Ammo question

[HANDLOADER]

I am not a old timmer by any means but I am 45 years old and I have used all types of brands of ammo on the market. And today I was shooting some high brass 12 gauge #6 remingtons and they just didn't seem as powerful. So I grabbed one of my reloads and fired them. They were full charge and they hit the steel plates hard. I then got to thinking "I WONDER WHAT AMMO MADE ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO WOULD DO". So I called my dad and asked if he had any old 12 gauge factory loads in his arsenal. He's been collecting ammo sine the mid 60's. So I drive 450 miles and pick up the box of shells and came back. And the next day I shot 10 of the 30 year old 12 gauge winchesters and they hit even harder than the factorys or my handloads. So my question is have the ammo over the years become downloaded.

Thanks

GOD BLESS US ALL
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
Handloader

 

[CoRoMo]

I wouldn't be surprised.

I'm curious as to whether or not any, even one, of those 30+ year old shot shells didn't fire.

 

[HANDLOADER]

All the shell I used went off the try no problems at all. In fact now I must tell on of those stories that just brings tears to your eyes. When I was a little boy about 11 years old my grandfather brought out his fathers single barrel 16 gauge shot gun. The gun at the time was about 40 years old and showed it to me. And as all little boys do they look up to their grandpas and want to do what they do I asked can I shoot it. He said I don't know it might knock you down and I said PLEASE. So he finaly said yes the shells we used at that time were shells his father had bought for the gun about 30 years before his death. He died at 85 and the gun went to my grand father who had it for anothe 10 years before it was even shot again. I was the first to shoot the gun. So that made the shells about 40 years old but they were stored right which is the key to this. So that is my storie of the day thanks

 

[Rampant_Colt]

they're weak because the old powder has degraded

shotshells [especially older ones] aren't very well protected from heat, light, moisture, etc... Paper-hull shotshells are especially vunerable to the elements

I've fired an entire 900rd spam can of 1942 G.I. .45acp ball without a single hiccup.

Right now, i'm currently shooting 1955-era 196gr 8mm Yugo ball.. A few misfires, but i still haven't shot the entire 1080rd case up. Usually a second squeeze of the trigger will do the trick.

As long as the ammo in question was properly stored, it should last for over a hundred years. Corrosive primers are arguably better for long-term ammo storage.

 

[tango2echo]

Not to derail...but I recently shot a box of Emperess 20ga paper hulls that were sold in 1957. All functioned perfectly. (Don't ask "why" we shot them.)

 

[PA4476]

Rampant_Colt ..... he is saying the old shells are HOTTER than new shells. Not weaker as would go along with your theory of the powder being old.

 

[f4t9r]

You drove 450 miles just to get a box of shells. You really wanted to prove something. Glad you had a safe trip.

 

[huntsman]

shotshells [especially older ones] aren't very well protected from heat, light, moisture, etc... Paper-hull shotshells are especially vunerable to the elements

Paper hulls hold up nicely if not exposed to real damp conditions.

30 year shotshells aren't old that's only the 70's and I’ve noticed no difference in how they shoot.

I've shot late 40's shotshells with no real difference except I swear the old paper shells smell better when fired.

 

[rcmodel]

So my question is have the ammo over the years become downloaded.

It seems unlikely, or all those old semi-autos wouldn't still work perfectly with 2009 ammo!

Shotgun shells have always been loaded to different velocity or power levels though.

The only way you can compare old shells to new ones is if they are exactly the same load. (Dram Eqv. & shot charge weight)

rc