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If relatively cool and dry, shelf life is many, many years. I have a fair amount of military ammunition from World War 2 and it still works - and civilian ammunition from the mid-1960s that also works fine.
Having said that, my ammunition for possible defensive use gets cycled through every couple years at most.
I'll use it at the range or just feel like shooting some of it (usually my practice ammo is FMJ stuff but still want to be sure my gun will run on my CCW ammo). There's no logical reason why I do this, as I know the ammo would last significantly longer than two years, but it makes me feel better.
If I happened to run onto a 5 year supply of my CCW ammo at a cheap price --- I'd sure buy it and not worry about shelf life.
Edited since RR has an EXTREMELY important point, I think. The ammo that's cycled in your firearm has a shelf life of about nothing. It really needs used up. Banged up extractor grooves and bullets moving back in the case are just bad. My comments on "shelf life" had to do with ammo in boxes not disturbed.
Having said that, my ammunition for possible defensive use gets cycled through every couple years at most.
I'll use it at the range or just feel like shooting some of it (usually my practice ammo is FMJ stuff but still want to be sure my gun will run on my CCW ammo). There's no logical reason why I do this, as I know the ammo would last significantly longer than two years, but it makes me feel better.
If I happened to run onto a 5 year supply of my CCW ammo at a cheap price --- I'd sure buy it and not worry about shelf life.
Edited since RR has an EXTREMELY important point, I think. The ammo that's cycled in your firearm has a shelf life of about nothing. It really needs used up. Banged up extractor grooves and bullets moving back in the case are just bad. My comments on "shelf life" had to do with ammo in boxes not disturbed.
