Does smokeless powder degrade or change or time?

[AbitNutz]

I have some smokeless powder that must be 30 years old. It is closed up tight but not sealed as new. Is it any good or does it degrade/change over time? I'd hesitant to get rid of it because most of the cans are full and almost impossible to gt obtain today. Should I get rid of it?

 

[Walkalong]

If it looks good, no reddish dust, & smells good, it's fine.

Yes, powder degrades over time. Temperature affects how fast, the cooler the better. The drier the better too, but high temps really hurt.

I had an 8 pounder go bad in less than 20 years, but some 50 year old powder works fine. Some 100 year old surplus ammo fires fine, some has degraded. I have some surplus .308 I need to pull down because the powder is going bad, and some that still shoots very well.

What does it look/smell like?

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=778043

 

[Berserker]

I got some 40 year old bullseye, that has been stored in barn. People said to load it. But for me it wasn't forth saving $20, for the work put into loading.

If I had a ton of it, the cost might change my mind.

 

[Lethal rx7]

I loaded some 41 year old bullseye with no problems at all. It was stored correctly, but not sealed as new.

 

[TimSr]

These got me through the shortage. Some I'm still loading from!

 

[bobinoregon]

I've got a 12lb cardboard keg of 231 that is around 30 years old. I loaded a bunch of .45 acp with that and some new 231, and they both shot the same speeds for the same loads over my chronograph. Got an old metal drum of 700X that still works great too.

 

[Walkalong]

My first 700X was in a paper bag, leftover from an older gents shotgun reloading stash. My second was in the 5 Lb metal can.

I am almost out of the 231 I bought "on sale" in 3 Lb metal cans for about $12 (IIRC) each. I have had a new 1 Lb plastic bottle of W231 for some time, but haven't fooled with it yet. Soon.

 

[Seabeeken]

If the powder is clumped together it is bad also

 

[AbitNutz]

None of it clumps together or looks weird. It looks like normal powder. I just happen to know it's old.

 

[oneounceload]

So load a few rounds and try it