Any Problem With OLD Cast Bullets?

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45shooter

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I have an opportunity to buy a lot of cast bullets next year when I go visit my father :) By a lot I mean enough to last me for 20 years or so at currently reloading rate :D

My question is will cast bullets "go bad" after some time? These cast bullets are currently between 2 and 9 years old since they were cast so technically in about 20 years when I'm about to load last of these cast bullets they can be about 30 years old :eek: What can go bad and is there any way for me to prevent it from going bad?
 
I don't believe the lead will go bad, but it may oxidize some. Cast bullets will probably have been sized and lubed so I would think the lube would offer some protection from the elements. The oxidation might come off of the bullet from handling and get airborne. That would be about the worse thing that comes to mind. Keep them hands clean after loading or shooting.
 
Cast Bullets

Many years of casting has revealed a few things about cast bullets.

Aged bullets...3 months or longer...will become a little harder than when fresh-cast...24 hours.

If the tin content is of a higher ratio than the antimony, the bullet will soften slightly over time after they reach maximum hardness...but very little.

If the antimony content is higher than the tin, they will continue to harden slightly
after the initial aging process...but very little.

Either way, the hardening or softening will be of little consequence, and will take years to have any effect on the bullet's performance. I've stored cast bullets for as long as 10 years with no degradation of bullet quality.

If the tin to antimony content is equal, they'll age-harden for a longer time...maybe 6 months or so...and remain stable.

If you store them in a cool place to prevent the lube from getting soft, they'll be fine for years.

Bullets can be heat-treated to case-harden them for about .002 inch of depth.
Either drop them from the mold into cold water...if the mold throws round bullets that don't need to be sized...or heat them to about 400 degrees in an oven and quench in cold water after sizing.

If you can buy'em cheap in bulk...go for it.

Luck!

Tuner
 
My only hesitation, borne from experience with 50/50 Alox/Beeswax, Lyman lube, home-brew lube, and even commercial hard lubes, is that if they are lubed, you can wind up with a mess after a few years. The lube can wind up sticking to the lube in the adjacent bullet, can result in gooey crumbs in the box as you grab bullets, leave some bullets half-lubed (the stuff comes out of the lube groove and sticks on the next bullet), and any excess lube on the bullets gets shaved off during seating to make the seat and crimp dies a mess that requires clean-up as frequently as every 60 rounds or so.

Packaging them in bullet boxes with separate compartments will prevent this, but is not a popular thing to do. Expensive if you're buying thousands.

If you are willing to size/lube batches as your are likely to consume them over 1-year periods, go ahead and buy in bulk but leave them bare. Borrowing a buddy's reloading room for this operation would be a good time to order in pizza and beer. Sizing/lubing is one of the few reloading operations which can be done almost brainless once you have the stuff set up. Me, I don't drink anyway, so that's a time to turn on the tunes.

The softer lubes tend to harden over time anyway. Sometimes that allows you to separate bullets goo'd together, while some other times it makes them pull the lube off of the next bullet. I've never kept hard-lube bullets beyond 6-9 months, so I don't know how their lube behaves--but I always have to watch for half-empty lube grooves at the bottom of the box anyway. However, hard lubes *may* give fewer or less severe problems over time.
 
I just checked a box of .41 cast bullets which I bought a little over 20 years ago. Yes, the lube is a problem. Perhaps if it had been stored in a cooler environment this would not have happened. Perhaps another formulation of lube would have given better results.

I would seriously consider the before mentioned option. Storing the bullets bare, and lubing in bulk as needed.

If memory serves correctly, the lube will indeed last quite well for several years, just not a couple of decades.
 
Thank you all for your replies.
Look like I will buy all 170,000 bullets :D
Lube is not an issue as they are not lubed.
I will have to lube them later... no big deal.
Damn, its going to be a lot weight to truck over.
Lets see, 14.3 lb. per box times 340 boxes is 4,862 lbs. :eek:
 
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