storage gremlins?

[nekshot]

Ok man up, I found out I am not the only guy that has had good loads in storage only to shoot them a year or more later and go from the tight deer load to turkey patterns! What gives with the storage issue and cast. And don't say I am a shtupid shmuck on this (as I thought I was) because I have heard others having the same issue. Lets have it !

[Bullshop Junior]

I admire you. I have never been able to let ammo sit for more then about 4 days...

[Jack Stanley]

I would suspect it has something to do with a age hardening or softening depending on the alloy .

Jack

[Bullshop Junior]

I'd say it has something more to do with the lube. How hot does it get in your storage area?

[nekshot]

I use only Bens Red so if that is the problem great than its all Bens fault!! No I dont doubt the lube. It is in a closet with controlled temp so no wild swings from temp.

[CWME]

I would wager a guess that if you haven't shot in a year or more then you are out of practice[smilie=1:

[nekshot]

I would wager a guess that if you haven't shot in a year or more then you are out of practice[smilie=1:

alright alright I am the shtupid shmuck after all, but I do have some buddies this time around because I heard others make mention of this. I love company, but a crowd would be better!

[osteodoc08]

Dont feel bad. I can get awesome groups one day and scattergun the next. Same load, same gun, near same conditions. Somedays all the stars align, somedays not so much. I say load more and keep shooting. Nothing to be ashamed of.

[runfiverun]

brass will harden over time on it's own.
I don't know about over a years time, but over 10 years it will.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

brass will harden over time on it's own.
I don't know about over a years time, but over 10 years it will.
so will aluminum and faster than brass
your problem my be too much neck tension and a
"slow swaging" of boolit diameter- being reduced too small
and yeah, who lets loaded ammo sit for a year? ;)

[Crash_Corrigan]

In the past I was not especially careful about labeling my reloads. Ergo I have hundreds of mystery rounds about which I have zero information. Some date back to the early '90's and quite a few of those may have no powder in the cases. I will endeavor to burn these off and keep a range rod and hammer close at hand to punch out the slugs from the barrel of my weapons.

For the last few years I have been very careful to keep better records in my reloading log and I am careful to keep my rounds in containers which indicate all pertinent loading information. It really sucks to have developed a very accurate round over a period of time and then due to poor record keeping not be able to duplicate it when required.

[L Erie Caster]

In the past I was not especially careful about labeling my reloads. Ergo I have hundreds of mystery rounds about which I have zero information.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
I have 700 rounds 357Mag, loaded in the early 90s, with different powders and charges. All mixed together. At least they all have powder of some kind and charge. Although shooting them is sometimes a surprise. A flame thrower, then a mouse fart, then ?.

[dverna]

I learned my lesson with the lowly .38 spl. Lube can affect powder burn rate over time.

I would not store lubed cast bullet ammunition for the long term. I would never use lubed cast bullets in a self defense gun that will see high temperatures (ammo stored in a mag in the car). I see this one of the significant advantages of coated bullets.

I have stored pistol ammo for years and it worked OK but all of it was the commercial "hard lube". 50/50 has given me issues.

Don Verna

[BattleRife]

brass will harden over time on it's own.

70/30 Brass? I would like to see some technical reference that makes mention of this, please.

I have had a problem with jacketed 5.56mm loads. Rounds loaded in the summer and shot shortly thereafter had normal brass attrition rates, while those loaded in the fall, stored over winter and shot the next spring had 50% or higher loss due to split case necks.

I did some metallography on several sample cases and the results indicated stress-corrosion cracking extended from the inside surface of the necks to about half way through the neck wall, then stopped. When the case was fired, the remainder of the wall ruptured in a ductile fashion. I am hoping that more diligent annealing of the cases will eliminate the SCC issue.

[CGT80]

I shot some 44 mag reloads my grandfather made 10+ years prior to being used. A number of the cases split. They were loaded with jwords and I figured out that he used a max charge of Red Dot for those. I figure old, loaded, brass and a load that was too hot for range and plinking shooting was not a good combo. If a little powder is good, more is better :groner: I load on the light side and work up to what gives good accuracy and performance.

I only load up enough ammo to last between a few months and a year. I have a handful of loads I use all the time, so they get made in big quantities. Much of my other ammo is small runs here and there in an attempt to find the ideal load for low cost and performance for the type of shooting I will use a particular firearm for. I use progressive presses, so it isn't hard to stock components and just load when I run low. I don't like to be stuck with gobs of ammo that I may change my mind on. It also keeps the odds of the storage gremlins attacking to a minimum.

[freebullet]

My wife shoots all mine well before I would need to worry about it. I do have some tumble lubed left from last summer but they were for volume plinkin never tested for groups.

My guess would be the lube changed and boolits age hardened.

I normally have to hide any ammo I don't want shot up.