I was just reading a report from the New Zealand writer Nathan Foster ( Ballistic Studies) and he had some very interesting opinions on the use of "old" bullets. In the article he was discussing the .35 Whelen, but his comments seem relevant. He says old bullets become "fragile" with age. I wonder if any of our members have observed this phenomenon? Mr. Foster is very experienced, and seems to base his observations on real world data, however I am skeptical of his opinion in this case. I have shot some local game with 50-60 yr. old bullets and enjoyed predictable and satisfying results, but... what do you think of the following?
"Before we discuss projectiles, please understand this; projectile performance varies with age. The older the projectile, the more it will have naturally annealed, while the core may have become somewhat powdery. It is quite common to come across such old projectiles for the .358’s at auction because this caliber suffers from fad buying. Rifles are purchased on a whim, tried but not fully utilized and then cast aside. Generally speaking, if the projectile packet is sun bleached and completely faded, the projectiles will be akin to varmint bullets."
