Desiccant or not in storing reloads?

[rabid wombat]

Do you store your bulk reloads with a desiccant?

 

[BOISE BADWOLF]

Every ammo can I have has one or 2 or 3 in it. My gun cases have them in with my rifles. My pistol box that holds 3 .44 cal revolvers has a large one that came with my new couch haha. Could never hurt, and in fact keeping any extra moisture away from ammo is definitely a good thing.

 

[cfullgraf]

For my ammunition I do not include dessicant in the storage cans. The ammunition is stored in a climate controlled area.

I do have dryers in the gun safe.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I do not. All reloads are stored in ammo cans with good seals.

 

[entropy]

Mine are too. I still put the little dessicant packets in with them. I can get them by the dozens at work.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I do not. All reloads are stored in ammo cans with good seals.

Home Depot makes good buckets with seal

 

[Thomasss]

I got a damp basement and never used the stuff and never had a problem. I've dropped cartridges in the snow and have been rained upon and they all shoot fine. But if it makes you feel warm and cozy......
I

 

[Atavar]

Ammo is sealed. No need unless your storing it for centuries and desiccant doesn’t last that long.
If you use desiccant what is your replacement schedule?

 

[AK Hunter]

Store it properly & it's not needed but it wouldn't hurt, for just in case.

 

[LiveLife]

Do you store your bulk reloads with a desiccant?

I live at the coast with 80" to 100" inches of annual rainfall and humidity runs 80%-100% during rainy season and 40%-60% rest of the year.

My bulk reloads are stored in plastic ammo cans with rubber seals and I do not have issues. (Keep in mind that primers come with moisture sealing disks/sealant from factory)

For long-term storage, I vacuum seal 100 rounds in "battle pack" plastic bags with easy open "V" cut notches on heat seams inside 5 gallon plastic buckets with seals on lids. If you are really concerned about moisture/corrosion during long-term storage, toss some dry rice before sealing the plastic bags.

FYI, dry tumbling brass with media treated with NuFinish will leave residual polymer on brass surface and prevent tarnishing/corrosion on brass for a LONG TIME (Years if vacuum packed).

 

[Pat Riot]

My ammo is stored indoors so I do not use desiccant. When I lived in Oregon I put my ammo in a gun cabinet and I had a Golden Rod in there, but I really don’t know if that helped. I am sure it didn’t hurt but I have never had a problem with moisture and ammo. Guns are a different story.

 

[lightman]

Most of my ammo is in ammo cans stored in a controlled environment. So I don't feel the need for desiccant but it can't hurt if you feel the need.

 

[FROGO207]

I store my ammo in appropriately sized ZipLoc freezer bags with most of the air removed when sealed. Those are put in USGI ammo cans with intact seal. In 30+ years never had a problem with ammo or moisture. If using desiccant packs makes you more confident of keeping good ammo then surely do it. I wish to spend my $$$ on other things.

 

[Charlie98]

Not my ammo. I have most of my reloads just in 50rd plastic boxes under the bench, but much of my bulk rifle ammo (factory ammo) is in .30 or .50cal ammo cans... never had a problem. I do have a desiccant pack, the size of a box of shotgun shells, in the safe. I have to throw it in the oven about every 6 months to recharge it... so that tells me moisture might be an issue there if it wasn't addressed.

I live in north Texas which can be humid during the summer, but is otherwise quite temperate.

 

[armydog]

I figure it can't hurt to use it. Especially traveling around a lot in an RV in the southeast. I use ziplocs, desiccant packs and coolers in the bay of the RV. Over 15 years and no problems with any ammo. I use the same method for primers too.

 

[eyeshot]

I live in southern AZ. Weather is hard on the body but great for ammo and gun storage.

 

[doubleh]

I don't use desiccant for anything. My area isn't quite as hard on my body as eyeshot's but it can be pretty tough. I could leave my ammo lying loose on a table as long as it is inside without any problem. We do get an infrequent shower sometimes.

 

[Akula69]

I store my reloads and my unloaded cases in cans with seals, and use desiccant bags as well (3-6 per 40 lb can). Like Entropy, I was able to get them at work by the hundreds...a little time in the microwave and then seal them in a vacuum bag until I need them. After use...a little time in the microwave...you get the idea.

 

[BOISE BADWOLF]

Its one of those things, cant hurt but ok otherwise. Good if ya do, just fine if ya dont.

 

[WestKentucky]

Home Depot makes good buckets with seal

New unused paint cans works even better.

 

[entropy]

Ammo is sealed. No need unless your storing it for centuries and desiccant doesn’t last that long.
If you use desiccant what is your replacement schedule?

When I remember.
I did have a flooded basement one year; I doubt the desiccant paks were needed in the ammo cans, but I would like to have had another big one (8" x3" cylinder) in my safe. No rust, but I had to wipes down the stocks.

 

[Lo-Profile]

I have a couple small packs in each of my Ammo cans. It can only help, not gonna hurt

 

[Atavar]

You know that if you take a large desiccant bag and hang it over a bucket when it saturates it will drip water in the bucket.
They are not magic things that make water disappear. The need to be replaced and/or refreshed.

 

[Bcwitt]

It's hard to see how it would hurt. Why wouldn't you? Especially if you store in a place not heated.

 

[Atavar]

Just place the desiccant in an open container capable of containing water equal to the volume of the desiccant with the open side up in respect to gravity.