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Question on powder shelf life...

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Urban_Hunter

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Recently acquired some old powder:

Some aa2015br dated Nov. 2000

Vihtavuori n-140 dated 2002

H4895 dated 2008

Federal primers: all dated 2000-2002
215
210
Gold Match 205m

Cci 450m primers 2004

All still factory sealed. Opinions?



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Go outside with one can of powder and open it. It should smell like gunpowder. If the smell hurts your nose, immediately spread the gunpowder on the yard. Repeat until you have sniffed each container.

The primers are definitely bad, positively. Hold on to them in cool dry place until I come by to take them away for proper disposal. Okay, they are most likely good. You will know, prime some empty brass and squeeze the trigger. Nice health muzzle blast, nice noise.

The 215's could be worth around 8 cents each. You are more likely to find a T-Rex than 215s for retail sale. If they were 215M you can think 12 to 15 cents each.
 
DaveB":2omyliyl said:
The 215's could be worth around 8 cents each. You are more likely to find a T-Rex than 215s for retail sale. If they were 215M you can think 12 to 15 cents each.
Click to expand...

Sweet! They are 215M. That's pretty steep, looking to buy? [emoji6]


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Sorry U_H, I have about 400 215M left. While that is a pretty small number I am holding out for the impossible: Retail availability and pre-Sandy Hook pricing.

However, depending upon how many you have and your own needs you may want to take a look at Gunbroker. The problem is shipping. I do not know how to do HazMat packaging or any other requirements.

Winchester, Remington, and S&B magnum large rifle primers are available and I think many hand loaders have made the shift. Just for the record, what county you in?
 
The Federal 215 primer was invented to ignite the 300 Weatherby Magnum, or at least that is how the story goes.

The 215M is the higher quality 215 and is all I use in my 300 Win Mag. It might be just Madison Ave sucking me in but I have never had a 215M fail to fire.

I would recommend it for use in any Magnum.

Lots of folks recommend using Magnum primers any time you have a powder load greater than 60 grains. I have not seen the Federal 215 or 215M primers for sale in 3 years.
 
I bought a 1000 Federal 215M primers back in 1987 when I got my Weatherby 460 rifle. They still shoot perfectly today. Shelf life on primers is about as long as you want to keep them from my observations. These were stored in a garage for about the 1st 20 years too. They are stored in a temperature controlled room now though.

As far as when a Fed 215M is needed, I've read the same thing DaveB mentioned above about that primer being created for the big Weatherby's. Since the lightest powder charge I use for the 460 is 118 grains, I figure that it justifies such a primer if anything does. I got lucky a couple of years ago at the peak of the shortage when a friend called me and said he was in some gunshop down around Birmingham and they had some 215M's for $45/1000. I had him grab me some. You don't need all that many for a 460 as you won't be shooting much after the initial "I wonder how much of this it will shoot through?" wears off, but I've been using the 215's also in my 257 Weatherby for the past 5 years so do need a lot more of them than before. I would say that the 215 is certainly a good match for the 338 Lapua with it's big powder capacity! You don't want hang-fires in rifles such as that. :)
 
Check Sportsman Warehouse for 215M's. About 6 months ago I picked up a few thousand at a store in Colorado. If they had them it means they are in their supply chain.
If you absolutely must have some and can't find any I will depart with some for what they cost.
 
An excellent tip SnowWolfe, thanks for the heads up.

I checked Sportsmans Warehouse in Southaven Mississippi and I can order and pay for Powder and Primers on a ship to store basis (no charge) and when I pick them up no Hazmat.

Now, they are not as inexpensive as Midsouth but they are better than BassPro and I can see some value. They also have Hornady brass in a lot of calibers but not 7mm08.

If I wanted more than 5 pounds of powder then Midsouth's lower price wins even with the HazMat charges.

The web site is out of 215's and 215M primers. I have them bookmarked and they will now get checked at least twice a day.
 

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