Is Old 30-30 Ammo Usable???

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

My dad left me his old Marlin 30-30 when he passed as well as 4 boxes of very old Remington 30-30 ammo. He probably bought the ammo in the 70s or 80s. Is this ammo safe to shoot or should I buy new ammo? I would love to hunt with this rifle next year.

[Bucknaked]

Has it been stored in a climate controlled atmosphere?

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Has it been stored in a climate controlled atmosphere?

Yes sir. Spent years in a closet and now it sits in my closet.

[tx_basser]

I have some from what long ago I shoot from time to time. As long as there is no corrosion on the brass I think it is fine.

[forced-2-work]

check the neck for cracking. My dad had some old Remington rounds that cracked in the neck over time. If they are not cracked and look good, I would say your fine.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

I am shocked they may be usable but it is great information. I wasn't sure if I would be able to shoot newer ammo in this rifle since it's so old.

[El Paisano]

If stored properly it should be good. I have ammo that I loaded in the 70's that I still use. I've got 30 carbine ammo from the early 50s (maybe even the 40s) that still shoots fine.

[El Paisano]

My oldest rifle that I shoot is almost 100 years old. No problems shooting new ammo. Most of what I have was made prior to 1970 or so.

[muzzlebrake]

Neither the gun nor ammo is safe to shoot. I'll give you $100 for all of it so you don't get injured in some way.

[softpoint]

check the neck for cracking. My dad had some old Remington rounds that cracked in the neck over time. If they are not cracked and look good, I would say your fine.

Even if the necks are cracked, it probably is still fine. I have some .308 match ammo I loaded about 25 years ago that most of the necks have a hairline crack in them that splits on firing. Still shoots under 1/2" in my heavy .308. I just hate having to throw all the brass away.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Neither the gun nor ammo is safe to shoot. I'll give you $100 for all of it so you don't get injured in some way.

It's worth way more than that and the gun has sentimental value. I will never sell or trade. Good try though.

[TacticalCowboy]

Send it. Worse case is a misfire or squib. You’ll know if either of those happen.

[60 Deluxe]

Just to set the record straight, the 70s and 80s were not all that long ago. Most of my ammo was loaded back then. I haven't had a misfire yet.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Just to set the record straight, the 70s and 80s were not all that long ago. Most of my ammo was loaded back then. I haven't had a misfire yet.

Thanks. I'll try it.

[Hotrodd]

You said it was stored in a closet, it will shoot just fine! It will also shoot new ammo just as well. Just Give it a very good cleaning before you take it out to the range.