Pellet Advice ?

[zooma]

Interesting to see Zooma and Phatman commenting on period pellets.
Having returned recently to current match shooting with an old 300S, I have some 'period' match pellets from about 30 years ago and they are in the original packaging, some tins, some card boxes. They look dull grey now but ...... are they still good for use or does the lead deteriorate or get hard over the years? They look like a drop of pellet lube would bring them back to new?
It is unlikely I would use them for competition but just curious whether or not they would be suitable.

Hi Dennis,

I also have some pellets from an even older time period ( 1971 -72). I have kept them in an old ex WD ammunition box (the sort that had the clamp down sealed lid with a lever fastening on the end).

The pellets that are still in unopened tins are in an unknown condition (I have not opened them to look inside) but some that have not benefited from this closed storage system are dull like yours - but they shoot just as good as the brighter coloured newer pellets.

I have not done a clamped accuracy test but my scoring looks about the same with both new and old pellets - but like you I had some reluctance to use them - in my case, I was concerned that they could leave a residue in the barrel.

My guess would be that lubricating the pellets could be likely to cause a less accurate result unless they are all lubricated very precisely (after very careful cleaning).

This type of individual pellet attention is sometimes practised by some bench rest and other long distance shooters who demand extreme accuracy and it is often done with fanatical attention to detail for each pellet (and includes careful weighing).

I have no idea if adding lubricant to an old oxidised pellet would give a new lease of improved accuracy !

Let me know how you get on - but I will just keep shooting my dull pellets until they are all gone!

Bob.