Boolit storage

[Longone]

I have tried storing boolits in cookie tins, plastic zip loc bags and with the softer lubes it just becomes a mess. What do you store your boolits in? Do you just lube as needed or lube a small pile and load them right up? In plastic bags the boolits really get to be a mess and then the seat and crimp dies have a load of lube on them.

Longone

[randyrat]

I broke down and ordered a bunch of boxes - White corrugated (cardboard) I think they are 3X5X5 and 5x5x5 . They hold about 200-300-500 boolits or parts, miscellaneous..The best part i built shelves so these will fit and I can plainly mark on the side of the box WHAT is in there.......

I tried the used plastic, coffee cans and everything else until It would take me too much time to rummage through just find a certain boolits or parts. My little gun room looked like a trash site.

For lubed Boolits I Layer my lubed Boolits inside boxes place a piece of wax paper between each layer. Stand your boolits up and fill each layer full so they don't roll around. I still have some that are just tossed in boxes and are just fine, as long as they are stored in a cool place. My basement stays a nice 65-70 Degs F all year long.

[kbstenberg]

I store my lubed/sized bullets in cardboard boxes alternating between nose up or down. So lube grooves don't touch. The bullets that I lube with 45/45/10 are just thrown in storage box's
But I would think the a more important point would be to keep the bullet containers from over heating and melting the lube.
just my 2 cents Kevin

[btroj]

I use whatever I have.

[Longone]

My basement stays pretty cool year round but still the softer lubes get on everything you handle. I may try making up some cardboard dividers to use between layers of the boolits and stand them up.
Longone

[archmaker]

I use wooden trays I made. Cut some thin plywood to size (get to that in a sec) and bought a 1"x8" wood board, so I could cut out some pieces from it (I guess you could just by a 1x1 and cut to length). I just glue the boards around the edges of the plywood to make the tray. The size of the tray is such that I get about 200 bullets per tray. My bullets are lubbed and then stacked, take some old business cards and put one on top with a bit sticking out labeling what is in the tray. I have a stack of 10 of them on my reloading bench and it takes up no room at all, and I can see what I have cast and ready to go.

Now as to the size, they do vary a little as I wasn't concerned about size, but the empty one I have before me, measures 6"x6" in the center with the outside being almost 8"x8", and they are all the same size +/- a 1/2".

Found that having several empty trays are real handy, I throw the parts of a gun in one as I disassemble it (will clean several guns at a time, just stack the trays for each gun), and putting empty shells in or other miscellenous uses.

[youngda9]

I bought these for rifle boolits. 7.2" x 6.2" x 1.38" For pistol boolits I just TL and store in plastic coffee containers.

55620

[Artful]

USPS has these really cool little boxes -FREE [smilie=w:

[huntrick64]

Recently bought 30 little black plastic hinged boxes on E-Bay. Shipping and everything was around $30 so had less than a buck in each box. These have been perfect! I print "large print" labels on my printer and laminate these to the end of the box using packing tape. Each box holds two layers of bullets and will hold a couple of hundred bullets. I stand the bullets up on their bases so the lube grooves line up and then put a layer of cardboard between the two layers of bullets. I used to use the USPS boxes, but they were too big, didn't stack well, and wore out quickly.

The e-bay guy had thousands so I am sure he is still selling them.

[Love Life]

Each one of my boolits is stored in it's own brass storage tube. It just happens to be convenient that those tubes also have powder in them and a primer in the bottom.

I tend to cast my boolits in bulk and store unsized and lubed. I size and lube the amount I plan on loading.

[DRNurse1]

Everyone needs to adapt a system that works for them from a variety of ideas.

I shoot three boolits in competition so I cast 200 to 1000 boolits each week and let them sit 2-4 weeks then I lube and size them. Before lubesizing, I store them in coffee cans (after cool) with a 3x5 card date, size/weight case and any additional information I need. Sometimes I weight all the boolits in a batch for consistency and other times I will check a sample group only, depending on the match in which I am using them. This process is a sit-in-front-of-the-TV one.

I also prep my brass before I lubesize the boolits. In the cooler months I can dip the brass and dry it near the fire, but I tumble clean it year around. Before I assemble any cartridges I make a quick run through of the needed supplies so I do not run out part way through.

I lubesize then load a single batch of boolits and put them back into the coffee can. Then before I use them, I check for consistency and clean any excess lube from them. Also a sit-in-front-of-the-TV process. Once checked, I label the cartridge base and store in 50 round cases with the date and load information in easily portable ammo cans. The culls from this process go into a coffee can for plinking/practice or are disassembled and reprocessed.

Each of these steps take 1 to 2 hours so I can do something whenever I have some spare time. Right now I have about 2000 cartridges ready for competition, 500 ready for the last step and about 1000 boolits in that 2-4 week wait window. I smelt up several hundred pounds of lead ingots ready to go into my casting furnace a few times a year (depends on when I accumulate a stash) and I make the lube once a year in January.

I did not invent this routine but have tweaked it over the years. I am using the Maxwell house plastic coffee cans now because they hold a good number of boolits/ cartridges in a manageable container. This method also dictated how I built my reloading and casting areas. Also, I did not mention tinkering time or the clean up. Both add a lot to the actual time I spend in my reloading room.

Good Luck, hope this helps someone.

[**oneshot**]

I use these:http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=682&ProductCategory=250&section=1, these:http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=472&ProductCategory=250&section=1, I also use Photo cases I got from a craft store, They are 4.25x6.25x1.1in. They hold about 200 boolits for my 41mag. I can't find the make or model # to post a link.
All the above get a cardboard bottom. and a cardboard layer on the bigger ones since I can get 2-3 levels of boolits.

[Dale53]

Here's how I store my bullets:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/BulletBoxes-3722.jpg

They are water and dust proof, cost very little and last nearly forever. Check out your local Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, etc...

Dale53

[Longone]

Each one of my boolits is stored in it's own brass storage tube. It just happens to be convenient that those tubes also have powder in them and a primer in the bottom.

I tend to cast my boolits in bulk and store unsized and lubed. I size and lube the amount I plan on loading.

There have been some really good ideas about how you store your boolits, but I think this is one of the most creative. Seeing as this is such a unique idea I am hoping that Love Life would be willing to send several hundred samples to all who responded with their ideas so each will be able to compare to what they are currently using.

Longone

[RP]

I use cans they are strong and not bad to stack I cut some cardboard to keep them in order.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/Ricky1965/RELOADING/boolits004.jpg
I have even ship them this way and add labels.
http://http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/Ricky1965/RELOADING/boolits008.jpg
I store this way after sizing and lubing if they are just cast I store them just tossed in a can bucket or tub.
This is how i stack them
http://http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/Ricky1965/RELOADING/July036.jpg
Warning a full gal can of boolits is very dangerous to the fingers.

[bslim]

55937It's cold enough up here that I don't need to worry about the lube melting. When the need arises, I plan to package them in cardboard boxes, 1000 per box. These are 5 gal. pails that I'm using.

[GARD72977]

I use cans they are strong and not bad to stack I cut some cardboard to keep them in order.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/Ricky1965/RELOADING/boolits004.jpg
I have even ship them this way and add labels.
http://http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/Ricky1965/RELOADING/boolits008.jpg
I store this way after sizing and lubing if they are just cast I store them just tossed in a can bucket or tub.
This is how i stack them
http://http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/Ricky1965/RELOADING/July036.jpg
Warning a full gal can of boolits is very dangerous to the fingers.



Are you afraid that you will run out of that special cardboard you use for in the cans? Good post i really like the way you are storing boolits.

[Total Safety]

I have commercially produced lubed bullets on hand. Does the lube go bad or lose something as time passes?

[Longone]

More than likely the lube in a commercial boolit is pretty hard for shipping reasons, it may (depending upon make-up) shrink over time.

Longone

[Dale53]

Of course, it depends on the particular lube. However, I have had bullets stored in an unheated attached garage for over ten years (NRA 50/50 lube) that showed a bit of shrinkage but the performance was unaffected. No leading and accuracy was fine. this was several different calibers.

FWIW
Dale53

[Total Safety]

Thanks for the info

[captaint]

I didn't see any Chinese food containers, yet. I stack my lubed boolits in these - with heavy paper separating the layers. Works real well and I can see what boolit is inside and even tell what lube has been used. House special chow mein, dontcha know !!! enjoy Mike

[BigHoss74]

I use the boxes that my checks come in with a layer of cardboard in between the two layers of Boolits.