Tag Ends, Odd-balls and Leftovers.....

[BruceB]

So.... we have completed a loading session by using up the last of the available brass in a certain cartridge type. But now we have...count 'em.... sixteen bullets remaining (or 12, or 29, or whatever).

Considering the efforts we make for uniformity's sake, and the fact that the boolits can change their BHN over time in storage, WHAT are we to do with these leftovers?

Yesterday I was consolidating a lot of different bullet types from the semi-disposable Glad plastic containers into a new parts-cabinet "storage facility", and I was amazed to find that I had DOZENS of these containers with only a very few bullets in each one. After some thought (and a bit of choking, to be honest) I decided to smelt these remnants. There's no way I was ever going to set up to load just a few rounds in order to use up the small numbers remaining. Therefore, it's either store them forever, or melt 'em and be done with the problem.

This is one reason that I like running large quantities of a single type in a session, because THAT batch will be uniform for its lifespan, and a known quantity for age and hardness. Casting a thousand or more from one mould gives me at least ONE non-variable as I work through the batch. However, it's a sure bet that as I run out at the end, there'll be a few odd bullets left over.

It sorta hurts to re-melt bullets which have been cast, inspected, gas-checked, sized and lubed with all the care we can exert, but the alternative, to me, is worse. Having bullets sitting there which will NEVER get used is a waste of alloy, and I'd rather use the metal for new boolits.

It still wasn't a very easy decision....

[45 2.1]

I do alot of reforming brass to other claibers. The tail end bullets work very well for forming and plinking loads or for blowing out dented cases that you wouldn't put up for match or long term storage use.

[ben1025]

I had the people itemizing every thing in my house after the fire, dump all my lead bullets, in two 15 gallon metal garbage cans. They filled one completely and the other half full. Have the cans in one of my sheds. A lot were sized, lubed and gas checked.
This is 22 1/2 gallons of bullets. 22 cal to 45 and 50 muzzleloader bullets. Anybody have any idea how many bullets this is? I sure as heck not going to count them. I
could count and weigh a pint but would have to be real bored to do that. I beleave I will be back in my house by the end of the month. Can hardly wait. ben1025

[Scrounger]

I had the people itemizing every thing in my house after the fire, dump all my lead bullets, in two 15 gallon metal garbage cans. They filled one completely and the other half full. Have the cans in one of my sheds. A lot were sized, lubed and gas checked.
This is 22 1/2 gallons of bullets. 22 cal to 45 and 50 muzzleloader bullets. Anybody have any idea how many bullets this is? I sure as heck not going to count them. I
could count and weigh a pint but would have to be real bored to do that. I beleave I will be back in my house by the end of the month. Can hardly wait. ben1025

Felix could give us the exact number but if I remember correctly, lead is roughly 25 pounds to the quart. That would be solid lead, one piece. In different size bullets, I'd estimate it'd run maybe 20 pounds to the quart. So your little lead stash might weigh about 1800 pounds. Pick it up and see if that feels about right, Ben...

[ben1025]

Scronger: Yes it does. ben1025

[NVcurmudgeon]

Once a cast boolit has survived inspection and made it into inventory, it is NEVER considered a meltable reject around here. As most of my practice shooting is offhand, and I discover that a certain box contains say, four boolits, I treat the small lot as an opportunity. I often take several of these small lots to the range and use them for offhand practice. As long as there are at least two of a given boolit I can get an idea of how well or poorly I am shooting, just so the target is big enough to catch the various groups of different loads. What do I do with ONE leftover boolit? Easy, it's a barrel warmer.

[Buckshot]

.............As a rule I very seldom lube-size a bunch of boolits beforehand. I do run into the same thing with unsized-unlubed boolits. So, I have 4 or 6 or 9 left in the contianer. Yup, I just toss'em into the scrap bucket to get melted down again.

...........BUckshot