Thread: Old Handloads

Greetings All,
The weather has been absolute cap here for the last two days and tomorrows forecast is no better so I got around to something that had been dodged for some time. Sorting out my handload cupboard. The calibre I have been loading for for a very long time is my .308 bought new in the late 1970's. It was my only, later main, hunting rifle for at least two decades. A work through the handloads revealed a rather large number (considering my age and limited future needs) of full power hunting loads. My eye fell on a batch loaded in 2004 in CAC cases. These were the last leftovers of my go to hunting loads. Half the loads in the box had CAC cases and the other half Norma. Each time one brand were all empty they got loaded again which let me keep up with the load count. These had been loaded 6 times over about 30 years and never annealed. So lets pull then to bits and recycle the components Easier said than done.
The first case was hard to pull and half the neck came away with the projectile. The next one had a cracked neck and the projectile came out with ease. Seating the pill just a little more does make them easier to pull but still too much from my hammer type puller so pliers were used. The powder, Dupont IMR4604, for all poured out easily in spite of it being a compressed load and the primers pressed out easily as well.
At the end of the process of 23 rounds I had 20 projectiles that could be reloaded plus 3 with the case necks stuck round their middle. Primers and powder will be reused and the cases recycled.
What would have happened if I had just fired these rounds. Honestly I don't know and am not about to find out either. I have good records so I knew what was in the loads.
It is worth considering how much we should load at each sitting so we don't get left with too many old loads like these.
Regards Grandpamac.