How do you store ammo outside?

[Vt.birdhunter]

How would you store 10,000 rounds of .22LR outside in the northeast?

I would like to cache some supplies and ammo at a buddies hunting camp in Vermont. We have considering vacuum sealing each brick then placing the bricks in 5 gallon buckets with lids, or large rubber made bins. The buckets or bins could then be buried or camouflaged with various materials. What are some preferred techniques for outdoor ammo storage, particularly where it is impractical to seal individual primers.

Indefinite storage would be ideal, but even 5 year or ten year plans would work.

Thanks in advance for the insight.

 

[gkdir]

6" PVC pipe, a little dessidant, seal cap on both ends, bury it

 

[Dave R]

I don't. Ammo likes a stable temperature. I store all mine indoors.

 

[Doyle]

Foodsaver vacuum sealer. Make up packs of about 500 rds/pk.

 

[oneounceload]

IF you can get waterproofed - PVC pipe etc, burying it deep should keep the temperature constant. Depending on where you live, that might mean 8 feet or more

 

[Vt.birdhunter]

Vacuum food sealer sounds like a great way to go, PVC will case up the bagged bricks nicely, I can use Fremco clamp ends as removable caps.

Temp. fluctuations could be an issue, I would have to bury everything deep to maintain somewhat consistent temperatures.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Ammunition can take a pretty wide swing of temperatures on a regular basis. Repeated exposure to high temperatures is the killer, so as long as you limit that, you don't really need to worry about low temperatures.

 

[Chris_B]

The way I've seen .22LR bullets leaning this way and that in the brass, right from the box, I'd personally think twice about vacuum sealing- that's the atmosphere, it's a little bit of force

 

[divemedic]

I wouldn't vacuum seal. Instead, store it in an inert environment.

6" Pvc with ammo. Add a few desiccant packs. Add a couple of pieces of dry ice, put the top cap on loosely, to allow air to be forced out as dry ice sublimates. After dry ice is gone, glue the top cap on.

 

[ilbob]

My understanding is that high temepratures and humdity are the enemies of ammo.

Burying it in the ground keeps it fairly cool, and if it is an airtight container (like a chunk of PVC pipe) it will be watertight as well.

Vacuum sealing is probably not a terrible thing to do, but may be overkill if stored in a PVC pipe.

Get as elaborate as you want, but remember that military ammo stored outside under tarps in ammo cans for dozens of years is still shootable.

 

[Skans]

I'd use a combination of vaccum sealing and burrying it in a sealed PVC pipe. Try it with a couple thousand rounds first, and see how it does through the winter. If you burry it about 3 feet, you should be fine.

 

[Evan Thomas]

Has anyone here actually tried vacuum-sealing ammunition? I have this image of bullets popping right out of the brass from the pressure differential. Unless you were going to seal them individually, of course, which would be... never mind. Or.. wait... when you took them out, all the air would have been sucked out of the cartridge and they might just sort of collapse in on themselves...

If you look around online, you can find plastic 5-gallon buckets with screw-on, reusable lids with o-ring gaskets inside. They're watertight, airtight, and pretty bear-proof, as well. Bury, dig up, reuse.

 

[Vt.birdhunter]

I dont think the pressure generated by the sealer could dislodge a bullet.....then again... Ive been wrong before

 

[Sevens]

When talking about military stockpiles and the age of same, don't forget that we are talking about rimfire fodder here.

I have faith that centerfire ammo, especially that which has a sealed primer can last quite a bit longer than cheaply made rimfire stuff.

Were it me, I'd rotate stock and shoot the old stuff up.

 

[bowman1962]

Vacuum sealed 2 bricks to a bag and then put them in a good cooler in the garage.
Rimfires have a normally long shelf life anyway, I've had open boxes in my glove compartment, tacklebox etc. and I have yet to have any FTF with the exception of 1 or 2 but hell that happens with some new boxes.

 

[wally626]

I don't have ammo storage experience but i will say if you are really worried about moisture you would want better than plastic to seal the storage container. I would use metal cans, I assume you can buy generic metal paint cans for fairly cheap. Seal the bricks up in these. Even if you do not want to vacuum seal plastic bags around the blocks you can just heat seal it without pulling the vacuum.

Edit: 1 Gal cans run about $2 to $3 each. There are also tins, that would require a metallic tape seal but are a lot cheaper.

 

[44 AMP]

GI Ammo Cans

In good condition, with the rubber gaskets intact. Purpose built for storing ammo. 5,000 rnds will fit in a standard .50 caliber can. A couple of dessicant packs will ensure a dry environment inside the can.

You could, if you wanted, seal the cans in waterproof material (plastic) if you want to go even further.

As to the idea of vacuum sealing popping the bullets out, I strongly doubt it. Remember that vacuum is the absence of air pressure. Air pressure is approx. 14.7lbs/square foot, at sea level. Take away the outside air pressure, and the most you can have is the pressure of the air inside the case, which is only a very tiny amount. If your bullets are dislodged by the airpressure inside the case, you didn't make your ammo correctly.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I've vacuum sealed several hundred rounds of clipped .223 ammo and have never had an issue with it popping the bullets.

You do have to wrap the ammo in paper or cloth (I vacuum sealed in bandoliers) or else during the sealing process the sharp metal edges on the clips and the bullet points can punch through the plastic bag and ruin the seal.

 

[45Gunner]

Maybe I'm way off base here but I have found .22 ammo to be abundant. Just bought a case of 5000 rounds last week. Why would you want to store it and risk contamination? Why not just haul it with you and take what you need?

If it was absolutely necessary to store, then you have to watch for moisture and rapid differences in temperature which can cause condensation. Probably the best advice was to vacuum seal it and then bury it very deep, six to eight feet.

 

[Skans]

I see quite a bit of value in storing bulk .22 ammo. What's in abundance today might not be in abundance a week from now. If you have some hunting land, or just some SHTF acreage, storing cheap ammo might turn out to be the best idea you ever had. Personally, if I'm going to go through the trouble, I'd throw in some .223, 7.62x39, .308, 9mm, and sprinkle some .45 on top.