What is store life??

[backstrap]

Can any one tell my what store life is on factory ammo?? say i find some ammo that my 223 like and i buy a bunch of it how long would these rounds be good for i know to keep them dry and all that good stuff about the weather but was wondering say like in 5 or 10 years would these ammo steal shoot well or would the primers go bad??

[cheatermk3]

Properly stored, ammo should last at least 20 years.

I was just shooting some match 308 ammo I made in 1991.  It still works fine.

[Hank McMauser]

  I've got some old 300 savage ammo that was purchased in the 80's still seems to work fine, have shot some turk mauser ammo from the 50's I think, it all is in how it's stored. I've heard of old flintlocks that have been loaded for centuries still ready to be fired.(Don't think I'd volunteer to pull the trigger on those though!)
   If you store it it a closet in the house where it's air conditioned with no great temp swings or humidity, I'd say it'd be good for at least 50 yrs.
Hank

[GregP42]

Backstrap,

I am not sure how long they will last, but I can tell you I have shot WWII vintage .45, .30-06 and 8x57JS ammo and it has all gone off. The oldest I have shot was some 100 year old 45/70, but I was a kid then and should have saved it.

Greg

[backstrap]

Ok thanks for the info guys very helpful in some thing i was just wondering about 

[Datil]

 I have some factory ammo over 35 yrs old nit worried. also
 reloads over 20 yrs old, not to worry as long as it doesn't wet or to hot.
 I think powder and primers has a long shelf life. My opinion.
arv.

[mt3030]

I have some 16 ammo that my grandfather purchased in 1918 when they moved from Nebraska to Washington. Remington, paper hulls, still went bang as late as 1970. (The few I have left I'm just keeping!). Metal cased ammo should last better.

[jbtazgrabber]

a buddy was having some problem with hodgin powder the rep. said powder will last 20 years unopened inside a house............jb

[Sourdough]

I've got some .308 ammo that I have been hauling around for 40 years.  Some factory, some military, and some reloads.  I don't shoot the .308 much anymore.  It's been from Fairbanks, to Las Vegas, to Miami, Fairbanks, Pheonix, Anchorage, Alamogordo, Fairbanks, Washington DC, Anchorage, and back to Fairbanks.  Took some of the reloads and military rounds to the range last fall, they all shot fine.  I ended up with the military rounds because they had outlived their shelf life with the army and they wanted to get rid of them, 40 years ago.  They still shoot fine.  No telling how old they are.