Bitter-Sweet

Matt

Active Member
Yesterday I used the last of a 15 pound keg of Red Dot I’ve been using for 35 or 40 years. The paper label departed years ago and the red paint faded to a pink tone. The amazing thing is the powder stayed stable and has given the same performance over all these years. I’ve never loaded a shot shell with Red Dot so most of the 15 pounds was loaded in .38 Special, .308, and .30/06. I’m guessing It loaded 8,000 to 10,000 rounds. I don’t remember what I payed for it but what a great investment!

I’ve got a new plastic 8 lb jug of Green Dot that I’ll use in place of the RedDot
 

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JonB

Halcyon member
I had a powder related Bitter-Sweet moment today as well.
While looking for a certain can of powder in my stash, I noticed a can of Reloder 15. The top was quite rusty, like fresh rust, excessive rust. I lifted it out of the cardboard box it was in, and there was a circle shaped pile of rust in the box. Yep, the bottom had the same fresh excessive rust. This is a paper tube type canister with steel top and bottom. I attempted to open the top, and the entire metal top fell down onto the top of the powder. I've never used reloder 15 and this was a nearly full open can I acquired somewhere...So I dumped it out. I've never done that before. While I've never used 15, I figured the best thing is to dump it, even if it hurt a bit; Especially after the discussion here some months ago about deteriorating powder having a potential to combust. BTW, as I was dumping it, the powder did look OK and smelled OK. I poured a long line along the edge of my new patio, where there was some nasty weeds. I lit it. It did a nice job with torching those weeds.

Afterward, I took the time to closely inspect all the powder cans, in all the storage areas, for rust.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
When the can of Unique I've been working on for a long time is gone it will be quite a bitter sweet thing . I loaded my first shell out of that keg when I was about 12 and all of the shells Dad and I hunted ducks and geese with . I killed my first and probably last sage hen out of that can the same day he killed his last . I finished off my daughter's first deer out of that can , I think that was the only time the kids got to hunt with him .
I had stopped off to download/destress on my way to take over so Mom could get an hour or 2 to get herself in order , 40 rounds through the HiPoint 45 carbine out of that can when Mom called to tell me he was gone .

I killed what will almost certainly be my last mule deer out of that can . It was a great hunt with a lifelong friend .
I killed 4-5 hogs on 3 great hunts with that same friend out of that can .
I fed my kids when they were little 2 winters out of that can .
Unless something happens really wrong I expect I'll kill a white tail or 2 out of it .
I spent many days with friends and family that were very pleasant days shooting out of that can . 9.3 was there a few of those days and Bruce Banister as well .

Lotta bitter sweet in that 1968 15# keg of Unique Dad bought in 1969 .
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
There’s no doubt in my mind the most important thing in life is the good people around you. But it seems that the “stuff” in life, the physical items, sometimes serve to connect to those good people. Maybe that’s how it should be. The people are important, and the objects connected to those people help to remind us of that.
 

Missionary

Well-Known Member
Visual objects often trigger the finest memories in life.. Especially those moments that deeply root through a special event with those important people.
Unique was the first power I bought after the "green machine" turned me loose. That was the powder dad always had to load for his 38 Specials. Has served us well since 74.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
The only three powders you need.
LOL! I'm a tad younger, so I'd have said Bullseye, Unique and 2400, but I get it.

Many disparage Unique, and I admit it may not be perfect in every way, but I will plead @Petrol & Powder 's sentiment about sentimentality, as Unique has always "been there" for me, both in terms of versatility and probably as much for the sake of nostalgia and sentimentality. Every time I dispense or discharge Unique, I think of my dad and the only thing we ever really saw eye to eye on - casting, hand-loading, shooting,...

I used to spend more time getting that last five or six charges out of those cubicle, steel cans than I did dispensing the first 44 or 45 cases at the tail end of one of those containers. Same for the cylindrical cardboard ones. I'm a fan of the newfangled plastic cans actually, especially the ones Accurate used to use, which were compact and space-efficient.

This thread made me realize that I'm out of BULLSEYE, by the way. Not sure how that happened, but I'm regretting not having scooped up 8# three or four years ago now.:(
 

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I used the last of a 15 pound keg of Red Dot I’ve been using for 35 or 40 years. The paper label departed years ago and the red paint faded to a pink tone. The amazing thing is the powder stayed stable and has given the same performance over all these years. I’ve never loaded a shot shell with Red Dot so most of the 15 pounds was loaded in .38 Special, .308, and .30/06. I’m guessing It loaded 8,000 to 10,000 rounds. I don’t remember what I payed for it but what a great investment!

I’ve got a new plastic 8 lb jug of Green Dot that I’ll use in place of the RedDot
I am still reloading out of one of those pink 15 pounders I bought in 1967. 55 years ago.
I loaded a lot of shotgun shells back then. I liked Hercules powder. I still have some Bullseye, Unique, Herco from that same time period.
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I am still reloading out of one of those pink 15 pounders I bought in 1967. 55 years ago.
I loaded a lot of shotgun shells back then. I liked Hercules powder. I still have some Bullseye, Unique, Herco from that same time period.
Good ta hear from ya Rocky!! Was was hoping that the storm didnt cause any harm!!

CW
 

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
Thank you, CW. We didn't get anything more than a stiff breeze. Didn't even rain.
I live in the Panhandle of Florida, about 90 miles from the Alabama state line, a long way(500 miles?) from where Hurricane Ian hit.

We got hit 4 years ago by an even worse hurricane, Michael, a Cat 5 storm that hit landfall 30 miles from me. Of course I wasn't here, I had evacuated up to Auburn, Alabama (my sister's home).
 
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CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Thank you, CW. We didn't get anything more than a stiff breeze. Didn't even rain.
I live in the Panhandle of Florida, about 90 miles from the Alabama state line, a long way(500 miles?) from where Hurricane Ian hit.

We got hit 4 years ago by an even worse hurricane, Michael, a Cat 5 storm that hit landfall 30 miles from me. Of course I wasn't here, I had evacuated up to Auburn, Alabama (my sister's home).
GREAT NEWS !!!