"Shelf life" of your reloaded ammo?

[Cigarcop]

I know if conditions are correct our ammo can last but..... I recently fired some ammo I loaded at the end of last summer with some crappy results!!

This ammo was for my 6.5x47 which I use for F Class so its a dialed in load. I went out with it last week before an F Class shoot and had terrible results with two different loads that were loaded last fall. So after scratching my head trying to decide what load to use if any!..I loaded one of the same loads up the night before the match and it was on fire again during the shoot! so what gives???

Is it possible from sitting for some time the neck tension changed?.. I did measure them before shooting and all lengths (base to ogive) were verified correct....Have any of you guys come across this...I have taken the rest of the ammo and moved them out a bit then reseated them to see if this corrects the problem but haven't had a chance to shoot them yet..

any help is appreciated!

 

[Laurie]

Sometimes with some cartridges and / or make of brass, a significant gap between loading and shooting has this sort of effect, other times not. I've given up trying to figure out cause and effect links here, just load my ammo for matches as close to them as possible in which case you know the ammo is 'fresh'.

If there is an effect, I reckon it must be neck-tension related. It definitely exists to some extent or other though in some circumstances. Paul A. Matthews mentions this in his book 40 years with the 45-70. One particular lead bullet load in the cartridge - I forget which - gave him very good results but only if used within a day or so of loading, but groups doubled if left even another 24 hours. Matthews says he found this effect so often, and even carried out tests to prove the existence of the deterioration that it definitely happened.

 

[nfa1eab]

Are the bullets naked or.moly'd? if naked, maybe cold welding. Have read about it but never experienced it since I moly all mine. Do you shoot light neck tension? I would think maybe inconsistent neck release shot to shot.

My 2¢,
Ed

 

[Cigarcop]

Thanks for the replies, these are naked bullets.....I always try and load for the shoots the evening before or as close as possible. I usually shoot the day before to be dialed in and this is where the ammo thats been loaded previously comes into play....now its rare that it sits as long as the last batch did.

 

[6BRinNZ]

I have found with ammo that has been loaded and left sitting for quite some time (non moly), it is exceptionally difficult to pull the projectile out. I have read articles where there is some suggestion that bullets form some sort of bond to the case neck. If this is the case then I also assume pressures are spiking, certainly not good for an even neck release.

What I do now is load up and leave the projectiles seated long, seating them on the day or at least no more than 24hrs prior.

 

[yat3b35]

Last spring I went to the range for a practice session with my 30br. I was using ammo loaded the fall before .That ammo had set all winter since I missed the last match of the year. The first round fired blew a primer , as did the second. Bare in mind that was my match load and was not a hot charge. I had my seater die with me , so I tried seating the bullet a little deeper , and wala no blown primmers. Grouping was off but I chalk that up to seating depth. My opinion is that for sure there becomes some type of bond between bullet and case when stored for a long period , especiall when using a heavy neck tention that the 30br likes. When I loaded the same charge of powder, etc. it came right back to groupping the way it had been doing for matches. I don't use molly.
Why does it happen ? not sure , but I'll not let loaded match ammo sit that long again.

 

[palo]

I just shot some ammo yesterday that I had sitting for about 9 months and my groups were poor also.
This load was always very accurate and I didnt know what was wrong.
I must make up a few fresh rounds of the same load to test at the weekend.
Great info on this site. Thanks.

 

[ChipEckardt]

I just shot .243 rounds that were loaded over 5 years ago from a bench at 100 yards and using a scope put 10 inside a 3 inch circle.

Chip

 

[palo]

I just shot .243 rounds that were loaded over 5 years ago from a bench at 100 yards and using a scope put 10 inside a 3 inch circle.

Chip

Are you calling that a good or bad group ?

 

[Cigarcop]

I just shot .243 rounds that were loaded over 5 years ago from a bench at 100 yards and using a scope put 10 inside a 3 inch circle.

Chip

I want them in a 3" circle at 600yrds!

 

[DHD]

What about factory ammo then? I have some 10± year old 308 GMM that still shoots great. Why would this apply only to reloaded ammo? Would it be the brass, bullets, neck tension, "cold welding", etc?

I shoot a pair of BPCR's too, and have not seen it in either my 45/70 or.40-65. These are all lubed lead and straight black powder. Some have been loaded for a few years. My experience here is not scientific by any means.

I do have some 30-06 I have had loaded for 5 years and will check for the heck of it.

Curious stuff.

 

[tunered]

Could it be possible that the case lube is affecting the powder???? ed

 

[MQ1]

I visited my brother this past summer, and we pulled out a 25-06 I sold him 10 years ago, and went to the range to enjoy some brotherly fun. In short, the hand loads that I gave him with the gun shot better than 1/2 minute out at 500 yards...

I was hoping that my new reloads would do the same

MQ1

 

[Cigarcop]

Well I've been reseating alot tonight and for shits and giggles I set my seater say .010 shorter and when I seat the bullet a good crack is certainly heard. So something has certainly tightened up!

Note to self....shoot everything before winter starts this year!!!!

Thanks for all the info guys

 

[jsteiger]

did you use dry lube (ie imperial dry neck lube) when originally seated or seated "dry"? I wonder if this would make a difference?

 

[Cigarcop]

did you use dry lube (ie imperial dry neck lube) when originally seated or seated "dry"? I wonder if this would make a difference?

Jason, I've always seated the bullets dry, no lube of any kind.

 

[boogershooter]

A few years back I had pressure signs in a rifle with some tried and true loads with a long shelf life with similiar results. I suspected the lube I was useing had somehow changed over a few years. I like the idea of loading long and final seat just prior to use.

 

[rocketron]

I just shot .243 rounds that were loaded over 5 years ago from a bench at 100 yards and using a scope put 10 inside a 3 inch circle.

Chip

I want them in a 3" circle at 600yrds!

knowing cigarcop....that just made him use up a tank of oxygen to respond.

 

[Jim D]

Just a thought.
Do you tumble your brass with treated corn cob media, or clean your necks with brush and case lube ?
I use an ultrasonic cleaner, don't know if this would make a difference !
Jim

 

[bowslngr]

I wonder if this might be an application where annealing might really make a difference. Is it possible that the inconsistancies in neck tension that result from not annealing cases could be magnified when the loaded rounds are stored for a long time (hard necks and/or spots continue to resist deformation while soft spots continue to yield)? Kind of makes sense to me that the effect would be magnified, but I don't know if it would be noticeable.