If unused, how often should you replace home defense bullets?

Certainly not annually. I've fired bullets that were seven or eight years old without a problem but they were stored correctly in a dry place. I probably would say that the conditions they are stored under would be more important than their age.

Ammo can last over a century if stored right. I'm currently burning through a can of 1948 8mm ammo, and it's 100% reliable.

Since practice is extremely important when you're thinking of deploying a defensive weapon, just use the older stuff first. If you're thinking your ammo is too old, you aren't practicing enough.

This is my policy, when I go to the range I fire the ammunition that is in the cylinder, or in the magazine. I then switch to my practice ammo, same bullet weight and velocity, but usually FMJ. I then clean and lubricate the gun and after that I will load back the "serious" defense ammo.

Never.

Considering I have shot ammo that was over 70 years old and it worked fine I see no reason to change my ammo out.

Ammo has no expiration date. The way you store/use it determines it's lifespan.

Home Defense Bullets

Never unless the ammunition was expose to harsh conditions like moisture

You should usually keep stocking though lol

I would say you should go out and practice once a year with that ammo to see how your gun fires it. Just use it up once a year at a range AFTER you replace it with new ammo. You should definitely be practicing more than once a year, I'm just saying see how that particular ammo fires through your gun once a year. Who knows, maybe something better has come out.

That being said… I fire WW1 surplus British .303 rounds. I have never had a single one not fire or show such a degrade in performance that it loses measurable accuracy out to 300 meters. But that's me firing at a target. Who really cares if there is a misfire? You sure will if it's an intruder at the end of a hallway. Your choice. If it makes you nervous, use it up and replace it once a year. If not, just practice malfunction drills so if the unlikely event of a malfunction happens you can fix it and fire in a spilt second

ammo will fire best if it isnt stored longer than a year. it will still fire, but there could be problems

Declan is right, never. If you keep it dry it will outlast you.