Is 44 year old hand loaded 30/06 ammo still okay. Stored in dry box.

[Flattop]

Found my box of reloading equipment and ammo. Is it still reliable after 44 years.

[iofthetaiga]

In all likelihood, yes.

[rbuck351]

Assuming you loaded it, very likely still fine.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Found my box of reloading equipment and ammo. Is it still reliable after 44 years.

Choot'em junior!! If you don't, give them to me and I will.

[BrownBear]

Given the circumstances you describe, I don't see why not.

If you're just shooting it up, bang away. But if you want the best accuracy, you likely need to "bump" the rounds. By that I mean put your bullet seating die into your press with the seating stem backed off. Raise a round into the die and lower the seating stem down finger tight against the bullet. Now raise the load lever and give the seating stem another half turn or so and lock it.

Now run all your rounds through the seating die to slightly move the bullets. Dunno why that works, but it sure does. It's an old trick I still use for handloads more than a couple of years old.

[Smitty of the North]

Given the circumstances you describe, I don't see why not.

If you're just shooting it up, bang away. But if you want the best accuracy, you likely need to "bump" the rounds. By that I mean put your bullet seating die into your press with the seating stem backed off. Raise a round into the die and lower the seating stem down finger tight against the bullet. Now raise the load lever and give the seating stem another half turn or so and lock it.

Now run all your rounds through the seating die to slightly move the bullets. Dunno why that works, but it sure does. It's an old trick I still use for handloads more than a couple of years old.

I'd do what BB suggests. It sounds like a mighty fine idea. He is a very Smawwt mon.

It would break, and even up, the neck tension. With old handloads the bullets can really get welded into the necks for some, reason unknown to me.

Other than that, you could disassemble a couple, and check if the powder is loose, and like it should be.

Smitty of the North

[northwoods]

Reliable? .....Maybe?.... Did you load it? Is the benefit worth the risk? Unless you know the exact pedigree of ammunition and how it was assembled and stored.... be cautious. Brass is alloy of zinc and copper that in time with conditions permitting will have a tendency to "bond" to copper jacketed bullets more so than applicable case neck tension.
There are many sources of information pertaining to this topic with a simple google search that will be very enlightening.

[.338 mag.]

I would get some good ear plugs and safety glasses and shoot it up at the range.

[4merguide]

I would get some good ear plugs and safety glasses and shoot it up at the range.

Or at least a few to see if they are performing like they should.......

[Anythingalaska]

Choot'em junior!! If you don't, give them to me and I will.

That's funny that you would be comfortable shooting reloaded 30.06 rounds from a complete stranger, when you have no history about how they were loaded, or the condition they have been kept in. But by all means; be my guest!

[Smitty of the North]

That's funny that you would be comfortable shooting reloaded 30.06 rounds from a complete stranger, when you have no history about how they were loaded, or the condition they have been kept in. But by all means; be my guest!

No doubt, FL2AK would check them out and test them before using them.

However, It is a GOOD RULE to NEVER shoot someone else's handloads, for a variety of reasons.

I broke that rule ONE time, actually TWO shots, of an unknown Handload, in 338, just to get rid of them.

After, when I looked at the cases, as I usually do,,,,, BOY, were those primers FLAT.

No harm done, but NEVER AGAIN, will I do something like that.

Smitty of the North

[rbuck351]

It's pretty easy to pull them down and replace powder with something you are sure of. Shooting someone elses reloads is not for me.

[Paul H]

That's a big it depends...

I've shot WWII military surplus ammo that was over 60 years old and it was completely reliable.

I've also been given some unknown 6.5X55 reloads that after inspection I didn't dare fire because about 1/2 of them had split case necks, and when I started pulling the loads I found several of them where the copper in the bullet jackets had corroded to the point that the bullets were extremely difficult to pull.

I've also been given old powder supposedly properly stored where the powder had begun breaking down and the powder had brown rust like dust in it.

My recommendation would be to take several rounds and pull the bullets to exam the powder, bullets and cases for any sign of powder deterioration or metal corrosion.

My general rule of thumb regarding using a tool or something that is questionable is to evaluate the cost of the that item failing on me. A trip to the medical clinic, $100, new rifle, $500, a hunt going bust because of bad ammo, could be a whole bunch, serious bodily injury, $$$, your life, priceless.

Hence questionable ammo IMHO isn't worth risking a firearm over, and most definitely not risking your health over.

[ADfields]

I'm always the nay-sayer in these . . . and I say if you feel the need to ask you answered the question!!!!

The test is "are you 100% confident in the ammo" and you ain't or wouldn't ask.

Or look at it this way;
What is the replacement value of said questionable ammo?
What is your gun worth?
What is your vision, your fingers, or even your life worth??
Now are the savings still worth the risk however small that risk may be?

I watched as my Dad fed 1944 surplus ammo to his M1 and was almost killed, yes almost killed, for some cheap ammo . . . turned out to be the real price included a new M1 and a doctor bill.

[Anythingalaska]

I'm always the nay-sayer in these . . . and I say if you feel the need to ask you answered the question!!!!

The test is "are you 100% confident in the ammo" and you ain't or wouldn't ask.

Or look at it this way;
What is the replacement value of said questionable ammo?
What is your gun worth?
What is your vision, your fingers, or even your life worth??
Now are the savings still worth the risk however small that risk may be?

I watched as my Dad fed 1944 surplus ammo to his M1 and was almost killed, yes almost killed, for some cheap ammo . . . turned out to be the real price included a new M1 and a doctor bill.

Jeez; did the casing explode? Sounds horrible.