How long are shotgun shells good for?

Question

I have a pack of 12 shells from Federal with a 2001 date on them. Are they still safe to fire?

Thank You

Answer 1

this depends on how they are stored , if bad condition (like rain , direct sun light ) this may be a problem if shells are heavily rusted in the copper part . otherwise(good storage) no problem at all . i like to tell you sir that i have remainings of a 1983 maionchi shotshells of extremely perfect condition and no problems at all , so your shotshells are surely new (if no heavy rusting !) . hope you nice and safe game .

Answer 2

Sure they will be fine so long as they didn 't get wet or were stored some place where they were exposed to excessively high temperatures.

I've fired shotgun shells much older with no issues what so ever.

But make sure you are using the proper shotgun in good working order.

Good luck.

Answer 3

The shelf life of modern ammo is quite long as long as you keep it dry and free of corrosion.
I my self would not hesitate to use some that was 15 to 20 years old.
I would watch using some of the old military ammo from WWII for the technology in powder and primers was not that good and the powder seems to get much hotter, (like a magnum charge rather then normal charge)
But you do wont to look the ammo over for corrosion for I have seen some Federal Premium 270 go bad in 10 years of date of manufacture, the powder when ammo was tore down for inspection resembled a past for it had started to chemically decompose and they did fire according to my ex-father-in-law who sad the recoil was Violent compared to normal 270.
I had him trash all the ammo of that lot.

Answer 4

I have fired shells that were over 50 years old. Very few misfired. Maybe 2%.

Answer 5

So long as they haven't gotten wet, they're probably okay, I don't think ammunition deteriorates very quickly. But then it might be a good idea to consult someone who knows about firearms first, if you know anyone like that. Remember, your safety also depends on the type of gun you're using; it makes sense that some guns would be more likely to explode with bad ammunition than others.

Answer 6

your ammo is only 6 years old, it's absolutely safe to shoot. I've shot 40 year old 12 gauge paper shells will no trouble.

Answer 7

my dad had some 3" slugs from when he was like 19(he turned 50 a few days ago). i used them about a year ago when he gave them too me. as long as they are stored in a dry place, im sure they would last forever.

Answer 8

If they've been stored reasonably well, I'd say save paper hulls for sentiment's sake, and shoot anything with a plastic hull.