Old Shotgun Shells

While cleaning out my late dads workshop and ran across 7 boxes of Winchester 20ga in size 7 shot. My guess is the shells are 35-40 years old. They appear to be in good condition but I thought I was just check hear first. I no regular rifle ammo has a very long shelf life but I was not sure about shot gun shells. Heck I don't even own at 20 ga. What say the group.

Stored right they will be fine

My grandad left me 8 cases of Federal16ga shells. They were bought when Gibsons went out of business in Odessa in the 70’s. It’s dry but hot in Crane county. A lot of the shells splitNd and wouldn’t fire properly. I think the shot stuck together on many rounds though. I have missed several times I shouldn’t have and won’t sell the ammo.

I have a few full boxes of 20 gauge from the mid-70's with cardboard hulls and really long brass bases (more brass than paper). I got them with the inherited 870 so I won't find out if they work or not.

Sounds like a perfectly good reason to run out and buy a 20ga shotgun!

I quit bird hunting many years ago. Still have shells.

What Murfscout said.

My dad past last May he still had 3 boxes of federal 20 gauge and 2 boxes of federal 16 gauge they where stored in the house temperature controlled so I thought they would be good for some clays at the lease needless to say these shells where junk most of them the crimp never opened the end of the shell just blew off these shells were all from the 70s .