How long are shotgun shells good for?

I've got a dumb question. I've had some shotgun shells laying around for about 10 years now. Brand is Remington. I'm wondering if it's safe to use them. If not, what's the proper way to dispose of them?

I believe worse thing that might happen is lose of power. I've had shells twice that age that seemed OK. OTOH plastic or paper is much more gas permeable than metal and powder may deteriorate more readily in shotgun shells vs metallic cartridges.

If it is stored dry, ammunition has a shelf life measured in decades. I am still shooting up some Federal 3' magnum 1-7/8 oz. #6 rounds that I bought in 1983. I bought them for duck hunting and they didn't get used before steel shot came in, so all I do is turkey hunt with them. At about 3 shots a year, it will be another decade before I need to buy more.

Go ahead and shoot them. They will work fine.

I recently fired some paper Federal reloads of mine from the 70's. Seemed ok.

Something only 10 years old should be no problem. I was given a box paper shotshells recently which would not fire. The primers died. How to get rid of them? I likely will cut the shells midway to retreive the shot, sprinkle the powder on my lawn and throw the bases away.

I really don't know. I would be more inclined to trust plastic body shells than paper body. I have used plastic shells that were 5 years old and had been soaking wet, with no problem, but not 10 years old (they don't last that long around here).

Why not go to the local trap/sporting clays range, and have some fun?

I just shot the dove opener with 60's vintage paper 16 guage loads.

I last spring shot up a box of AA target loads that my dad bought in 1969 or 70. I remember him buying them when I was in 6th grade. My dad was not a shotgunner, he got them to make my mom happy because there were riots nearby. I wanted to get rid of them before the box crumbled to dust. Now his old shotgun is another issue, I don't have the guts to try it out!

The AAs shot fine.

Tom

I am using some from 1974 that have been working fine, the price on the box is kinda funny, wish I could buy primo shells for $2.24 a box today.

When it comes to moisture and gas transport, metal is better than plastic which is better than paper. If you ever opened a year old PET bottle of soda, you would find it is flat because CO2 leaked through the plastic. Even waxed paper which is used in milk cartons is worse but milk does not last long anyway. The long storage (~ 6 months) milks are in cartons with metal foil laminates. This thread prompted me to cut open a ~15 year old steel shot shell. The shell had been chambered as evidenced by marks and some off-color of brass base. I was curious to see if there was any rust on shot! In fact everything inside looked clean and brand new. I did not fire however.

They will work just fine. I got shells that I bought over 30 years when a local sporting goods store went out of business. Still work just fine !!