.223 powder

[DedIdick]

In answer to the original post, Varget is a good all round powder for .223 loads. It can be used with all bullet weights. It usually gives excellent results.

If you can get it.

Still got 5 cans left from the last batch I bought!

[Blackbaronfish]

How long is the shelf life and does it change in any way over time.

BBF

[Blackbaronfish]

Just found this on another site.

Nitrocellulose based propellants will degrade over time. The NC will degrade into Nitrous Oxides which will in turn form acids that will react further with the propellant. To counteract this all modern propellants add stabilising chemicals that will inhibit the acidic reactions. Under normal conditions the stabilisers will last many years.

However if ammunition is subject to aggressive 'diurnal cycling' the stabilisers will get used up more quickly. Eventually NC based propellants will become unstable and dangerous. The Kuwaitis found this out the hard way after Gulf War 1. They stacked up all Saddam Hussain's abandoned ammunition with the aim of keeping it for themselves or flogging it. However after 8 months of being cooked and frozen in the desert, the stuff had become dangerous and one of the arms dumps disappeared in a spectacular explosion, killing many people. This is the reason why UK forces in Afghanistan are disposing of all their ammunition rather than bringing it home!

However, a bottle of N140 kept in a sealed container in a cool, dry cupboard should last donkey's years. I wouldn't worry at all!