Best casting use for lead shot

[NEKVT]

I emptied a bunch of old corroded shotshells and got about 3 lbs of shot out of it. I have mostly clip on w/w and some lead to mix it with. What would be a good formula to make use of this small amount? Not planning on any particular application probably just cast some 357 boolits for plinking to use it up.

To get rid of the remains - cases with wads, powder and primers intact - I threw them into a campfire a handful at a time. Primers went bang and an occasional powder load went puffft in a flash but most powder wasn't even noticeable so probably just got blown out by the primer going off. Was fairly unremarkable but wasn't expecting much and don't have to think about them anymore.

[Winger Ed.]

I ended up with a bunch of shot one time.

They're a little of trouble to melt. Ya have to stir them a lot.
I just added them in to pure Lead until I got a good flow and fill out for pistol boolits at 1,000 fps or less.
I didn't measure them, but it was about a pound into a nearly full 20 pound Pro-Melt.

If you melt them & enough wheel weights to make a good sized pot,
you should end up with a alloy that you can pump the .357s on up into the teens without any problems.

The most fun I've had with a campfire was to show my buddies a handful of .22LRs, then
to a quick switch and toss a handful of loose fire crackers into the fire.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve been known to throw 22s into a fire to liven things up too.

[243winxb]

The shot can be "chilled" or "magnum". At best it will have 2 % antimony, if any at all. 3 lbs shot to 3 lbs WW. For lite target loaded. Add 6 lbs WW for mag loads, if air cooling.

I have taken #2 mag shot & made bullets for 44 magnum, as a test. Bullets were then oven heat treated to harden. Takes 2 weeks to fully harden.

[Rickf1985]

Primers in a fire is flat out stupidity! Those hard copper cup are now projectiles!! I have seen them come through the sides of heavy burn barrels.

[lightman]

Most casters that use shot add a small percentage of tin to it. Usually on the order of 2 or 3%. Personally I would just dump it into my next wheelweight smelt.

Winger Ed is right! Reclaimed shot has been one of the hardest things that I have melted. The graphite and the oxidation act as an insulator. I had to aggressively stir trying to mash the shot against the sides and bottom of the pot. I had 400# heaped up in my pot and it didn't settle like my other lead. I stuck a thermometer into it and the lead on the bottom pegged the thermometer at 1000º. The dross weighed more than normal and I knew it had some lead in it but by then I was tired of messing with it and just tossed it. But any lead is good lead!

[HWooldridge]

It’s easier to melt shot if you already have some molten lead in the pot - so melt your miscellaneous stuff first then add the shot until it disappears.

[SoonerEd]

Guess I'll be figuring out how much trouble this is soon. Got a buddy that has 300-500 lbs of mined shot from a sporting clays range I'm supposed to pick up in a week or two. It's been outside so I got to get it dry before I try to melt it down.