Thread: Powder Use By Date?

Originally Posted by wanneroo

There was a story I read recently about a guy that bought a huge lot of surplus 4895 around the Korean War in several big tins. He used it over the decades, shot in a lot of competitions and was finally about to finish up the last bit of it 70 years later.

Most powder will last decades if stored well in a dry and cool environment.

Greetings Wanneroo,
In the post war years .30-06 war surplus cartridges were broken down and the powder and brass salvaged by NZ hunters. The powder was mostly 4895. I was given a tin of it in the early eighties by the son of one of those hunters. Being young, broke and stupid I used it in reduced loads in my .308 using some of the pulled M2 projectiles. All went well. Would I do it again now? Hell no.
Regards Grandpamac.