Picking up old bullets

[macgeoghagen]

are old bullets a good source of lead for new bullets? the range I go to has a backstop that has so much lead in it you can pick it up by the handful. My question is, is it worth picking up to melt and make new bullets with?

[DM]

Yes, as long at when you melt it, you stir it enough to get the sand ect.. to come to the top and skim it off...

DM

[WRTN]

Many years ago, a friend and I melted down about 800 lbs. of bullets in this manner. You just keep the lead melting pot full and stir as already mentioned and skim off the impurities and bullet jackets. Once each melting pot of lead is full and cleaned of all the impurities and jackets, drain off into lead ingots to make lead bars. Do this ONLY in a VERY well ventilated area.....preferably outside to avoid lead ingestion.

Lead such as this makes very good cores for bullet swaging.

[gunsmoke]

It's been YEARS since I've cooked lead, but yes it is a great source of bullet metal. I've melted a lot of sifted backstop bullets. After skimming flux ans skim again before pouring ingots.

Much of the bullet metal recovered this way will be very soft especially from the jacketed bullets so you'll probably blend those ingots with wheelweights to get a good usable BHN.

[jim]

And I thought I was the only tightwad Scotsman on the board.{8^O!

[macgeoghagen]

Thanks for the tips. I hate to see all that lead end up as somebody's "environmental hazard" when its a resource that can be picked up off the ground with no effort.

[Shortstack]

are old bullets a good source of lead for new bullets? the range I go to has a backstop that has so much lead in it you can pick it up by the handful. My question is, is it worth picking up to melt and make new bullets with?

Yes,
Though you'll want to be careful if they've been exposed to moisture. If you are picking them up off the ground assume they have. You'll want to warm the up and drive any moisture from under the lube or from underneath the jackets. They need to be bone dry BEFORE putting them into the lead pot.

The reason being is that trapped moisture when exposed to molten lead will turn to steam and cause an explosion like reaction in the lead pot sending molten lead splashing up out of the pot onto who knows where or what. Moistue in molten lead can be very dangerous.

Other than that have fun...It's a great way to recycle lead in this environmentally concious age.

[keydl]

Make a 1/8 in screen to shake out the sand by the big clump, works well to cook off the lube and water over a fire. Preheats them for the pot.

The jackets make fair brass scrap, worth the trip after a couple of tons of lead.