Re-Using Pulled boolits. Possible Issues?

[VariableRecall]

I've got a variety of cast boolits that I've pulled from improper loadings that I wish to give a second chance. Most of them are commercial cast with a Hi-tek coating, some are Alox'd, and others have the standard red or blue lube. However, I've got some worries with using them in the state that I've pulled them so far.

I'm worried that some of them, especially once where the lead was cut by the case while seating, may have some powder bits left on them. Obviously the lead is going to be at a temperature that the powder bits would ignite. Obviously I'm going to inspect all bullets carefully before introducing them into the pot in the future, but would a bit of powder left on them bring the wrath of the tinsel fairy?

Can any bullet lubricant, like PC, Alox, or others just be fluxed away with parrafin? I've got gulf wax handy for fluxing purposes.

[Dusty Bannister]

Melt in a cleaning pot outside so any off gassing and smoke is not going to be a hazard. Start with a cold pot and the powder will light off before any lead has melted. Also consider lighting the smoke from the lube to not attract a lot of attention.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Those kind of pull downs go straight back in casting pot , window open fan on and remelt and cast , I do not reseat pulled lead bullets and the lube will be its own flux . Powder which will ignite has never been a issue of any substance when doing it , as pot comes up to temp. it will flare and out as quick , No tinsel fairy .

[JimB..]

I put pulled bullets into my next batch of lead for “smelting.” The lube is wax based and acts as a flux.

But your thread title was about reusing rather than recasting. I wouldn’t reuse a coated bullet, especially if the coating was not intact. For cast bullets I’d measure the diameter to make sure that they hadn't been swaged down and then just load them up assuming that they appear clean.

[VariableRecall]

Melt in a cleaning pot outside so any off gassing and smoke is not going to be a hazard. Start with a cold pot and the powder will light off before any lead has melted. Also consider lighting the smoke from the lube to not attract a lot of attention.

Would you trust that Hi-Tek or Powder coated boolits would be able to be melted down safely and fluxed away without issue?

[Martin Luber]

I use them if the bases are good

[Winger Ed.]

A few stray specks of powder shouldn't be a problem,
but you might be more comfortable laying them out on a table and passing a propane torch over them to go ahead and ignite it.

[Dusty Bannister]

Would you trust that Hi-Tek or Powder coated boolits would be able to be melted down safely and fluxed away without issue?

As I clearly suggested, do it outside. Are these bullets ever shot at an inside range? If there is going to be an issue, it would be at an inside range rather than a melting pot in the great outdoors.

[Valley-Shooter]

Would you trust that Hi-Tek or Powder coated boolits would be able to be melted down safely and fluxed away without issue?Any coating will just burn up and turn black.
It will come out when your stiring and skimming the crud from the top of your melt.

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[FLINTNFIRE]

I have tossed commercial cast in pot , powder coated and powder coated that was cured , alox is the nastiest , the others a little smoke and skim crud off when it builds up .

The residual powder on the pulled bullets has just flared , sparked and was never anything worth while , I save my outside rendering for range scrap and dirty waste lead from whatever source I acquired from , pulled bullets are still clean and lube is flux .

[VariableRecall]

As I clearly suggested, do it outside. Are these bullets ever shot at an inside range? If there is going to be an issue, it would be at an inside range rather than a melting pot in the great outdoors.

These were bulllets that got mangled during reloading. they are as clean as they can get, but often mangled and still have flecks of powder on them.

[kevin c]

I've personally had no issues remelting HiTek coated bullets other than that there's a bit of an odor.

Take a close look at any pulled cast bullet that you loaded yourself; it can be instructive. A circumferential impression in the crimp groove of a revolver bullet is fine, but on the side of a pistol bullet may be a sign of inappropriate over crimping at the case mouth, which actually only needs flare removal. That ring might also represent swaging down of the bullet by the case, which can lead to leading. Sometimes that swaging doesn't leave a ring, so measuring the pulled bullet diameter to that of an unloaded one might be worth doing. Scrapes in the coating may be from too little flaring, the bullet being tilted on the case as it is seated, or a run out problem in the press. Accuracy destroying gouges on the bullet base can also be caused by a tilted bullet.

[Stephen Cohen]

Winger Ed covered it all. the Hi-Tek coating will just float to top and any small amount of powder will be no issue, as some have said do this in a well ventilated area or outside which is my choice when I do as you have asked. Regards Stephen

[VariableRecall]

Winger Ed covered it all. the Hi-Tek coating will just float to top and any small amount of powder will be no issue, as some have said do this in a well ventilated area or outside which is my choice when I do as you have asked. Regards Stephen

OK! I'll make sure to inspect the boolits carefully before introducing them into the pot.

[BigAlofPa.]

I have reused bullets i have pulled with a inertia puller. The coating was still in tact though. Most of the time it's ones where the casing cracked.

[ioon44]

I reload pulled Hi-Tek coated bullets, the coating does not have to be 100% to shoot for practice but the size and base does matter.

[oley55]

I have reused bullets i have pulled with a inertia puller. The coating was still in tact though. Most of the time it's ones where the casing cracked.

I must be doing something wrong, but no matter how careful I am with my RCBS inertia puller, the loosened bullet will bounce back up into the case mouth and will cut or deform the bottom edge of my cast bullets. I do routinely measure pulled bullets just to see how my crimping operation is or isn't altering my bullets, but they all get recycled.

[Texas by God]

I like to put a foam ear plug in the bottom of my inertia puller to cushion the bullets landing.

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[BigAlofPa.]

I have foam in the bottom of my puller too.

[Conditor22]

What little powder is stuck to them I wouldn't worry about. put them in your smelting pot, (IF you are worried you can put a weighted lid on the pot) and melt.

I'd never re-load a pulled lead boolit, it's too easy to deform them even with a hammer-type puller. I just re-melt and make another one.

[mdi]

Would you trust that Hi-Tek or Powder coated boolits would be able to be melted down safely and fluxed away without issue?

Yes. Just don't stand over the pot doing your deep breathing exercises. Normal ventilation is good enough to keep the PC/Hi-Tek smoke away from your face...

[Walks]

About 30yrs ago I bought some range lead, it was mixed everything. Jacketed HP's, SP's, .22's cast lead and FMJ's. A bit of everything. In sorting thru this stuff, after a while I noticed the the .45 FMJ's looked to be in Really good shape. So I sorted them out to find 50 or so Good Ones. One's that were round and had no "dings" from being hit by other bullets. I loaded the with 5.0grs of Bullseye and shot them into a full size silhouette at 25yrds. Out of a Colt Gov't all 50rds landed in a 3"X3" group. It was fun but too much work for too little return, 32lbs of usable alloy out of 50lbs of junk.

[Beaverhunter2]

Would you trust that Hi-Tek or Powder coated boolits would be able to be melted down safely and fluxed away without issue?

NP. Done it many times. Just ventilate and flux well.