bullet shelf life

[jnyman]

hey so maybe a silly question but i dont have the answer how long are bullets usually good for like i have a box of shells my dad gave my there at leats 10 - 12 years old this any good? there for a 30-06 adn there winchester if that matters at all thanks for any help.   

[Outdoors Junkie]

One of my friends (MNO member Scott aka Realtree) borrowed a rifle from his father-in-law last year.  His father-in-law also gave him a box a shells that he had in the gun cabinet.  Scott used the old ammo when he was target practicing (along with new ammo he bought at Cabelas).  There was no issue with the old ammo.  His father-in-law had not been out hunting since the late 1970's.  That ammo was almost 30 years old.

[beeker]

if they were stored in a dry area they should be fine. check em for rust and make sure they don't look too nasty. take a few to the range and make sure.

[jnyman]

sweet thanks guys yeah i was thinkin i would just use them to sit the gun in and get it close then when i get it good switch to my other bullets i dont like wasting good bullets on sitting in

[beeker]

site in with what your going to hunt with. use the old ones for varmits or fartin around

[Cbxboy]

"Too old" is rusty and green seepage.  I often times shoot Turkish or German 8mm which wa smade in 1938 era.  Yup 50 years old and still shoots good.  The Turk has degraded slightly and has a stout snap to it but still works great.

You should have ZERO problems with 12 year old ammo....that is JUST starting its life.  It may not be PERFECT but I'd wager that its components are well within spec....my arm is not that steady!

As beeker points out.  Shoot what you will be shooting while hunting if you are concerned about consistant accuracy.  This will depend on your distance you will most likely shoot at.