Re-using Components

[Brian in Montana]

The situation is this: I have 15 rounds of .308 loaded with 165grn Nosler Accubonds / 42grns of H4895. I've since developed better loads using that bullet and powder. I loaded those 15 back in September and I'm just not interested in hunting with them. I'd like to just pull the bullets and dump the powder back into the container and use those components for other things. Is it ok to do that? I've loaded pulled bullets before and did fine; I'm more concerned about whether the powder has deteriorated or something over that time.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

I would just use them for some in the field practice. But yes, you could reuse those components and as far as the powder deteriorating in properly loaded ammo, maybe in 100 years.

 

[Brian in Montana]

Yeah, there's really nothing at all wrong with the ammo. I shot a nice mulie with it this fall at about 325yds. I just want to try something else. I'm actually leaning toward just ringing steel at the range with it, just sorta wondering mostly. Still not real experienced with handloading and don't want to do something stupid that I could have avoided by just asking.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

Sounds like a great and sensible approach to handloading to me.

 

[454]

I've done that several times over the years without any issue. As long as you're 100% sure what the powder is and where it's going back into I say go for it. I agree with Fair Chase, properly loaded and stored ammo or powder will last a very long time. I've got 15+pounds of Unique and 2400 my dad bought in the early 90's and passed onto me. I occasionally still use it and it hasn't failed me yet.

 

[rtraverdavis]

I had a great load developed for my 7mag using 140 Ballistic Tips. I figured since Accubonds are dimensionally the same as Ballistic Tips I could load 140 grain Accubonds using the same recipe and get the same accuracy results. Turned out that was way wrong. Rookie mistake. So I decided to pull about 40 of the 50 rounds I loaded and use the components to find a better load, which I eventually did reusing those same bullets, powder, and cases. Those components were way better spent on finding an accurate load than on field practicing with a load that wouldn’t group for squat.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Safe, but just go ring some steel like you were saying. The smile from a little range time is worth more than the 15 rounds.

 

[Bluejeep]

I wouldn't worry too much about 15 rounds. Use them for practice, to dirty your bore after a cleaning, checking a wind call, or when your friend who can't shoot worth a dang, wants to send some of your lead down range.

If it was 20 rounds or more, then I might tear them down. I have about 40 Sierra's the don't do so well for me, so they are my "can I try" rounds and also for seasoning my bore after a cleaning.

 

[cahunter805]

If you decide to pull them apart make sure to size the neck again. Pull the decapping pin from your die so the primer isn’t pushed out of the case.