cst to loading, how long do you wait?

[jhalcott]

I have some OLD bullets that were cast YEARS ago by a friend. Several calibers, both rifle and handgun. SOME are lubed and checked, most are as cast. I weighed a bunch and they are all close to each other in weight(BY CALIBER!). I wonder how they would perform IF I load them after all these years. He cast a lot in his last years, but shot only a little. With the current short supply of components, I'm going to try loading some of these IF they wont damage the gun.
Thanx in advance.

[RickinTN]

They won't damage the gun. Sounds like they are well "seasoned". I've heard (read) about letting the bullets age anywhere from a couple of weeks to 6 months. Longer I'm sure wouldn't hurt.
Shoot them and have fun,
Rick

[Hawkeye45]

I just loaded and shot some 44 cal that I cast in '81. No problems at all, well seasoned.

Mr. Ed

[Victor N TN]

I just loaded and shot some 44 cal that I cast in '81. No problems at all, well seasoned.

Mr. Ed

Funny, I've been working on some loads that I cast the 240 grain 44 bullets in 1982. They work just fine. Every one of them came out the exit end of the barrel. hahaha

[454PB]

Same here, I've got several coffee cans full of Lyman 454424 boolits under my bench that I cast in 1981. They are unsized and lubed, but I recently used some of them. They look like they were cast last week.

One thing I have found is that the lube will begin to "shrink" after about 10 years, so old boolits may need relubing.

[w5pv]

I have not loaded any that old but have shot several hundred that have been loaded for that long or longer.

[drinks]

I usually wait until they are cool enough to pick up!

;<)

[Oreo]

I usually wait until they are cool enough to pick up!

;<)

Ha! I have my bottom pour rigged to my press to pour my boolits directly into the charged brass case.

[RED333]

Ha! I have my bottom pour rigged to my press to pour my boolits directly into the charged brass case.
I was trying to heat some brass to make them soft for swagging 40 to use in a 44.
Well some how I picked up a primed piece, was not fun when the primer went off.
Note to self, Look first.

[308w]

Oreo I'd like to see that process...............lol!

[dtknowles]

Oreo I'd like to see that process...............lol!

I think the secret is a special over powder wad and lube cookie 8-)

[308w]

+dtknowles, now that would be some high temp lube!!!!!

[retread]

A friend just gave me some 230 grain .452 RN. The lube was falling out of some of them. Threw them in a pan of hot water and in a matter of minutes the lube had come to the surface. Poured it off and recovered the clean boolits, relubed and loaded. Look like shooters to me.

[blikseme300]

I was trying to heat some brass to make them soft for swagging 40 to use in a 44.
Well some how I picked up a primed piece, was not fun when the primer went off.
Note to self, Look first.

In the past I had a few visits by small tinsel fairies but nothing prepared me for what was probably a live .22 round when melting down some range pickup alloy. The queen of fairies and all her friends visited!:shock:

[jhalcott]

Well these aren't 30+ years old(YET), so I will tumble lube some and try them. The BHN on several I tested came out between 11 and 16 (different calibers). Some of the handgun .38 and .44's were a bit softer at 8 to 10 BHN