A friend that used to shoot a lot said he has 3,000 AA wads I can have for next to nothing. They are close to 10 years old. Will they still load OK?
They dry out when exposed to light faster than when kept in the dark. If they are brittle you can have some serious problems. A good thing about the Win boxes is they keep out the light but no plastic bags they dry in the air.
Warning: Do not use old plastic wads of any kind. 10 years is way to old! At that age they have to be brittle.
Thanks for replies. I checked the flexibility of the wads. The petals cracked. Yikes. I could have used the free wads. In the dumpster now.
I dont see why you would be saving wads over 10 years just to shoot this year. To all reading this post>>>>>Do not use old wads! In my opinion the above poster is a troll that could care less about your safety.
When I buy wads I buy them by the case. Lots of cases. Just like primers and shot. Lots of primers and shot.
I would have loved to see some pictures of his AA wads with the petals broken off. But that didn`t happen did it. Here are some AA wads that are at least 20 years old. Soft and supple like the day they were made. And they still shoot great. And a Troll you say ? No but i`m sure there are a few that would put you in that catagory.
Smokin- I did not pick a fight with you. I only asked for advice. The wads were old and much drier. Some petals cracked. Sorry that offends you. Maybe you have a better day tomorrow.
Tom, you posted the pics of the wads so show how soft and supple they are. Despite being a decade old. Tuff to tell how supple they are from the pictures isn't it?
Sheesh Smokintom. That attitude and answer is good for you but when I checked those old wads and report a thanks and that they were cracking when I bent the petals that isn't good enough for you. Sorry I asked. Sorry you are having another bad day.
Years ago when I was flying model planes in combat competition there were two classes that required nylon or other plastic propellers, We had to boil them for 10 minutes to make sure they had not dried out too much and become brittle. You may want to try this, it may reinsert the moisture that will make them flexible again, cheap fix if it works.
I had 8 boxes that were given to me. I don't know where the guy kept them but they were all junk. Just a little pressure and the pedals would break off. They LOOKED just like the ones in the pic above.
Several years ago my son brought me 4 boxes of the AA wads as pictured. He obtained them from a neighbor that had not shot or loaded in years..... He told my son they were "8 or 9 years old". One box was obviously stored in the open, box soiled with a few stains, wads had slightly changed color. They were very brittle. The other boxes were clean, the wads were white and flexible and worked well. Obviously storage, climate, temperature and humidity will play a part in the useful life of a wad. I have part of a case of Green Dusters that are 6 years old, I only shoot 1 oz once in a while. I just checked them. They are fine and I suspect they will last till they are loaded and shot. The storage is dry, dark and temp is about 60°F.......... Larry
I got wads that make those look young. I have some hornady red versalite and blue veralite. these were made before downrange inc.
Ten years in my barn where the temperature can be from -15 to 100 will dry the plastic out. Ten years in my warm and dry basement they look like they will last forever. I'm still shooting some Remington Blue tragic hulls and wads mainly to start a conversation at the club with people that don't know what they are. Jeff
I’ve got 2,000 PC Purple wads left over from a case that I got 15 years ago. I loaded some the other week and they shot great. They are soft and supple. When I had my shop people dropped off old stuff and most of the wads were trash. And no I’m not a Troll.
Looking at the picture of the AA wads, and the box they came in, are over 20 years old. Maybe 25 years old.
I was told by a wad vendor that the reason winchester puts them in a box is to keep them from the light. They stay fresh longer.
I bought a case of old style AA wads in boxes. They had been in storage in outside shed were temps varied wildly and 30% had tried out petals.
I just checked a couple of bags of AA wads that were at least 15 years old. No cracking. Very flexable.
Several years ago a friend gave me 6 boxes of the AA wads......boxes were dirty, had been stored in a harness room in a hay barn.... All were as new, loaded and shot fine. 6 months ago I was given some more of them in boxes...... petals were fine but when I went to loading the bottom of the shot cup disintegrated.... I suspect as with all old treasures some are treasures and some are just junk.... Not sure either is a reason to start fussing about it... The thing that is clear is that one should always take care in reloading............. Larry
I just got back into reloading a few months ago. I still had 1,500 Claybuster 1034-28 Winchester clones left over from 20+ years ago that I just couldn't bring myself to toss. I've been using them for my 28 gauge reloads and they are completely SUPPLE and shoot just fine! I still have 1,000 left and will continue to use them until they're gone! They had been stored in an old chest of drawers so they were not exposed to any light whatsoever, so I guess that helped a lot. Jeff
