Pyrodex Select shelf life

[redcarpet]

I have a partial can of Pyrodex Select I have had for 20+ years. It has maybe a dozen or 20 shots from it and was put up. Always been in a climate controlled home with temps in the 65-70° range.

I know it's more of a shoot it and see type scenario but wondering if the general consensus is it should be fine?

 

[TDM]

I have heard on the forum that Pyrodex does not store like black powder. Especially if it's been opened. I probably have 3 or 4 unopened containers of Pyrodex that are 40 years old. But don't plan to use it. I'm sure someone will let you know from their experience.

 

[LME]

I have a partial can of Pyrodex Select I have had for 20+ years. It has maybe a dozen or 20 shots from it and was put up. Always been in a climate controlled home with temps in the 65-70° range.

I know it's more of a shoot it and see type scenario but wondering if the general consensus is it should be fine?

I used some a year ago that I got in 1985. Was shooting very well and accurate.

 

[deermanok]

Shoot it and see. Probably fine.

 

[necchi]

Oh it'll shoot, aka: go bang
But expect a significant power decrease with those shot's, along with a basic loss of reliability.
I mean, trying to get the stuff to respond like it did within charge variables won't really work.
But it'll still be fun to load and shoot at pop cans.

You didn't do anything wrong with storage, it's just that some of the components used to make the stuff degrade with time.
If you had said you kept in in the outside shed,, I'd suggest you use it to fertilize the flower garden.

 

[Flintlock]

Once the can is open you have roughly 20 minutes to use it up before it turns into another poor substitute for the real thing. lol

 

[TDM]

Once the can is open you have roughly 20 minutes to use it up before it turns into another poor substitute for the real thing. lol

You have to open the can first?

 

[kyron4]

Check the "use by" date on the bottom of the can

 

[dragnetbill]

I have had several bottles of Pyrodex over the years that have been opened, used and then stored for long periods of time. I will occasionally shoot some and have never had any that I thought had gone bad. I no longer use it for hunting; just plinking.
I did once hear an odd report from a shot down the line at the range. The shooter hadn't had his rifle out in decades; his Pyrodex was found to be about half brownish kernals. It was obvious when I looked at it that it wasn't in the same condition as originally packaged. Sorry to say that I don't know what his storage conditions were.

 

[redcarpet]

Once the can is open you have roughly 20 minutes to use it up before it turns into another poor substitute for the real thing. lol

Never was much of a substitute anyway.

 

[Urban Coyote]

A Walmart closeout sale years ago left me with three pounds of RS, I got it for like $5/lb. A testimonial to my feelings about the stuff is every jug has a sticker label on the lid celebrating Hodgdon's 50th anniversary. This being said I started getting nervous about the blackpowder shortage so I opened a jug a couple months ago and shot some, seemed to work fine. Thankfully I was able to resolve my blackpowder shortage, for now. Maybe I'll shoot some more of the stuff in another 20 years.

 

[CVA Enthusiast]

Man I have several containers opened the last few years, and just got back from the range slinging .440 round ball in a Kentucky percussion with my oldest open, bout 5-6 years now. No issues. Now I have read some horror stories about storage I drop the silica packs into mine. Still open 5-6 years stored in doors not an issue.

 

[azmntman]

This can is WAYYY old, $9.95 a pound old. Works just fine. 3 weeks ago shot it in new .36 peitta and no issues, used Goex 3f last Sunday, same exact POI so I guess I am in the its good to go crowd. Let us know. Cant be fence sitter, hate it or use it. As for loss of power I have never noticed it. Dont have a chronograph tho.

 

[SwampBilly]

I have had a can for about 8 years and it has been open that long. Always stored inside of the house. I went to hear some the other day and there was a little bit of clumping inside of the bottle.

I just shook the bottle and it broke right up and it seemed to shoot fine to me but I did not have a chronograph. But it didn't seem weak

 

[LME]

I have had a can for about 8 years and it has been open that long. Always stored inside of the house. I went to hear some the other day and there was a little bit of clumping inside of the bottle.

I just shook the bottle and it broke right up and it seemed to shoot fine to me but I did not have a chronograph. But it didn't seem weak

I used some that was very old and it shot fine!

 

[SwampBilly]

I used some that was very old and it shot fine!

I think the most important thing is storing it in a cool dry place. I'm sure even more important than temperature is keeping humidity away from it.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I've got a partial can that's gotta be 25 years old. My son borrowed my TC Renegade a few years ago to hunt in a special regs county. We took it to the range, and used the pyrodex in it since this gun is a percussion. He said it shot fine.