Shotgun Shell Shelf Life Report

[mukjp22m]

The local gun store had something I've never seen before recently. It was a big old cardboard box full of old boxes of shells, some half empty, some loose. It said "for collection only, do not fire." Probably just to cover themselves since these things appear to have come out of an old attic. I scoured it and found the three best looking boxes of shells and paid $1/each for them. I took them home and analyzed the packaging, then carefully went through an archive of Remington ammunition catalogs from the beginning of time. I determined without a doubt that the boxes I chose were at least 43 years old, and at most 52 years old.

The shells looked fine, really nice actually, even though the box looked warped like it was exposed to humidity and temperature changes for decades. The shells were #6 bird shot and all high brass. They look very high quality compared to low aluminum that fills the shelves today. Anyway, I shot all 75 rounds today and they functioned flawlessly. Not only did they go bang, but I tied a personal record on my sporting clays course, so they functioned properly as well. I was impressed. So, don't worry about your aging SHTF stash of shotgun shells!

[Doyle]

You do know that there are collectors who would have paid $$ for those shells, right?

[FITASC]

And that #6s are illegal on most sporting courses?

Those were worth a lot more than the $1/box you paid

[rickyrick]

I shot some old shells a few of years ago. they worked... but... smoldering bits of paper was scattered about. being that it was a dry year... i destroyed them by cutting them open soaking the primers

[eastbank]

i have several boxs of paper low brass one oz #6 shot that i found in my late grandfathers hunting items that he used when he would take me rabbit hunting over 50 years ago and i shoot at a rabbit or two every year and love to smell the powder smoke and remembering those days hunting with my grandfather. i keep the empty cases in a sealed cracker box and will take the lid off and smell them from time to time over the year. my wife does not understand. eastbank.

[B.L.E.]

I love the smell of paper shells when they eject from the chamber. I sometimes load up Federal paper shells with Red Dot, I call it my nostalgia load.

[birdshot]

I was shooting some 20 something year old 20 gauge shells at the skeet club last year. One of the shooters in my group commented the wads in my shells appeared to be disintegrating.
I finished the round using up the shells so I had nothing to check later. I have wondered if the plastic was breaking down from being stored in my garage for a decade.

[mukjp22m]

What brand was disintegrating after 20 years? These Remington's were great still.

Yeah, 7.5 is the limit on the course, but I managed to get away with it. Btw, why the limit? If it's a hunting simulation, 6 shot would make sense too.

[B.L.E.]

The shot size limit has a lot to do with how far the shot travels. Larger shot goes farther than small shot. Extreme range for #6 is about 250 yards, for #8, it's less than 200 yards.
Not all places have enough real estate included in the shotfall area to accommodate the longer range of the larger shot sizes.

[Gunplummer]

I rarely hunt small game anymore, but I remember the old days with paper shells. Trust me, plastic is better. I had shells get soaked in my pockets in the rain. I had loose crimped shells "Leak" pellets in my pocket. I had shells swell up and not fit in the gun when they froze. Sometimes new is better.

[WV_gunner]

RST specializes in paper shells. I haven't bought their stuff yet but I can't find a bad review.

[wizrd]

'Cutting shells open and soaking the primers" -- doesn't make them inert. Shotshell primers have a coat of shellac or varnish on them. Even soaking them in Kroil for a day or two will not make them inert. I did this recently, when I needed a couple of 20 ga.shotgun 'snap caps' to test the firing pin on a gun. After soaking for two days, - in Kroil, - I tried to drive out the primer with a punch - resulted in the primer going off -- loud 'bang' - some minor flash burns on my fingers, ears ringing a little, the case head was being held in a deep-well socket to secure it. Note to self: Don't try this again.

[B.L.E.]

The best way to inert a primer in a shell that's been cut open and emptied is to put it in a shotgun and pull the trigger. I suggest outdoors or if you are in city limits, in the garage.
The powder charge can be inerted by putting it on a flameproof surface and lighting it with a match, or simply sprinkle it on the garden, it's got lots of nitrogen for the plants.

[birdshot]

What brand was disintegrating after 20 years?

They were Winchester. Some type of dove load. To be perfectly accurate, I never stripped any of the shells down to verify the shooters observation,

[B.L.E.]

Are you sure the other shooters weren't just seeing the confetti of paper and fiber wad columns?

[birdshot]

B.L.E. I am unsure what they were seeing. Though I did not think shells from the 90's would have any fiber or paper in the wad column.

[FITASC]

But they might have had paper in the basewad.

From Federal:

Our lower cost target loads use a paper base wad to seat the primer in. Here the wads are rolled and inserted in the hulls.

[B.L.E.]

I think fiber cushion wads were still used in a lot of those "dove season special" bargain shells, even though the shot column was wrapped with a shot protector.