Zip lock bags for load storage.

[aflineman]

What do you all think of Zip lock freezer bags for load storage? I remember on of my Grandfather's friends using them years ago. Said he liked them because it was easy to write the loads on them and easy to keep each load separated in his ammo cans. The little boxes can get expensive, and I can never get them to stay closed well. I also don't have as may factory boxes as I thought I did. I'm looking at this as an easy and cheap option that makes more sense to me than boxes do anyway.
Any thoughts good or bad?

Thanks

[Grumulkin]

I don't see anything wrong with it.  I use zip lock bags routinely when I'm working up loads.  Once I get a load worked up and want to load more than 10 rounds of a given load, they go in one of the plastic cartridge boxes.

[SM Bob]

Aflineman,
I'm not sure what caliber you are loading, but Midway has Frankford Arsenal plastic
ammo boxes on sale for cheap. I use them for all my handgun and rifle loading.
They stay closed just fine and are easy to open when you want them to. I don't
see anything wrong with putting a few rounds in ziplock bags if you are working up
some loads. I like to store my ammo in the flip top plastic boxes though. I just put
some 2" wide masking tape on the box and write all the load data on it.

                                    Robert
 

[stimpylu32]

I have been using the ziploc bags for years , just take a Sharpe marker to write the load data on the bag and your all set , when you want to reuse the bag just rub your finger over the marker and it comes right off to put the new data on .

I use the cheap dollar store bags that are 50 for $.50 , they will last about 4 or 5 uses then throw them away and start over . they also work great for storing brass in as you can keep track of how many times each lot has been loaded .

stimpy

[Lloyd Smale]

ive even taken it a step further. I keep MANY thousands of rounds of 223 for the ar stored and what ive started doing is using a vaccum packer to seal them up.

[Old Syko]

Zip Lock bags in 50 cal. ammo cans and stack em deep.

Using the plastic boxes allows the ammo to vibrate around and discolor the brass when in transport and since they're not sealed against moisture this leads to tarnishing and corrosion when stored for long periods.

[Hairtrigger]

Bags alone are hard to stack... they do work well in boxes or ammo cans to keep things seperate.

[DAG460]

Like Lloyd, I vacuum seal a lot of my ammo.  It takes care of tarnish, corrosion and moisture for long term storage.  You can write on the bags and seal many other items to prevent rust like my bullet molds.  If you want you can vacuum your ammo in the plastic boxes.

DAG

[aflineman]

Thanks guys,
Nice to know that some of the old ideas are still valid. I think I will use these for awhile, then maybe work into the vacuum seal.

I like the idea of vacuum sealing the molds and dies. I do have a problem with some of the older (less used) dies I have rusting.

[Glockman]

Do not write on the bag unless it is for long term storage.   For small batches of TEST LOADS write on a 3 x 5 index card and put it in the bag.  After the test shots at the range the results can be recorded on the card and the card filed in a file box.   With this system I can look back and see what worked or not in that rifle from my tests 20 years ago.   

[KN]

I used to be fanatical about boxes. Then after my two daughters started going prarie doggin with me I ended up with so many boxes it took up an enormous amount of space in the truck. So I am slowly getting rid of most of them for larger plastic boxes that will hold maybe 250 rounds or so in plastic baggies. Cuts my cargo space for ammo to about a third.   KN