Reloading Powder shelf life.

Thanks for the heads-up! Time to hoard even more to make up for potential spoilage.

I think I'm ok as I have quite a bit that's only about 20 years old and thus still quite fresh, and ammo that almost 75 and still dead reliable. I'll try to shoot it off before it turns 100.
 
stampede said:
Attention hoarders! Unless your storage arraignments are very good there may be a shelf life to your reloading powder.
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Not sure what you're talking about .. can you be more specific? Anyone that is into re-loading knows to keep powder and primers in a cool dry place .. if you do that there is nothing to worry about.... ever. I've used powder that was out of production in 1964, so more than 50 years old .. no problems.
 
I just finished using the last of a small batch of IMR 4895 that I bought a quantity of in 1965. Seemed it was just fine after all those years. :)

Also have a bit of old Norma 205 and 204 in my stocks. The 205 has been obsolete since about 1970, when MRP replaced it.

They perform exactly as they did when new.

I am not too worried about smokeless powders, even though I had some IMR 3031 go bad, and also one lot of Higginsons 4350 OEM.

Regards, Dave.
 
Currently working on some Winchester W680 that has been kicking around for many, many years. Using it in my 357 Maximum and also in my 7.62*39. Both with super accuracy.
 
Well, I did recently dump a quantity of Bullseye I bought at the Kamloops gun show: the old square can, it was about half full, but it smelled strongly of ground pepper and some other things less pleasant, so.. I fed the weeds on a nearby vacant lot.

I did get an unopened square can of Unique that I have high hopes for though...
 
stampede said:
Attention hoarders! Unless your storage arraignments are very good there may be a shelf life to your reloading powder.
Click to expand...

I have had two batches of powder go bad on me. Both were from Higginson's from when Tom was still alive and they came with a warning.

One was listed as Nobel #44 which was a clone of IMR 3031 and the other was Nobel 47N (OEM 4350) but was much closer to N160 and some of the best powder for the 338-06 I've ever had. It went bad extremely fast. It was stable for a long time then one day I noticed there was rust on the shelf where these powders were stored. Both were giving off noxious fumes that were acidic. Both were clumping and sweating. My wife's flower garden never looked better. The #44 powder was burned.

I think Eagleye had a similar problem with 47N and several others reported problems with #44.
 
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Even a 20 y.o. can still use his/her powder 20 to 30 years later.
So, ya saying...???
Very interesting, you joined in Oct. 2004, 215 posts and 1 FB score ever since..
Nick name can lead you are from AB.

Edit:
- this was referred to OP.
 
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