I picked these up yesterday and am looking to find approximate age.
The bullets are all lead if that helps.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

No picture of the ammo box ?

They are quite old, I'd say early 20th Century. The interesting part is that they have the "safety shield" protected primers, a method of allowing more sharply pointed bullets to be used in rifles having tubular magazines without risk of causing mass detonation of cartridges in the magazine as a result of recoil. Nothing new about that idea, as it was first patented in the late 19th Century. I can't say for sure whether the lead bullets are factory original, but at one time, early in the 20th Century, there were factory lightly loaded lead bullet cartridges available in several common hunting rifle calibers, the intent being for use as finishing-off shots on wounded large game without causing excessive meat destruction, and also for use on small game such as rabbits, turkey, fur-bearing animals, etc.

If a picture of the original box were available, I could probably date it fairly closely. But it doesn't seem to be. Up until around the early 1930s, most rifle cartridge boxes were of the two-piece design with a sliding lid over a base, not the one piece box style used today.

Yes the outside box if missing.
I've seen the satety shield primers before
Just didn't know the purpose. ..makes sense and interesting they didn't last for lever guns.
Thanks....I liked learning that.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

I did a little research, which indicated that the protected primers were used by Winchester from the late 1890s until the early 1930s. A broad date range, but the best I can provide.

Thanks I Appreciate it.
The all lead bullets were unexpected when I pulled some out to look at them.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

The ole classic “Thutty Thutty” cartridge. Real nice addition to your collection and thank you for sharing. I was born in New England and hunted Whitetail with a 30-30, mainly a Marlin 336C (New Haven, CT manufacture)...it helped feed us. What memories!

Those are Winchester 5W primers. 30-30 and 25-35. The primer came out in 1895.

They also made 5 1/2W size for 32Win Spcl. It was also supposed to be used in the 38-55 and the '86Win calibers.
The 5 1/2W came out in 1905 and is a slightly larger in dia than the #5W

The Protected Primer was supposed to further keep the primer safe from the bullet nose of the cartridge behind it from setting it off.

The primers were also sold as a reloading componet so some older reloads of uncertain dates can show up with them in it.

They were discontinued in 1920 and '27 respectively according to a couple ammo collectors sites.

That headstamp started in the 1930's and ended in 1956.