Help with boolit storage

[MikeACP]

If I cast several hundred bullets, If I had the stuff to do it, if I had the lead, if.. Anyway, If you did, could these be stored as in a year or so? Would it affect hardness? would you lube them? Would they be lubed months later? .........Would you prefer I stay off this forum?:roll:

[Doby45]

I store mine dry and lube at time of use. You could also store them lubed. It is up to you.. If I lubed them I would not store them in the attic. ;)

[runfiverun]

i make up several thousand at one time and fill 5 and 7 gallon buckets and store that way.
i then size/lube and fill small 4x4x5 boxes that sit on the shelf for loading.
i use a harder lube that allows this.

[Porterhouse]

I size and lube imediately after they get dry (mostly water cooled WW). Leave them for a week or so to reach maximum hardness. Then, put them in a freezer. Hardness shouldn't change. Oh, if you do this, don't forget to cover them with a brown bag or something, unless you are looking for another fight with your wife.

[MikeACP]

Thanks, Iwas wondering if it would be harder to size later.

[Down South]

Folks say that a boolit is a living being for the first 24 hrs of its life then it continues to harden over time. Folks also say seasoned boolits loose some of their hardness if sized later on down the road. I don't have any data to back this up with but when I read it, it sounded good. So anyway, I "try" to make it a practice to size and lube within 24 hrs of casting.
I store my boolits in any type of container that has a sealed lid. I keep my stored boolits in my shop where it never gets very hot and I use a harder lube than some do.

[KCSO]

I store mine dry and lube and size them as I need them I store them in plastic parts bins.

[44man]

I can never store them long enough to worry about! :grin:
I do have a bunch of pure round balls because I don't shoot them as much.
I lube as I need them too or if I feel like it, I lube all that I have cast but that is seldom.
One thing to do with soft boolits or pure lead is to spray them with a rust preventative like Birchwood-Casey Barricade. That prevents corrosion and your boolits will be like new for years and years.
Don't worry, learn to be lazy!

[Heavy lead]

Don't store a lot of boos, usually only have on hand 200 or so of the one's I shoot the most (maybe 7 or 8 designs) I store them stacked in rows of 20 for easy counting right by the appropriate LNL for the caliber they go in. I also cast year round in the basement with appropriate ventilation and smoke removal as well that helps, boolits sit for two weeks before loaded, sometimes shot immediately.
Used to cast a bunch at a time and store, kept finding myself melting down perfectly good boolits in a design I wasn't shooting anymore. That's why I do it that way now.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Don't stay off the forum! I asked a similar question not long ago. I store my boolits in empty Folgers cans. I put the black plastic lid on them and they are good for storage.

[epj]

I store lubed boolits in plastic coffee cans in the basement. It stays cool but never cold.

[EDK]

Would you prefer I stay off this forum?:roll:

Only if you are more obnoxious than the average forum member. Welcome to our dysfunctional family.

You are a serious caster when your "unit of measure" is three pound metal coffee cans...plastic gets strained with 30+ pounds of boolits. I tend to cast a big bunch on a rainy or snowy or just plain cold day when SWMBO doesn't have something for me to do. (I really put a dent in the lead stash when recuperating from "H" surgery.) They usually get lubed and sized within a week or so...she doesn't like Bill O'Reilly, etc so I go to my boolit shed and watch the tube while doing the no brainer parts of processing boolits. Getting distracted while loading ammo could be hazardous to your health...double charges. etc can happen! You measure your empty casings by the gallon ice cream container.

A serious pistol shooter has four (or more) cavity moulds, a STAR lubricator/sizer, and a progressive press like a DILLON 550B. I load to shoot less expensive GOOD ammo.

You gonna load them empties....or whistle Dixie?

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[sargenv]

I tend to cast as many as possible and tumble lube them as needed. Last year I had tumble lubed about 1000-1500 and those I stored in an ammo can in the garage over the winter.. when I went to load them 2 months ago, they were still nice and lubed and shot great until I had the time to make up several thousand more.. right now I am about 2k cast and tumble lubed ready to load. I hope to cast up a few more K and get those lubed before mid summer.. I may then store what I have or load and use em..

Welcome to the forums :)

[Adk Mike]

I cast most of my boolits mid winter out in the heated shop. I also use plastic coffie cans. Then the ones I lube I put in cat food cans with the lid back on and store them at the loading bench. They hold about 85 or so 30 cal. That gives me plenty if I want to load a hundred or so. I'm always at different stages with things I like to shoot 50 rounds a week mostly 30 06.
Mike

[oscarflytyer]

I have 73 left over that I bought who knows when, but... guessing I have had them at LEAST 15 years! And sure they will shoot fine. Bought, so were sized/lubed (w/ hard lube) and have stored fine. Can't tell them from same bullets I bought 6 months ago.

Good news is, I am now casting my own!

[MikeACP]

Great news to hear from everyone. I appreciate all the help. I like to stock up and have stuff ready. I've got about 800 .45's in an ammo can, I loaded over the winter for the summer. When I actually start casting, it will be nice to store a bunch for later months.

[XWrench3]

First, you are welcome here. We will not bite. Second, no reason at all that you can not store cast boolits for years on end, as long as they are stored properly. Will it affect hardness, slightly, but i would not worry about it. Lubrication is best left until you are close to using them. The lube can dry out, crack & fall out, or worse, collect dust, which will act like a fine sandpaper inside your barrel. With all the if's, my suggestion would be for you to watch ebay or gun broker.com for used equipment to start out with. If you for some reason, end up not likeing this addiction, you can resell it and not loose much money.

[sqlbullet]

We will not bite.

Occasionally someone bites, but usually not hard. As long as it isn't Doby45's avatar, it doesn't hurt too bad.:bigsmyl2:

I cast, lube and size right away. Usually within a day, if not the same day.

I used to put the bullets in empty Cosco nut containers, and then in the freezer, but have noticed these allow too much bullet movement and the frozen lube comes out of the grooves. I have switched to cardboard boxes from xpedx, which don't allow movement.

Air cooled isotope alloy will harden quite a bit over time. I have seen movement up to 5 bhn points over two years. Water dropped I see getting a little softer. Stuff that came out around 23 bhn has stayed very constant.

[Whistler]

Water dropped boolits will not only harden over time, but also increase in diameter. This is not a bad thing in itself, but depending on the surrounding temperatures and small variations in alloys the boolits will grow different amounts. I always size and lube my water dropped boolits two weeks after casting to ensure that they are finished "growing" and can be sized uniform. If I size before they are finished growing, they will grow at different rates. I am not worried about dehardening the surface that gets sized, since I mostly water drop to get a boolit that does not deform when hitting the ramp in an autoloader or by dropping a cartridge on the floor.

[williamwaco]

If I cast several hundred bullets, If I had the stuff to do it, if I had the lead, if.. Anyway, If you did, could these be stored as in a year or so? Would it affect hardness? would you lube them? Would they be lubed months later? .........Would you prefer I stay off this forum?:roll:


Mike.

How long can your store them?
Wednesday ( this week ) I fired 50 H&G #51s that I cast ( and lubed ) in 1972. I still have a few hundred of them left. I recently bought a new mold so I can cast more of them. ( The lube was - is - Lyman Alox/Beeswax and yes, it is still 100% effective in preventing leading.) I store them base down, ( lined up like soldiers ) in cardboard boxes. I do not notice any change in hardness but back then, I had no way of testing the hardness.

HA! You say. He couldn't possibly remember when he cast those bullets that long ago. Well he has a memory aid. That was the year my daughter was born.

[MikeACP]

Wow, that's some kind of record.