Cast load shelf-life

[26Charlie]

Looking through stuff, I found some of my loads i thought should be fired yesterday. A box of .220 Swift loads, 225646 60 gr. GC / 10.0 gr. Blue Dot in the box 4 years, but must have been a humid day when I closed up the 50 rd. plastic box because the bullets were looking gray with oxide coating.
10-shot group at 100 yd. of 2 1/4" from the Ruger M77.

A box of .375 H&H loads, RCBS 37-250-FP 265 gr. GC / 40.0 gr 3031 with cornmeal filler, in the box 21 years (June 89) gave me a 5-shot 4" group in the center of the black at 200 yd. from the Ruger No. 1 single shot.

Have yet to find a cast load in my stuff that has gone bad - any experiences on this?

[Jack Stanley]

I've used stuff that had been loaded twenty years earlier without incident . Accuracy just as good as when I put it away .

Jack

[Tom-ADC]

I've used stuff that had been loaded twenty years earlier without incident . Accuracy just as good as when I put it away .

Jack

+1 here have stuff 20+ years old still shoots great, stored in metal ammo boxes in a insulated workshop.

[Bass Ackward]

What it depends on is how critical what you loaded was on bullet hardness and how your lube held up.

If you took HTWW of any type and worked up a max load for say 30 BHN bullets, then came back just one year later when the bullets were back to 18-20 BHN, then you might be dissatisfied. I have stuff from 1991 that is still 20 BHN so it does stabilize.

If you lubed with a lube that didn't separate and contaminate the powder or didn't dry out you will be fine also. If they did, no matter the time involved here, you will be less than satisfied.

[MtGun44]

Lead oxidizes over time, lead oxide is white. No big deal.