IMR 3031 - does accuracy change if ammo is stored

[ghh3rd]

The author of the '40 years with the 45-70' book said that whenever he stored loads with IMR 3031 more than a few days, the accuracy suffered greatly. He couldn't explain it, but stated that was his observation.

Has anyone heard of this happening with IMR 3031 - I did like how it worked for me, but would like to be a able to store loaded boolits for months rather than days.

Randy

[Wayne Smith]

I have stored 30-30 loads for years without a noticeable change. I'm not sure what happened with the 45-70!

[stubshaft]

My usual practice is to load specific cases for hunting only and use them as needed. I have some 45/70's loaded with my hunting load of 46.0 3031 behind a RCBS 405 boolit that I loaded about 14 years ago (I remember the date because it was my nephews first Mouflon hunt). Over the intervening years I have dipped into this supply and have found no change in accuracy and no change in POI. This is with two of my Marlins one 1895 rifle with MG rifling and one Guide Gun with Ballard rifling.

[ghh3rd]

Thanks wayne and stubshaft... uh stubshaft, how did you get that name? :oops:

[Baron von Trollwhack]

I have no proof but I would not think so because of the billions of WWII 30-06 loaded with IMR 4895 that are still shooting. Same powder manufacturer as that era 3031.

But I have confirned to my satisfaction that the neck tension goes to well after about two years on my handloaded 25-20. Case neck splits too. That is what started me annealing most calibers, making 25-20 WCF in smaller batches, and similar.

But I have shot lots of surpluss ammo with neck splits too.


BvT

[missionary5155]

Good morning
It is possible this is the same author who was using water pump grease for lube. Over the years water pump lube could easily migrate into the powder causing individual cartriges to fire differently. I would think 3031 has been around long enough to show deterioration trends that would be verifiable with other loaded rounds.
Mike in Peru

[W.R.Buchanan]

gosh: I guess I should not use my can of IMR3031 I bought in 1978. I wonder how much worse the accuracy is after sitting in the can for 33 years? Nah,,, I'll still use it.

I would agree with 5155 that there was problably some other factor involved here.

If the powder hasn't broken down it should function jsut as before, Those Billions of rounds of .30-06 refferred to above are solid evidence that ammo doesn't just go bad. It takes some mitigating factor like excessive heat or high humidity or corrosion to taint the stuff.

There is still stock piles of WW2 Ammo laying around that is 70 years old and still functions just fine. Not that much difference between IMR 4895 and IMR 3031 chemistry wise , mostly grain size.

Randy

[Reload3006]

it would all depend on how the ammo was loaded and how it was stored. If stored in a cool dry place it will be as good as the day it was loaded. If its been exposed to extreme heat etc it could and probably has degraded. I have powder that is 40 years old and is as good as the day it was manufactured. If you know how the ammo was loaded and stored keep it use it if you don't pull it down. I would suggest reading the SAMMI safety data sheet that has come with smokeless powder since before i was born and i am no spring chicken.

[jlchucker]

There are still a few general stores around that have ammo on their shelves that's been there for decades. I know of one, that a couple of years ago had an old box of Winchester 44-40 sitting there gathering dust. I said something about it and the shopkeeper said that a local ad been buying a box every few years for deer season, and now the store was down to his last box. I don't know how long those old rounds were on the shelf, but somebody was slowly-very slowly buying them up and using them--again, very slowly it seems. The storekeeper said he wasn't going to stock any more in that caliber. Think about it, though--what's to go bad? The primers are tight, and at the other end of the case the bullet (or boolet) is tight--nothing like air or moisture should hopefully get into the powder. Why would it go bad?

[MtGun44]

Actually, WW 2 .30-06 ammo was loaded with IMR4895. IMR3031 was developed for and
used in, the .303 British round (check out the number designation, 303#1 powder).

I read the same thing in that book, and wondered if it were aging of the boolits (harder may
not work as well as they aged) or lubricant breakdown and damaging powder. IMR 3031 does
not change in any other ammo with that short a time, so it can't be just the powder, it must
be something else altogether or something else affecting the powder.

Bill