How Soon do you Shoot your Reloads?

Ambrose

I am continually experimenting with different powder/bullet/primer combinations to see if I get improved performance. But often, it seems, I get distracted by a different rifle or two (or three or more) and don't get back to that rifle/cartridge very soon. My last couple of range sessions, I took along a couple of .30-30's and found cartridges I loaded in 2005. There wasn't any detectable performance difference from "fresher", similar cartridges. However, I have noticed that with smaller calibers, .22, .24, etc., I get more frequent split necks with cartridges that have sat for several years, especially with cases that have been previously been loaded 3 or 4 times.

Of course I found myself doing it again! There were a couple of loads from those range sessions that looked good so I loaded three more boxes and put them on the shelf. I wonder when I'll get back to them.

62fuelie

I have fired .222 Rem rounds that have been loaded and sitting for 20 years or more in the cabinet of my loading room. I have not noticed any loss of performance or increase in the case failure rate. I do anneal every fifth loading and only full-length size at that time. The rest of the time I neck size only. My Sako L-46 likes 19.5 grains of IMR 4198 a CCI small rifle magnum primer and a 55 grain Hornady SX best, so that's what all of my loads on the rack are. That is a max load according to Sierra so approach with care, if you decide to try it.

charliemeyer007

I have a new box of Norma 7mm mag brass loaded with CCI 200, H-870 and Hornady 162 Match HP from 1977. I fully expect them to be functional for another 20 years because they have been stored properly.

Back in the 70's I shot cast bullets in a 222 in a 721 Rem. I shot between 150 and 300 rounds 2 or 3 times a week for the 4 years of high school. The cases were formed from 5.56 Nato brass I picked up on the range. I think I started with 500 and I think I was down to 150 when I was done. Some were lost, very hard to keep track of brass running threw the sage brush chasing bunnies. Most died from split necks or the primer wouldn't stay in place. I think I still the rest.

I never kept track of them as far as loading. Empties went into a can, then were loaded and dumped into the loaded can. I would just scoop out several handfuls into the shooting pouch and be off.

I necked sized only. Dad did most of the loading, he like doing that. I did all the bullet casting because he wasn't good at it or didn't like doing it. The bullets were shot as cast, barefoot. They were seated in the case just enough to hold them. Texaco (Marpack?) water pump grease was fingered in to the groves, then the bullets seated and the case was wiped to remove any grease.

I shot 1000's of bunnies, picket pens and lots of birds out of the air with that rifle and ammo. Very cheap shooting primers were less than $5 per thousand and powder was perhaps $6 or $7.

bpost

I still shoot some handloaded 30-06 match ammo from the early 1980's. It shoots just fine! The years go by fast and it seems ammo average life on my shelf is about 5 years or so before that batch is used completely up.

243winxb

Had problems with 223 in the neck area. I now blame it on dies that overworked the brass on sizing/expanding. Long term storage more than 10 years is not a good idea. IMO. Federal agrees.

geeguy

While ASAP is best, I just went to the range and fired .308 loaded in 1964 (specific to the rifle)and at 200 yds were the same as when loaded. Also used .338 Win mag from 1970 with great results. Have always stored in cool dry place.

Currently shooting 1917 30-06 factory with great results (other then cleaning afterwords).

Not sure why you would see more splitting due to age.

Best of luck

noylj

I try to shoot all my reloads within 25 years of loading them. Never saw any change in performance or case life.
Case necks split due to over-work or bad brass.
Unless you think that there is some metallurgical change in a case that has been reloaded and sat on a shelf vs. cases that simply sat on a shelf without being loaded, there is just nothing going on in a loaded case to worry about.
I shoot a lot of pre-1950 military cases, and they are still going great.

Ambrose

Unless you think that there is some metallurgical change in a case that has been reloaded and sat on a shelf

I think metal fatigue is involved. A case that has had the neck sized and expanded several times, then sits for years with a bullet seated, when fired, may not be able to resist the forces involved in firing.

That's my theory.

v35

Stress cracks from age.
I'm shooting a load of 762x25 from 1953 that show 100% cracks after firing. They shoot well enough for plinking at golf balls.
Some cartridges in my collection i.e. 30-03 have split necks.

noylj

Then, if you are worrying about environmental stress cracking, you really have no way to gauge it. Plus, there is the 22 ksi .45 Auto vs. the 65ksi .308.
Answer to the question is still the same--never had any reason to even consider it and never had any old reloads crack (other than the normal 1-3 .38 Spl cases out of 200 that always seem to split).

pip5255

I've still got rounds loaded back in the mid 80's that shoot just fine, storage is important as I've used some already that were left outside and I had issues.