[RoninSteel]

So I bought an AR-10 last week and the dealer threw in a few boxes of match 7.62 with the deal. I still haven't shot it yet but spent awhile preparing for this weekend when I'll have a chance to shoot with my buddy and smoke a cigar in honor of his newborn girl.

Anyway, I was going through my deceased brother's ammo cans and found 100 rounds of .308 but it looks ancient. I'm wondering if it would be safe to shoot or should I just buy some new stuff on the way to our rifle range?

Other goodies I found were (8) 5.56 mags from his AR-15, lots of .223, .38 special, .357mag, .40S&W and of course the .308 ammo. Looks like my next purchase will be the SIG 556

 

[Spawnz]

First........sorry to hear about your brother being deceased.

Second..............as long as the ammo was kept dry it should still be good. If it was in ammo cans with a good seal I would say you are "good to go". Ammo will last a long time as long as it was kept dry. Moisture is the biggest concern with ammo. If the brass casings are showing corrosion (usually a green verdegris coloring on the cases) it would be suspect but if it is not bad it should still be good enough to shoot.

Third............have an enjoyable day at the range!

 

[headhunter]

Yep, smoke 'em if you got 'em.

 

[ORD]

As for the "ancient" ammo...is it boxed or loose? Is it badly tarnished or corroded in some way? Can you identify what it is specifically by brand, bullet weight, etc.? If it appears like surplus military stuff, can you identify the headstamp on the brass?

Like the guys said...as long as it has been kept out of moisture and is free from any corrosion it should be fine to shoot. If it is mil-surplus stuff, even if it appears in shootable condition, I would make sure you thoroughly clean your rifle after shooting it because it could be corrosive ammo which you don't want to shoot and then leave your rifle sitting around afterwards.

Enjoy shooting and smoking that cigar!!