Aiming at the criterion of evaluating the shelf life of explosives by Bourdon method, the decomposition depths of 0.05% and 0.1% were used as the end points of life. The comparison results of storage life of 32 kinds of explosives at 25-50 ℃ were obtained by linear regression based on Berthelot equation. Two cases were found: 1) For most explosives, the estimated storage life at the same temperature that obtained by taking 0.05% decomposition depth as the end point was less than the estimated shelf life that obtained by taking 0.1% decomposition depth as the end point, but sometimes the estimated shelf life by the former would be extremely short; 2) For very few explosives, the estimated shelf life with 0.05% decomposition depth as the end point was greater than the estimated shelf life estimated at 0.1% decomposition depth at room temperature. However, as the temperature increased, the shelf life estimated by the 0.05% decomposition depth was again less than the estimated shelf life of 0.1% decomposition depth. Whether the selected experimental data points at each temperature are in the isokinetic decomposition period of the explosive is the reason for the difference. Results show that it is more scientific to use the decomposition depth of explosives in the isokinetic decomposition period as the end point criterion for evaluating the shelf life by Bourdon method.