Can you shoot a deer with 5–year-old cartridges? Or 10 years old, or 20 years? Is old ammunition safe?

Generally, yes. If factory cartridges are stored in a dry, cool place with low humidity, preferably in an airtight container, they can have an amazingly long shelf life. Many ballistics experts that have shot tens of thousands of rounds over the years report shooting 20- to 50-year-old ammo with no problems.

Notice I said factory ammunition from the likes of Federal, Hornady and Remington, which is manufactured using premium components and exacting specifications that extend the shelf life of cartridges. I do not advise shooting old reloads.

If you can’t find new ammo and need to hunt with rounds you have accumulated over the years, chances are those cartridges are just a few years to maybe 5 years old, so you should not have any issues at all.

Ammo Check

But before shooting any ammo that has been stored for years, check each round in a box carefully. If the cases and bullets are clean, smooth and not corroded, the rounds should shoot fine. Keep in mind the warning signs of unusable and potentially unsafe cartridges: split case necks, rusty bullets and/or corroded brass or primers. If a cartridge shows any of these signs, discard it properly and don’t shoot it. Also, if a round looks fine but does not load and chamber easily in your bolt-action or lever rifle, do not use it.

Will Old Ammo Kill a Deer?

Last season I planned to hunt with a new CZ 557 rifle chambered for .30-06. The ’06 has long been one of my favorite cartridges, and I’ve killed dozens of bucks and larger animals with it, but for some reason I hadn’t used the iconic round for years.

One day last September I went to my gun shop and asked my friend Steve for a couple boxes of 165-grain loads. They were out.

I went home, dug into my ammo cache and pulled out a partial box of old .30-06 with 165-grain Trophy Bonded bullet. That particular bullet does not exist anymore, it was replaced by the Trophy Bonded Tip some time ago. I got to wondering how old the ammo was. Eighteen to 20 years probably, maybe older.

I went to the range, and after a little fine-tuning had the loads grouping less than one inch at 100 yards. I went out and shot 3 bucks with it. Look at the perfect bullet mushroom found in the off shoulder of one of those deer.

Good to know that if you need them, those old cartridges you’ve got squirreled away will do the job come this deer season.