Melting Down Bought Cast

[BlueMoon]

I have several brands of bought cast bullets that I've collected over the years. After I started to reload my own, it didn't take long for me to want to shoot lead bullets instead of jkt.

I have quite a few 38 caliber cast bullets from National bullet co., that I bought 6 or 7 years ago, in 148 DEWC and 158 SWC that I can't get to shoot straight fast or slow. They look good and mic about .358" and test out to be fairly hard but my revolver doesn't like them.

I've been casting some of my own for a few years now and wonder if I should just throw them into the pot and cast my own bullets with them? I'm not out of other alloy to cast with but it seems a waste to keep bullets on the shelf that won't shoot. Should I do anything special to them before re-melting. I thought the lube would act like flux or something.

I have a Ly. #358429 mold and a RCBS 158grn GC mold that would be used if I melt them down. Any tips or suggestions?

Please excuse my spelling of boolit, I have trouble spelling enough anyway, it's hard to change.

Bill

[carpetman]

Blue Moon--Bill,you have bullets you cant get to shoot as well as the ones you cast. Should you re-melt them? That's a tough question. Are they serving some useful purpose otherwise? If so,tell us what it is. Do you have plans for them for some purpose other than shooting? If so,tell us about that. If the answer to those two questions is no,I'd say re-melt them. Do you have to do anything special to re-melt them? Yes. You must get them hot.

[Poygan]

In the past I've bought commercial cast from a friend and have had mediocre results at best. They tend to be very hard and have a hard wax pseudo boolit lube. Because of my frugal nature, I can't tolerate melting them down without running them through a pistol first. My solution is threefold:1) melt out the hard wax and relube with FWFL. 2) Stop buying cast boolits. 3) Do my own casting.

[David R]

Umm, I have sort of the same problem. I either melt em down, or load em up for friends that only want free loaded boolits. I keep a can by my pot of screw ups or boolits that I have no use for. These are already lubed, so when I add more ingots to the pot, I throw in a some of them for flux. If I even drop a sized and lubed boolit on my garage floor, it goes into that can.

[45nut]

Quote: " They look good and mic about .358" and test out to be fairly hard but my revolver doesn't like them. "

That line implies you own ONE revolver is .38 cal.

Hardly enough to give any projectile a chance,lead cast,swaged or full length gas checked.

Uh My approach is to buy more guns and give those "bullets" a chance to perform in a few more platforms......I am on a 12 step program of my own design. Buy a gun every 12 steps :P

[lar45]

You could always put them up on ebay.
Before I was reborn by the bunch here. I'd strayed from the true path and was buying commercial boolits. I had just bought a S&*t load of lazer cast. Lots of 458's for my new BFR as well as .452 and .357 and .308. They are still sitting on the shelf. It doesn't seem right to shoot a bought lead bullet when I can cast my own, but I paid for them, so I don't want to just melt them down.
We had a basement flood awhile ago. Some of the bullets were on the floor and I put them in with a big batch of WW while makeing ingots. I kept them seperate at first, but I can't tell the difference in shooting them vs straight WW.
The post office has a flat rate box that you can send up to 40 lbs in for $7.70. I'd try ebaying them first. If that doesn't work, melt em down.

[buck1]

They are ok to shoot!!! You just need to re shape them a bit. If you melt and re cast them, you still have them. But now they are better than new!! It wont cost anything but a little time . I remelted down some BullX boolits a wile back. They shoot much better now!! They shoot well and do not lead anymore.
But I must say 45nuts Idea should be tryed first!! Buck

[Goatlips]

I'd put 'em on ebay as suggested by Lar45. Might as well get your money back. BTW, the Priority Mail flat rate box will hold 70 lbs legally if you don't mind the snarls at the Post Office.

[BlueMoon]

Thank you for your suggestions. I was going to melt them down sooner or later but wanted some imput on your experiances.

I've took a look a e-bay and am not sure I have enough time to check it enough to buy or sell. I bid on a handi rifle barrel for .357 once and the price went up over what you could get a new barrel put on at H&R.

Yes, I need to buy more guns but am having to go slow for the moment. I only have a 6" GP100 in .357 and a '94 Marlin in 44mag but those two guns get shot like a 22. I also have several odd rifles (most cheap) in .243, 7-08, 30/30, 30-06 and a 7WSM that I shoot cast bullets in also. Also, a Colt 45acp and a Glock 9mm that I shot mostly cast in. And really, I enjoy handloading about as much as shooting.

Bill

[imashooter2]

-snip-
I've took a look a e-bay and am not sure I have enough time to check it enough to buy or sell. I bid on a handi rifle barrel for .357 once and the price went up over what you could get a new barrel put on at H&R.
-snip-

And as a seller, how would that upset you? Selling is easy and you don't have to keep checking. List the item and forget it. They will send you an e-mail at the end of the auction to tell you if the item sold or not.

[Willbird]

I agree, Ebay will turn the stuff you have layin round into $$ to buy more stuff that will lay round.........I think it is agreat thing. It is not at all hard either, the only thing that makes it easier is a digital camera, great excuse to buy one if you do not have one.

Bill