Is there anything to be concerned about if ammo is reloaded in a set of conditions that is markedly different than shooting conditions? I have some 223 ammo I reloaded years ago. It was reloaded probably at around 80 degrees or so at an altitude of 600 feet. It may be shot at close to 5000 feet and be as cold as 30 degrees. These are not hot loads. I don't think there is any issue here. After all, off the shelf ammo is shot all over the place with no worry that I know of. But, thought I would ask.
Reloaded Ammo OK Due to Age & Enviromental Changes?
- Thread starter Phil3
- Start date
Factory ammo is not loaded in a vacuum, so chances are that factory ammo will not be used in the same conditions or elevation where it was manufactured.
You didn’t say how the ammo looked.
Corrosion? Bullet clean where it enters the neck?
Corrosion around primer?
As said above it should be fine but nice to know it looks ok.
The ammo looks fine. Been stored in ammo boxes, with no round touching another. Not hit, dropped, etc. I will use as is. Thank you.
You might try seating some a few thousanths deeper. If you feel a pop their might be a little cold welding. If so seat them all a little deeper.
Walt had a good idea. Tommy Mc
Your POI will certainly be different. If you have a ballistics app and have the data recorded for the loads you did back then, you can enter that data into the app and find an adjusted firing solution for the difference in environmentals.
And as mentioned, there could be a little issue with cold welding that might effect how the loads perform compared to how they did years ago.
Last edited:
RegionRat
Gold $$ Contributor
In addition the the external ballistics considerations mentioned above, there are internal ballistics considerations with ammo as well.
Internal ballistics can be affected by the storage if the necks and bullets develop an adhesive bond (cold weld). Internal ballistics are also affected by humidity (water content) of the powder.
Some ammo is produced with material applied to the inside of the brass neck that prevents or retards issues like adhesive friction bonding of the necks to the bullets. For example, most Mil-Spec ammo has sealant in the necks that are there to keep water from moving in or out of the ammo, but that material also becomes a third body barrier to the adhesive friction problem between the bullets and the necks.
Humidity inside the powder when loaded, or after a long storage period will also affect internal ballistics. Powder changes due to two factors with humidity, the density and the burn dynamics.
If you know ammo must be loaded and stored a long time before a trip, there are things you can do that bypass these issues.
One is to load the ammo long and seat it down just before use. This breaks the adhesive friction problem loose, or it alerts you to rounds that are likely to be erratic if you can use a arbor press that has a spring type force pack. You can establish a force limit to seat the bullet with any round that exceeds that force becoming a reject.
The other important thing to do is to check your dope locally just before use. If a chronograph is available at the time, it is also useful to know if the ammo lot has changed.
Internal ballistics can be affected by the storage if the necks and bullets develop an adhesive bond (cold weld). Internal ballistics are also affected by humidity (water content) of the powder.
Some ammo is produced with material applied to the inside of the brass neck that prevents or retards issues like adhesive friction bonding of the necks to the bullets. For example, most Mil-Spec ammo has sealant in the necks that are there to keep water from moving in or out of the ammo, but that material also becomes a third body barrier to the adhesive friction problem between the bullets and the necks.
Humidity inside the powder when loaded, or after a long storage period will also affect internal ballistics. Powder changes due to two factors with humidity, the density and the burn dynamics.
If you know ammo must be loaded and stored a long time before a trip, there are things you can do that bypass these issues.
One is to load the ammo long and seat it down just before use. This breaks the adhesive friction problem loose, or it alerts you to rounds that are likely to be erratic if you can use a arbor press that has a spring type force pack. You can establish a force limit to seat the bullet with any round that exceeds that force becoming a reject.
The other important thing to do is to check your dope locally just before use. If a chronograph is available at the time, it is also useful to know if the ammo lot has changed.
CharlieNC
Gold $$ Contributor
Yep, cold welding is a reality that can bite you. Unless I know the loads will be shot soon, I always load long for storage for seating just before shooting.
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
Turn the rds over after seating a couple thousandth deeper(you will feel a cold weld).
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