Store ammo bullet up or down?

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OptimusPrime

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Hi, forgive the stupid question from a newbie on ammo storage, I searched but couldn't find the question asked anywhere else.

Would you recommend that long-term ammo be stored on its nose, or bullet up, or sideways, or doesn't it matter?

I'm talking about 5 years or so, factory loaded pistol ammo, in small boxes, inside an ammo can. I ask because an ammo can may be loaded many different orientations and then the ammo can may also be laid down in many ways.
What does the group suggest is best?

Thanks.
 
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I think it would depend on the type of bullets. If there is something special about the tip (like a Hornady lever revolution), then I would say tip up, but other then that I would say tip down. It probably does not matter, just make sure the can is air-tight, and dry inside.
 
Well, I guess a guy could look at how factory loads are packaged. Typically they are tip end up. That's how I store all my reloads. Hate to see my SPBTs flattened out.
 
Factory packing for 1000 rds bulk of .223 Federal and 9mm UMC are just piled into a bag inside the box.
Random orientation, seems to be acceptable.
 
for precision rifle rounds, I store tip up, to protect the Meplat.

for pistol rounds, tip down, as they are easier to get out of the box that way.
 
Both ways, doesn't matter to me.
Whichever way the plastic box holds the ammo the best yet is the easiest to remove said ammo from said box.
 
rotate them so they dont go flat. every month turn the boxes 90 degress.




















now can we talk about Hockey?
 
I've more important things to worry about. Up, down, sideways it doesn't matter.
 
Mine are stored every which way, based mostly on how the containers fit in the places I have them stored. Makes no difference.
 
Crap. I never knew it mattered. My milsurp ammo and bullseye 45 ammo are just thrown loose in ammo cans. Some of it has been in there 30 years or more......chris3
 
I've shot .45ACP GI ball that was older than me (I was 33 at the time) and it functioned flawlessly. That stuff must have been stored in all sorts of positions and environments before it got to me, and it lasted nearly four decades.
This is far from remarkable, there are plenty of accounts of people shooting much older ammo than that without a hitch.

I recently tried to remove a bullet from a round of 7.62x54R. I just bought a Mosin Nagant, and I didn't have any dummy rounds to do a function check.
I decided to pull a bullet, dump the powder, safely pop the primer, and then put the bullet back in to make a dummy round.
I was astonished to discover that I couldn't pull the bullet with padded pliers, so I decided that the bullet was a lost cause and I'd just dig in with regular unpadded pilers.
I couldn't get that bullet out, and the only damage was a few light scratches on the bullet.
Now, I was careful not to wiggle the bullet from side to side for fear of distorting the case neck, so I probably could have got it out if I wasn't being so careful not to damage the case, but my point is that ammo is surprisingly durable stuff.
 
I've shot .45ACP GI ball that was older than me (I was 33 at the time) and it functioned flawlessly. That stuff must have been stored in all sorts of positions and environments before it got to me, and it lasted nearly four decades.
This is far from remarkable, there are plenty of accounts of people shooting much older ammo than that without a hitch.

I recently tried to remove a bullet from a round of 7.62x54R. I just bought a Mosin Nagant, and I didn't have any dummy rounds to do a function check.
I decided to pull a bullet, dump the powder, safely pop the primer, and then put the bullet back in to make a dummy round.
I was astonished to discover that I couldn't pull the bullet with padded pliers, so I decided that the bullet was a lost cause and I'd just dig in with regular unpadded pilers.
I couldn't get that bullet out, and the only damage was a few light scratches on the bullet.
Now, I was careful not to wiggle the bullet from side to side for fear of distorting the case neck, so I probably could have got it out if I wasn't being so careful not to damage the case, but my point is that ammo is surprisingly durable stuff.
Sorta related, I made a necklace out if a bullet from a7.62x54r cartridge.

I recovered the bullet from a piece if wood and put it back in the casing as a dummy round, but due to case expansion, it didn't fit very well, which is why I made the necklace.
 
Pistol rounds, bullet down. Rifle rounds, bullet up.

Unless i am re-using factory ammo boxes, then whichever.
 
Oh, the humorous responses here! "I like to store it letters up."

What a laugh! Trent, you just made my day!

:):)


Seriously, I think the only time it might make a difference would be rounds you specifically load for high-precision, competition shooting. I've had many a discussion with people into competition shooting and EVERYTHING is important to them when it comes to obtaining the kinds of accuracy they go for. The reason they would care about ammunition orientation would have to do with protecting their ammunition from any kind of physical damage...not because of anything having to do with the chemistry of it's operation.

For everybody else...store it any way you see fit based on your own needs or desires. Store it loose in ammo cans, store it neatly stacked in boxes all orientated the samy way because you're OCD, store it bullet down or bullet up in the boxes because that's how you like to pull them out when loading your guns.

Whatever floats your boat.

Ammunition ships with the bullets orientated in many different ways. For example, .22 WMR may be packed in small boxes with half the rounds pointed up and half down. They may come in plastic boxes with all bullets loaded pointed down in the plastic holder. .22 Shotshells come in packs with the bullets orientated on their sides. You can buy milkcartons of .22lr with 550 loose rounds in the box.
 
I store handloads and the like tip up. Not for any particular reason besides knowing what bullet I used (RN, FTX etc) and the caliber. Otherwise I keep ammo in factory boxes in the best space saving way possible.
 
Oh, the humorous responses here! "I like to store it letters up."

What a laugh! Trent, you just made my day!

I figured I'd cause 2 reactions. One, people might laugh. Two, people might railroad me for being a hoarder. To be fair, those pics were taken back in Nov 2008 when I was an FFL. I couldn't sell ammo to save my backside for a year and suddenly Obama got elected, and people couldn't pay me enough for what I had. Those were pics I took when auctioning cases off on Gunbroker.

My ammo collection is still impressive, don't get me wrong, but I don't have semi's drop off my ammo orders anymore, nor do I keep 250+ thousand rounds like when I had my shop. :)

Seriously, I think the only time it might make a difference would be rounds you specifically load for high-precision, competition shooting. I've had many a discussion with people into competition shooting and EVERYTHING is important to them when it comes to obtaining the kinds of accuracy they go for. The reason they would care about ammunition orientation would have to do with protecting their ammunition from any kind of physical damage...not because of anything having to do with the chemistry of it's operation.

If you told a group of competitive rifle shooters that if they didn't shower for a week before a shoot they'd shave .01 MOA off their group, you'd have a lot of stinky riflemen.

Even in this enlightened day and age, riflemen continue to be a REALLY superstitious bunch and believe in all sorts of odd things in the name of precision, none of which really amount to a hill of beans.
 
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