS!! don't worry you're safe.
IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!!!
"so this is how liberty dies. to thunderous applause" queen amadala

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I now store my powders away from the bench and put only one in the vicinity of the bench at any given time.
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I have a ChargeMaster 1500 also and to minimize vibration I have it setting on a huge Gorilla rack shelf. I keep my powder under my press bench. The physical separation gives me one more step to think about.

SO glad to hear you caught it, what a good reminder to us all about a specific step and a good reminder to STOP the second something doesn't look right.

Regards,
Brian in CA

I know a guy who was plugging along with his powder measure and made it thru about 20 rounds of 30.06 before he really took notice of some stray powder grains here and there....ooops...forgot to the prime.

I have to admit that I've done the same thing, just less than 20 rounds thank goodness.
Jeff