Reclaimed Shot?

[Boyscout]

I saw a place selling reclaimed shot. Is this safe to be used for reloading trap loads? The web-site said it has been re-coated with graphite.

[UNIQUEDOT]

Even if it has been cleaned very good and graphite coated you still need to spend a lot of time with a magnet before loading making sure you get all the steel pellets out of it.

[Hal A Looyah]

Ive seen some reclaimed shot from western/sandier states that looked great. I've seen some from here in Georgia that looked like junk. It looked like rusted steel with all of the red clay stuck to it. Shot reclaimed from the fall zone might be more round than shot from the break zone. PM me if interested in buying shot that I make.

[elk hunter]

I've shot a great deal of reclaimed shot, you do need to check it closely for dirt, rocks and now steel. Be sure to use modern shot cups, I made the mistake of loading some in paper cases with old paper wads and ended up with longitudinal scratches in the bores of a Parker double. It didn't do a lot of damage, I could probably hone the scratches out, but needless to say I wasn't happy.

[junkbug]

Sounds like a good source for casting lead, if the price is right. I have never heard of this stuff being sold before.

[6pt-sika]

Reclaimed shot isn't all that new !

I shot a fair amount of the stuff 25 years ago while shooting skeet .

However I will say I never used it in a registered shoot , just shot it for practice or at dove .

[mtgrs737]

I have seen it for sale, RotoMetals one of the sponsors here sells it but I can buy new locally for their price because of the shipping costs. I shoot trap, some of the guys buy it and load it but I don't because I make my own shot. I have heard that recalimed shot can have tiny bits of sand and target material embeded in it that only melting will get out, but like I said I have not first hand experiance with it.

[randyrat]

I have shot lots of it all different qualities. I switch back and forth with new shot and my scores don't change trap shooting. I've seen others shoot strings of 25s with reclaimed shot. Inside a good shot cup I don't see a big problem with some dirt or steel. I wouldn't want a bunch of garbage in it though.

[Hal A Looyah]

I agree that trashy shot doesn't matter much in the shot cup. My concern would be the grit, steel and dinged pellets in my reloader. Maybe paranoia, but I could see dirt under the chargebar or a flattened pellet getting stuck.

[DODGEM250]

I saw a place selling reclaimed shot. Is this safe to be used for reloading trap loads? The web-site said it has been re-coated with graphite.

I'm sure you're referring to RotoMetals. I have bought two bags of it and it is #7-1/2 and #8 mixed together. It IS dirty. It is fine for any application. I have no complaints with the reclaimed lead at all, BUT, you have to be able to afford their shipping charges...

[UNIQUEDOT]

I agree that trashy shot doesn't matter much in the shot cup.

Steel pellets will push through the petals of a lead shot shotcup and scratch the bore and there is no way to keep the small dirt/sand particles inside the shotcup. It's kinda like shooting sandpaper. A fellow on shotgunworld showed the insides of his barrels after using reclaimed shot and they were pretty messed up and this was after he used screens and magnets to make double sure it was clean as i recall.

[aa1911]

I shoot all reclaimed shot nowadays for skeet (except .410, I buy #9 for it) just to save money, I get reclaim at the skeet range for $1/lb, it shoots just fine. Not had any issues and did some patterning, it's not perfect but it's pretty good.

I'm even hunting with reclaim shot this year for grouse, perfectly fine as long as the source is reliable/consistent. I've never run into any steel shot in my reclaim to date, been using it for a couple years now.

[JIMinPHX]

Once upon a time, long long ago, I got 5,000 pounds or reclaimed shot from McNeeley Enterprises down in Tucson. I melted it down to cast with. I was very happy with it. I have very little left.

[aa1911]

I cringe when I do the math on how many pounds of shot I'm throwing at clays each week; one session for me is around 8 pounds of shot! I suppose there's cheaper hobbies out there but I'm addicted to this one.

Looking at the price of lead in the market, I should order 5000 lbs myself of the reclaim at $1/lb. that's a smokin' deal these days.

[mtgrs737]

The only way I would buy reclaimed is to melt it down to clean it then drip my own shot from it. It would be a fine source of casting lead as Jim suggest. Shot has very little or no tin in it but most has antimony and enough arsenic to make it heat treat well.

[DODGEM250]

I'd be happy to find any other sources for lead shot. Mainly #4 and #7. Shot has it's few "monopoly" sources. The prices of shot period fascinate me. There's got to be some fellows out here who make their own shot that are will to sell it.