black powder, particularly Tripel 7 pellets

[bgkyarcher]

I've always heard that the pellets, and black powder in general, lost its "umph" over time. Is this true? I had two tubes of 6 pellets left over from last year that had never been opened. I went out to get ready tonight, and found that both tubes had been punctured. Playing it safe, I went to Cabelas and thankfully, they had some. Anybody have any experience with proving/disproving this theory?

 

[Dark Cloud]

I always shot loose,we compared the sound of some pellets and some loose ,the loose was louder ,than the pellets,don’t know how old it was.

 

[bgkyarcher]

I always shot loose,we compared the sound of some pellets and some loose ,the loose was louder ,than the pellets,don’t know how old it was.

I've shot pellets for over 10 years. Just wondering if any truth to losing umph over time.

 

[riverboss]

My experience says bull crap!

 

[Dark Cloud]

I've shot pellets for over 10 years. Just wondering if any truth to losing umph over time.

I’d say as long as it stays dry ,it shouldn’t change,I’ve got reloading powder with a 9.95 price tag for a pound.

 

[Meatstick]

I’d say as long as it stays dry ,it shouldn’t change,I’ve got reloading powder with a 9.95 price tag for a pound.

Most of my reloads are loaded with IMR powder older than me

 

[bgkyarcher]

Thanks for the feedback. Guess I'll spend a little time on the range and find out for myself. I've got about 15 shots left in a 10+ year old box of Tripel 7 pellets. Shoot them versus new pellets and see how they compare.

 

[predator1]

Regular black powder can draw moisture bad and loose effectiveness. Never known of any issues with pyrodex powder losing effectiveness. I prefer white Hots.

 

[davers]

I've heard that Triple 7 (loose) has a shelf life of 2 years, but I have a container that's four years old and it's still good. Just need to store the powder (any) in a cool dry storage space.

 

[WaterDog88]

I’ve shot loose 777 that’s well over 5 or 6 years old with no issues. Just store in a cool dry place and make sure that lid is tight

 

[Little FR]

Keep powder in a low humidity environment. It will be fine.

 

[bdbrown66]

Regular black powder can draw moisture bad and loose effectiveness. Never known of any issues with pyrodex powder losing effectiveness. I prefer white Hots.

Actually, Pyrodex and the like are more prone to absorbing moisture than regular black powder, both before and after firing. I've opened cans of Pyro that have been on the shelf for a while and the powder has clumped. I've never, ever seen regular BP clump, even over many years of sitting on the shelf.

 

[Velvet ears]

I have pellets that are from the 90s. They still shoot just fine.

 

[xbokilla]

Been using the same container of Triple 7 for years. I’ll probably switch to pellets when I use it all but as long as it continues to work.