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Eley pro eco steel shelf life test


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Looks like the wads will start to break down as soon as they get wet.

The cartridges tested were from boxes taken out in the rain last season and not used. I did my best to keep water off them (kept in my pockets until needed) which is sensible for all cartridge types. Each crimp is heat sealed to keep water ingress as low as possible but I wouldn’t rely on it. 

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I brought a couple of boxes of Eley Ecowad 32g 3s, worth noting no.3s need HP proofing. I  put 2 in a glass of water for 24h  one crimp down, one brass down, and 2  Eley HV in the same, excessive i know but just as a test, all let water but i would not have used the Ecowads very tacky. My wads did need water to degrade completely as when they dry out they stop degrading one took  6 to 7 weeks to disappear completely on the lawn (may to june this year)

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11 hours ago, 8 shot said:

I brought a couple of boxes of Eley Ecowad 32g 3s, worth noting no.3s need HP proofing. I  put 2 in a glass of water for 24h  one crimp down, one brass down, and 2  Eley HV in the same, excessive i know but just as a test, all let water but i would not have used the Ecowads very tacky. My wads did need water to degrade completely as when they dry out they stop degrading one took  6 to 7 weeks to disappear completely on the lawn (may to june this year)

Not according to the guy I spoke to at eley, their website also states as long as your gun is nitro proofed you’re good to go.

The none Eco wad states fluer di lis but not the eco wad.

 

Edited by Hicky
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From Eley's website:

"As a ‘Standard CIP Proofed’ load, the Eley VIP Steel Pro Eco cartridge is also suitable for use in most guns on the market. To check if your gun is suitable for steel shot please check the British Proof House Equivalency Table or consult your local gunsmith."

LOAD (GRAM)SHOT SIZEWADMUZZLE VELOCITYBRASS LENGTHCASE LENGTH

323PRO ECO375 mps • 1230 fps  (V1 READING)16mm70 mm • 2 3/4 inches

32 5PRO ECO375 mps • 1230 fps  (V1 READING)16mm70 mm • 2 3/4 inches

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13 hours ago, Fellside said:

Interesting - thanks for posting. 
Hard to keep cart’s dry on a rainy shoot day, the ones unboxed that is. 

How about the cart’s which got wet in your pocket etc. did they degrade at all? 

Hi Fellside. The cartridges I tested are the ones that were out in the wet all day (in my pocket so not directly immersed). The last day we had last season was pretty soggy.

IMHO although the ends are heat sealed, it shouldn’t be taken for granted that water won’t get in. An attempt to keep the worst if the weather off during the day is probably the best route. Going for fully sealed, silica gel etc is probably way over the top

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13 hours ago, 8 shot said:

I brought a couple of boxes of Eley Ecowad 32g 3s, worth noting no.3s need HP proofing. I  put 2 in a glass of water for 24h  one crimp down, one brass down, and 2  Eley HV in the same, excessive i know but just as a test, all let water but i would not have used the Ecowads very tacky. My wads did need water to degrade completely as when they dry out they stop degrading one took  6 to 7 weeks to disappear completely on the lawn (may to june this year)

Excessive as you say but still valid. Goes to prove you can’t take these cartridges for granted. If you get them wet during a day out make sure you dry them properly when you get home.

The Eley size 3 being HP or not is caused by Eley marketing. As sizes seem to be more like guidelines than rules, Eley have used a bit of artistic license. Even though they state size 3, the actual size in mm  is within CIP standard steel limits.

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Hi I use Eley bio cartridges in 20gauge . The crimp isn’t heat sealed, there is a cork placed under the crimp. Eley use Maxam powder and l find the cartridges are better at room temperature. Maybe they recommend this to suit the powder and not the wad. If cartridges are submerged in water, steel or lead, with any type of wad it would always be a risk to use them. I’m sure Winchester 10gauge lead cartridges were heat sealed so it’s not a new idea. When I collected used wads from the field on a wet day l noticed they were very sticky after a couple of hours. The wads are flexible and strong. How long should any steel cartridge be stored for, would copper or nickel coated steel be better for storage. It’s common sense to keep ammunition dry, with the cost increasing we will be wrapping it in cotton wool. I don’t think it matters if wads degrade in five minutes or five years. At least we are on the right track.

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1 hour ago, 8 shot said:

Rottweil or Winchester If my memory serves me correcting  made a complete one piece plastic case completely waterproof apparently , about 35 to 40 years ago. My father and his mates all used them duck shooting over local stone quarry's

Gamebore also apparently. 
image.jpeg.b8c7985973bc85fea9d16e0ead54b501.jpeg

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