I am going to start reloading after 12+ years being moved and divorced. I have stored my powder in their original containers that I put in a plastic ice chest and keep in a back yard storage building without heat or air.

are the powders and primers still ok to use?

sufferin

If your storage building was fairly cool and dry they should be fine.

And, welcome to AR.

if the primers are intact, don't show signs of corrosion, and did not get wet they are likely OK. Powder is likely OK if it didn't get too hot or damp in the containers. If you still smell ether when you open the can and the kernals of powder are still uniform with no rust color or dust formed or unusual vapors it should be good.

If there is any doubt use the powder for fertilizer (lots of good nitrogen) and discard the primers (perhaps soaking in oil first).

Do a quick "sniff' test of your powder. It should smell like ether or solvent. NEVER like acid. No white fumes. Do the eyeball test as well. No grey,puffy,powdery grains.
If none,your good to go.
Smokeless powder does not have a "lifetime". I reload powder that is 100 years old from WWI and have never had a problem. Been doing this for 55 years now.

thank you

dan

thank you. this is sounding promising

I thank you very much

If any propellant grains look "brownish" or "reddish"...
Don't use that powder..

Smokeless propellant is not affected by humidity.. but high heat speeds the rate at which it degrades....

Black powder is not affected by heat at all, but moisture...

Advice from long ago states that in a perfect world you'd store smokeless propellant in your basement but black powder in your attic

thanks allan. wish I had a basement to store it in

It's better in your house than in the outbuilding. But it should be fine; smell it like they said above and look for rust dust in it. Which is bad.

thanks dpcd. not sure that in my case in would be better in the house since I live in a mobile home and am not always here to keep the hvac regulated