Storing Cast Boolit Question

[Bill in Ky]

I have sever boolits cast and ready to size and lube. I was wondering, should I wait until I am ready to load before I size and lube, If so what is the best way to store the boolits? I was thinking something like the wife's old tupperware.
Or should I size, lube and then store them until time to load?
They will be kept in a corner of my loading room in the house, so heat is not an issue.
Thanks in advance !

[bobthenailer]

Either way is correct ! if you are using a soft lube that may bleed out when in storage ? then size/lube boolets when needed . i use a hard lube CR and size/lube after casting and store boolets in bulk containers with lids with no problems .

[bangerjim]

Back when I used to use grease lube, I would lube them up and store in CLEAN DUST-FREE containers and hope they did not melt the lube off in the AZ heat!

Now I use power coating which is totally clean, not sticky, and is permanent. You can store them in dirt if you wish! And PC eliminates all leading in all the cals I shoot. Simple and easy to apply.

PC eliminates the concern of long-term storage either raw or loaded......and NO LEADING!

Check it out in the several threads on here in alternate coatings area.

And decide for yourself!

Good luck & keep shooting.

bangerjim

[Bill in Ky]

My lube is White Labels BAC. He said it was good to 100F

[bangerjim]

100 is a balmy day in May here in AZ! Try 120 in july and august! In a car trunk the temp can reach 180 in no time. No lubed ammo there!

I got tired of lube puddles in the bottoms of my containers. I do not store them in air conditioned buildings!

But is is a dry heat!!!!!!!! [smilie=p:


banger

[jdgabbard]

I at one time came up with a printable box patter. However, since then I purchased some boxes from a store off the net. They're 4x4x4 with a folding lid. Now I cast, lube/size, and toss them in the boxes without really worrying about stacking. Been working for me. I think I spend something like $20 on 100 boxes. I still have about 40 left.

[jdgabbard]

This is the same basic box I use now, however this isn't where I ordered it from, or the price I ordered it for...

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-1719/Indestructo-Mailers/4-x-4-x-4-Indestructo-Mailers

[dragon813gt]

I've decided to store them unlubed. I actually need to pull the ammo cans out of the garage attic. They have bullets lubed w/ 2500+ in them. And while they didn't make a mess while being stored on the main floor of the garage. They did make all the bullets tacky. It's won't take me long to size and lube a few hundred bullets so I can load them up. I have some Carnuba Red so I'm going to run an experiment w/ storage in the garage attic :)

[MT Gianni]

I have kept them lubed for 4 years or more but climate controlled between 55-72F.

[Shiloh]

My lube is White Labels BAC. He said it was good to 100F

May not run, but will be gummy and sticky as heck!!

Shiloh

[Shiloh]

Mine are in the basement. No issues with lubed boolits cast and lubed a long time ago.

Shiloh

[Bullshop Junior]

I store mine how ever seems handy. Sized, unsized, lubed, unlubed, stacked in boxes, dumped in solo cups. You name it.

[blikseme300]

My storage containers of choice for cases, boolits (lubed or fresh) and loaded rounds are in Really Useful Boxes. They come in different sizes and colors but I prefer the clear ones. Stacks well, strong and easy to see what you got. Price may be steep for some but the compactness and utility are important for me.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

I cast mine, size & lube what I think I will be shooting in the next 4- 6 weeks and store the rest in used coffee containers {plastic}....unless the current political situation gets worse, might have to re-think my thinking.....

[6bg6ga]

After having to re-cast a few thousand sized lubed bullets I have started to store them unsized and unlubed. I was using a 50/50 NRA lube and its just easier for me to size and lube as needed and this eliminates bullets sticking to each other and lube coming out of the grooves.

[badbob454]

i store mine in folgers plastic coffee cans sized, or sized and lubed . the lid will keep the dust and dirt off..

[Whitespider]

I keep un-lubed boolits in plastic one-gallon ice-cream containers.
Lub-sized boolits are kept stacked in boxes with strips of wax paper between rows.
My ammunition/reloading "area" is in the basement... heat ain't an issue.

I'm a keep-it-simple guy (some call it cheap)... I dip from an old cast iron cooking pot, heated on an old electric kitchen stove, and reload using single-stage presses. I prefer to have boolits lube-sized and ready to load, and brass pre-prepped and ready to load (some even primed)... when something in the ammo cabinet gets a bit low it's just a matter of dumping powder and seating boolits. I reload over 25 different cartridges and keep a minimum of 500 pieces brass for each (some number in the thousands) so I have a lot of ice-cream buckets containing brass and boolits in various stages of prep at all times (they stack well, and I like ice-cream)... masking tape and a Sharpy has become indispensable.
*

[dh2]

I put them in a butter bowl , I have two bunches that was size and lubed with Lee Alox lube they have survived at least one summer and a winter in my storage building no heat or no cool,

[ShinyPartsUp]

I keep un-lubed boolits in plastic one-gallon ice-cream containers.
Lub-sized boolits are kept stacked in boxes with strips of wax paper between rows.
My ammunition/reloading "area" is in the basement... heat ain't an issue.

I'm a keep-it-simple guy (some call it cheap)... I dip from an old cast iron cooking pot, heated on an old electric kitchen stove, and reload using single-stage presses. I prefer to have boolits lube-sized and ready to load, and brass pre-prepped and ready to load (some even primed)... when something in the ammo cabinet gets a bit low it's just a matter of dumping powder and seating boolits. I reload over 25 different cartridges and keep a minimum of 500 pieces brass for each (some number in the thousands) so I have a lot of ice-cream buckets containing brass and boolits in various stages of prep at all times (they stack well, and I like ice-cream)... masking tape and a Sharpy has become indispensable.
*

Everything from large pickle jars to old prescription bottles get used to store everything from bullets to boolits to gun parts or bore brushes. I do the same with variously prepped pieces of brass.

[ballistim]

This is the same basic box I use now, however this isn't where I ordered it from, or the price I ordered it for...

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-1719/Indestructo-Mailers/4-x-4-x-4-Indestructo-Mailers


+1 on this!

I had a surplus of baseball card boxes from collecting hockey cards with my son & began using these to store & keep an accurate count of .50 cal. round balls back when I competed in muzzle loading matches. They work great, are stackable & transport well at a reasonable price.

[wwmartin]

If you don't mind being called a dumpster diver the plastic or foam inserts from the pistol range work very well. they keep them separate and easy to count. I fill them base up when cool enough when casting.WW

[sigep1764]

I'm using several Winchester White Box ammo boxes, 4x4x4 shipping boxes, and a couple coffee cups.

[dverna]

Bill,

I heat is not an issue, then having lubed/sized bullets ready to load is convenient.

I put .30 rifle bullets for target shooting in empty .38 cal wadcutter pistol boxes. They keep each bullet separated and stack very well. Bullets for rifle plinking or pistol bullets are stored in commercial cardboard boxes; but now that I am retired I will be making small wooden boxes out of the large amount of "scrap" pieces of lumber I have accumulated over the years.

Using a lube that is not super tacky or messy is better.

Don Verna

[Bill in Ky]

Don,
What lube would you recommend ?
Thanks everyone for their input !!

[h8dirt]

May not run, but will be gummy and sticky as heck!!

Shiloh

In my experience, BAC is a bit too sticky even in a temperature controlled environment. I mix BAC 50/50 with C-Red. It's much less sticky and shoots as well as BAC in my guns. Just FWIW.

[osteodoc08]

I have an infant son and find the Similac plastic formula containers perfect.

Otherwise, whatever I have on hand.

[Handloader109]

I have been repurposing disposable tube holders as both cast boolit and loaded cartridge holders. 50 per container. Works great for the 9mm I load, in the low volume I currently load.
And the best thing I use is a Brother brand label maker. Label everything from. Boolits to Powder to finished loads to my blank loads for sizing the loads to proper oil.

[Tn Jim]

But is is a dry heat!!!!!!!! [smilie=p:


banger
So is a oven.:mrgreen:

I just get some two quart kitchen containers with lids. A strip of masking tape on the lid and write what boolit it is with a Sharpie. Then take out how many I need, when I need them, lube and load. I get the transparent bowls so I can tell how my inventory is looking without having to take the lids off.

[SteveM]

I store mine lubed in clear plastic jars I get from Costco. The kind that had cookies, candy, pretzels etc. inside of them. I use LBT commercial lube and have never had a problem with lube running out of the groove because of heat.
http://i1334.photobucket.com/albums/w656/stevemikel1/100_2723-1.jpg (http://s1334.photobucket.com/user/stevemikel1/media/100_2723-1.jpg.html)

[True.grit]

Cast them, then lube, then load. Store them loaded. So if you want to shoot, shoot. Also some alloy's harden with age.

[trixter]

I use the Costco jars too, as well as Folgers plastic (2lb) coffee containers. All my raw and lubed boolits go in the Costco jars, as well as the loaded rounds. The coffee cans hold all empty cartridges; 45acp, 30-06, 300 savage, and 223/556.