Should ya clean lead bullets?

[Toad]

I got a deal on quite a few lead balls, and bullets, that I guess have oxidized. Are they OK to shoot and hunt with like they are, or should they be cleaned up? And if so, HOW?

[Three44s]

They are going to be noisy in the washing machine.

Just kidding!

No .... just shoot them .... if you had exposed lube and dirt there I'd be wary of a grinding compound effect from it.

But just oxide on the outside of the lead will not hurt anything.

Shoot away!

Three 44s

[Toad]

Most of them are not lubed, But there are a 100, big 45cal bullets that are lubed, and have some grime on them. Can anything be done with them?

[seanhagerty]

If I was concerned about them, I would melt them down and remold them.

Sean

[MT Gianni]

If I was concerned about them, I would melt them down and remold them.

Sean

+1 if you don't yet cast heres an excuse to start.

[mdi]

Most of them are not lubed, But there are a 100, big 45cal bullets that are lubed, and have some grime on them. Can anything be done with them?

One way I've used gritty boolits is to place the boolits on a paper towel in a metal pan and melt the lube off in a low oven ( 160 - 175 degrees, below the flash point of paper) Lube melted and draind down and absorbed by paper towel.
BTW, before the flames start:p I've done this many times and the paper towels don't burst into flame and none are even singed...;-)

[theperfessor]

Or boil them in plain water in an old pan and then tumble lube them.

[runfiverun]

boil the lube off them.
lead oxide is hard stuff [airc it's about 50 or more on the bhn scale]
you can run the cleaned boolits through your tumbler to shine em up then re-lube.