ammo stored..

[glockk9mm]

I have 2 boxes of winchester 30-06 super-x since about 1990 stored, do you guys think it's safe to shoot this ammo? I am going to go shooting this weekend with my dad, we havent shot the rifle since around that time mentioned above.

[socalguns]

sure why not? ammo doesn't get more dangerous with age (its not tnt)

[M. Sage]

But HOW was it stored?

If stored right, it's good. I'm shooting 1950-dated military surplus, no problems. Of course, it was stored in airtight tins....

I HAVE had a "moment" with old ammo that was stored wrong, though.

I made the mistake about 10 years ago of shooting some paper shells through my dad's 16 gauge. I only shot a couple before one kicked way harder than it should have... I opened the gun up and the primer had MELTED. Needless to say, I didn't shoot any more of those...

That's a bit different, I know, since it wasn't sealed.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

For what it's worth...
All the 30-06 I ever shoot is made in 1991 or earlier and it all shoots great.

1991 Danish surplus. Great!
1966 US surplus. Great!
1960 Danish surplus. Great!
1957 Yugoslavian surplus. Really great!!

For 8mm Mauser the best ammo I have right now is 1936 German surplus.

How were your two boxes of Winchester Super-X stored? Do you see any signs of corrosion on the cases?

[glockk9mm]

But HOW was it stored?

It was stored in my gun vault, it hasn't got any kind of moisture nor any kind of water.

But it's good to know then that its safe to shoot. I just thought the pouder or primers would go bad.

[glockk9mm]

How were your two boxes of Winchester Super-X stored? Do you see any signs of corrosion on the cases?

Some rounds just look dirtier than others. One is sealed in the box the other one doesn't have a box,just the plastic where the rounds come in.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

The most common problem with old ammo is dud primers. Commercial ammo is more susceptible to this because it usually doesn't have a protective sealant over the primer like most military surplus ammo does. But 1990 is still pretty young in "ammo years", so it shouldn't be a problem with your ammo if it was stored in a dry location.

If you are shooting your old ammo and have a round that doesn't go off, be sure to wait 30 to 60 seconds before opening the bolt, just incase you've got a hang fire.

[M. Sage]

The primers should still be good, especially with how well the ammo was stored.

The sealed up tins of 7.62x54R milsurp, they apparently don't bother replacing the primers unless the ammo is WWII-vintage... and the stuff I've heard of didn't have sealed primers in those days anyway:

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo003.htm

'50's era Chinese that doesn't have sealed primers. A friend of mine shot some through his M44 and really liked it. No hang fires:

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo026.htm

[rorschach]

Sounds like a new thread "What's the oldest ammo you've ever shot?"