Mike: I have some boxes of Core-Lokt .270 loads that must be 10 years old? Are those shells still safe to shoot and hunt with? Love the blog, keep up the good work.—George from Nebraska
George: For starters, let me say that I’ve been hunting with .270, .30-06 and 7mm loads from a test batch I got at least 10 years old. Some of the cartridges are 15 years old.They are still reliable and accurate, and I’ve killed dozens of bucks with them.
If center-fire cartridges are stored in a dry place at moderate temperatures with low humidity—say on a shelf in a dry basement where you have a dehumidifier running—they can have an amazingly long shelf life. There are many reports of people shooting 50-plus year-old ammunition with no problems, and killing deer with such ancient rounds.
But before shooting any old cartridges, check each one carefully. If the cases look clean and aren’t corroded, the ammo should work fine. But keep in mind the warning signs of unusable (and potentially unsafe) old ammunition: split case necks and/or corroded/rusty bullets, brass or primers. If ammo shows any of these signs, discard it properly and don’t shoot it.
DISCLAIMER: If you have the slightest doubt that a round or bullet does not look right, discard it and don’t shoot it.
Probably the best and smartest thing to do with shells left over from the last few seasons is to go the range this spring and shoot them up. Then go buy a couple new boxes of your favorite deer load before next season. The ammo companies will appreciate it, plus you’ll benefit from the shooting practice. You’ll know those shiny new rounds to be safe and effective.
I shoot mostly military rounds as I am not a hunter, but an every day gun enthusiast. I have recently shot M1 carbine ammo made in Korea for the Korean military and it is all manufactured in the late 60s, early 70s. I had an ammo can of it with 1,080 rounds that was in bandoliers and stripper clips. And of course it was all ball ammo, good for target shooting. So far I have shot nearly 400 rounds of it in my carbine with no hitches or duds. I also have 20 boxes of British 7.62 NATO made for the L2A2/L1A1 rifles that the British used to use a long time ago. I would not hesitate to shoot any of it and it’s from the 1960s. I can shoot it in a .308 Winchester or a military rifle made for NATO ammo. You just can’t shoot real .308 Winchester in a military rifle due to much higher pressure of the .308 over the 7.62X51mm. Civilian .308 ammo has a SAAMI pressure of around 62,000 PSI and military 7.62 is rated at only 51,000. big difference.
I’ve used ammo that was easily 10-15 years old without issue.
I am 62, I used my grandfather’s 30/40 Krag and a box of Western X ammo with a price written on it of $4.99 to kill a doe last season on ” Ebb’s” birthday…he would have been 116 years old the day I killed the doe.