I have 1000# shot, should I smelt it or ?

[tja6435]

I have 1k pounds of larger lead shot, size T and others around that size. I'll hold onto some for loading buckshot shells, but otherwise I'm considering smelting the rest into ingots for casting boolits.

Any input on what you guys think about keeping it in shot form vs ingots is welcome. I don't load many shells, and what I do is usually birdshot for clays. I don't know what id use this much bigger shot for.

[slim1836]

Try swapping your shot for ingots, save yourself some smelting.

Slim

[500MAG]

Melt it down. Add some tin and you got a good bullet alloy.

[skeettx]

Why smelt it, it is easy to transport in the present form,
If not already in 25 pound bags it is
easy to store in 16 ounce, liter or 2 liter coke bottles
with screw on lids
Use it when you need it as is for pistol bullets
Mike

[RogerDat]

I'm with the trade or sell for proper ingots, lot of folks would appreciate the shot. Think of it this way which has more value? A pound of ingots or a pound of cast boolits in a caliber you use? People will pay more for shot than for lead ingots of equal alloy value. Look up the price for 25# of casting alloy ingots of the same quality vs. 25# of the shot.

[swamp]

If you would like some help, let me know. I am in Denver also.
swamp

[tja6435]

If you've run much shot in your Lee drip-o-matic, you'd also want to smelt it into ingots first. It has a lot of graphite--I learned the hard way and don't run much shot directly into the pot anymore.

[tja6435]

I haven't seen much interest locally in trading for ingots. Everyone wants the big buck shot or the small bird shot. What would shot T sized be used for, other than some righteous self defense shells?

[rancher1913]

I'd be interested in trading some ingots for shot, I'm close.

[skeettx]

Sometimes it is used to shoot parts to clean them up
Like a slag gun, kinda
Are you sure it is lead and not steel shot?
Also, sometimes it is used for ballast in helocopters
Mike

p.s. would be great for coyotes :)

[toallmy]

I have a hard time getting larger lead shot around here , 4/5 shot in lead is about as large as I can get besides buck. Is it hard or soft shot .

[RogerDat]

I would post it in Wanted To Sell in the Swapping and Selling forum here. Base your price so it is fair compared to new, or at what rate you would exchange a pound of shot for a pound of ingot lead.

Rotometals reclaimed shot is around $1.20 a pound and new runs around $2 from what I can see. The do not have T shot but I think T is a waterfowl shot, should be are a fair number of waterfowl hunters around. No doubt you will be able to get at least 1 to 1 swap maybe a bit more than a pound for a pound of your shot in pretty much any of the standard lead alloys such as WW's or Berm lead. Maybe isotope containers etc.

Lead shot melts rather badly sometimes, the graphite makes a shell that has to be cracked, or maybe it is the oxidation that forms the shell. People have reported shot sometimes appears to just sit there being hot enough to melt but not melting. It is like an M&M that is melted on the inside but not running because of the shell.

[typz2slo]

I ran into a deal like that a while back. Ended up with over 2000lbs of lead shot. I sold it on the site and turned around and bought ingots ready to cast. Trips to the post office shipping boxes is easier than standing over a hot lead pot for most of the day.

[Drew P]

I think selling and shipping is harder than smelting by far. And I live next to the post office too.

[JSnover]

Try swapping your shot for ingots, save yourself some smelting.

Slim

That^
I've melted shot and it's more trouble than it's worth.

[lotech]

It is a lot of trouble. I'm in the Denton, TX area and have somewhere between 250-300 lbs., about 2/3 reclaimed, 1/3 new (about forty years old) that I would gladly trade for ingots. Don't want to mail.

[acoop101]

I will trade you shot for clean lead straight across, please pm me.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk

[sargenv]

Size T lead shot is useful for shooting vermin.. (Think Coyote).. There is a size T shot commercial load called "Dead Coyote" that utilizes heavy shot.. (almost the weight of lead, costs a lot more). Most T shot for waterfowl these days is Steel shot.. since anything Lead shot based for waterfowl has been restricted to non-toxic for over 20 years..