Sealing ammunition - ammo OCD?

[MarikinaMan]

I bought some Makron bullet and primer sealant about 5 years ago. Ive come to a point I dont really shoot some of my match ammo as often as I used to.

I have about 500 ready at any one time and it's quite the extra effort to make match rounds. I started sealing them. The intent here is for the powder not to absorb water while in storage in my garage.

[PoorRichRichard]

[FLIGHT762]

Yes, you need to seek professional help.

[MarikinaMan]

These 75 gr bad boys zip along at 2830 fps. Its highly gratifying when they hit chit

['ol shooter]

Ziplock storage bags...

[Gun Kraft]

Sealing them individually sounds like a lot of time and for precision rounds any time you add an extra variable you have to wonder if it affects accuracy.

If you're concerned about moisture why not put them in vacuum seal bags? Don't pull a vacuum, just seal it tight. Then store in an ammo can to prevent bag tears and you're set.

[JackEllis]

I bought some Makron bullet and primer sealant about 5 years ago. Ive come to a point I dont really shoot some of my match ammo as often as I used to.

I have about 500 ready at any one time and it's quite the extra effort to make match rounds. I started sealing them. The intent here is for the powder not to absorb water while in storage in my garage.

+1 for putting them in Zip-loc bags, but my sense is, the rounds are water and vapor tight as is. As Gun Kraft points out, you're introducing another variable that might or might not affect accuracy if you seal them up.

[hermosabeach]

My take

If you are worried about water- your brass will corrode and you bullets will corrode and chaos will happen


Some warmth keeps air moving - like the golden rod in safe heater or a 10w lightbulb.


Build a cabinet
Install a goldenrod or a light rope

Don't sweat moisture killing powder

[Wil-c]

I bought some Makron bullet and primer sealant about 5 years ago. Ive come to a point I dont really shoot some of my match ammo as often as I used to.

I have about 500 ready at any one time and it's quite the extra effort to make match rounds. I started sealing them. The intent here is for the powder not to absorb water while in storage in my garage.

If it's OCD then that makes two of us. Been using Markron for years. Anything I reload & put away long-term gets the primer & the crimp done.

Difference in accuracy? Havn't noticed any worthwhile difference.

[Spyder]

I bought sealant when I first started loading and have never once used it, including on my hunting hammo thats spent weeks/months at a time in high humidity and heavy downpours. It all still shoots fine.

[Wil-c]

I bought sealant when I first started loading and have never once used it, including on my hunting hammo thats spent weeks/months at a time in high humidity and heavy downpours. It all still shoots fine.

Evidently a proper crimp will function as a moisture seal, I've never tried it myself. Put a round into water & let it sit & so forth.

I've always used the markron as insurance for long-term storage that I've loaded.

[Gun Kraft]

Anything I reload & put away long-term gets the primer & the crimp done.

Difference in accuracy? Havn't noticed any worthwhile difference.

Everything's relative. MarikinaMan mentioned reloading match ammo which presumes a higher level of desired accuracy, but didn't mention for what. F-Class? ELR? Probably not, but at some point extra variables become a concern.

I have reloaded pistol ammo that's decades (as in 20+) years old stored in ammo cans. I say at least because frankly I've lost track of how old it is. No sealant. As long as the brass isn't corroded and the rounds go bang when I pull the trigger I'm happy, and I haven't been disappointed so far. That's probably as opposite of MarikinaMan's ammo as you can get.

[Wil-c]

Everything's relative. MarikinaMan mentioned reloading match ammo which presumes a higher level of desired accuracy, but didn't mention for what. F-Class? ELR? Probably not, but at some point extra variables become a concern.

I have reloaded pistol ammo that's decades (as in 20+) years old stored in ammo cans. I say at least because frankly I've lost track of how old it is. No sealant. As long as the brass isn't corroded and the rounds go bang when I pull the trigger I'm happy, and I haven't been disappointed so far. That's probably as opposite of MarikinaMan's ammo as you can get.

If he's doing something like bench-rest then it likely is a concern. I've got handloads same age as yours & some older, they go bang reliably which is my first concern.

[sigstroker]

He showed .223. Probably not bench rest.

[Gun Kraft]

Everything's relative and cartridge alone isn't indicative of what range you might push it to. Some people shoot .22LR out to 1000 yards...

Which I think is as much luck as anything else, but the fact you can hit your intended target at that range with that cartridge (even if it's "only" an 8% success rate) is still impressive.