How many bullets make a good reserve

[Jack Ryan]

When I get more stable that is the plan but more organized. I'm currently at bullets by the pound, as counting bullets is just silly

EVERYONE PLANS to be more organized.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I don't blame public and commercial ranges for banning mining the berm. Have you ever seen any one digging up the lead FIX A BERM? Those don't just heal their self after people leave with the only thing of value.

 

[AJC1]

I don't blame public and commercial ranges for banning mining the berm. Have you ever seen any one digging up the lead FIX A BERM? Those don't just heal their self after people leave with the only thing of value.

I haven't, as I have never been in a location that allowed it. I can immagine that people dont restore the berm once they have what they want. I think a club or facility work day would be a good time to allow collectors and supervise restoration.

 

[Buzznrose]

I havent been casting very long and I'm trying to figure out the right ballance of bullets to just bulk raw stock. I'm renting so having a million cast bullets and another million pounds in reserve sounds great but far from practical. Having 200 lbs of just bulk reserves seams doable and enough to support my needs over a year at my current rate. If supplies increase and components come down that may change. How many bullets should I keep stashed?

Based on the last couple years, and as a guy who is just prepping to get back into reloading, bullets were the easiest component to get for me. If you are casting, I would expect the raw materials are even easier to obtain, so why stock hundreds of pounds in a rental place that is a temp home?

I’d be stocking the rest of the stuff as I could, like primers, powders, and cases. I’d keep the bullets to an easily manageable level.

 

[.38 Special]

I keep about a thousand pounds at home. Mostly it's wheel weight metal in ingots, but also a few hundred pounds of pure lead, 1-40 and similar for muzzleloaders and "special projects". I got bored a few months ago and decided to cast up a thousand each of my most common bullets, like the 250 grain .44 Keith, so my ingot pile is now a little lighter and my bullet pile a little heavier. I had originally intended to replace the lead I used, but at this point my lead collection exceeds my primer collection by a significant factor, so it's not much of a priority.

I don't actually worry much about "bulk to bullet ratio". I don't mind melting down a batch of bullets - when I "discovered" the Arsenal H&G 503 mold, I liked it so much that I melted down a few hundred "Keith" bullets from other molds and recast them - and there's very little waste involved.

Short answer: a thousand pounds of lead ingots - which doesn't actually take up that much space when stored in +/- 50 pounds boxes - is more than adequate for me. If I had enough powder and primers to send it all down range I would be a truly happy camper!

 

[reloaded_in_pa]

I keep enough to load 5,000 38 special and 357 magnum rounds, 2000 45ACP, 500 380ACP & 9mm and 500 for the 270. Those are my reserve projectiles, I also keep enough components to load those rounds.

 

[cfullgraf]

When I cast, I make a year’s or so supply of bullets and keep the rest of the lead in ingot form.

This allows me to make different bullets down the road if I do not use up what I have on hand. Also, I do not have an excessive inventory of bullets that I am not using at the present.

It is one of the advantages of casting, keeping raw inventory of materials to make what is needed when needed.

I like casting as another part of the shooting hobby. I get in the mood to cast and cast up a storm for a few days replacing inventory.

Having different subsets of the hobby varies the tasks and keeps things interesting.

 

[ms6852]

Since you are renting, you should consider renting a storage unit and store to whatever you heart desires. I have 5 gallon buckets of brass all kinds and full of bullets collected from the range and lead collected from the times I worked as a plumber with my father. You can't have enough.

 

[DynoDan1]

I think one should have enough ammo to almost break the axles of your dump truck, almost!
Or have enough that you have to build another room just so you have a place to crap and sleep.

 

[AJC1]

Since you are renting, you should consider renting a storage unit and store to whatever you heart desires. I have 5 gallon buckets of brass all kinds and full of bullets collected from the range and lead collected from the times I worked as a plumber with my father. You can't have enough.

I have the space here it's the move that will get ya. Moved in the military 11 times in 23 years. My last move will be 1800 ish miles on.my own dime.

 

[jmorris]

Perhaps this adds nothing to the conversation, but what happens to all this lead once it's fired? Do any of you have a way to recover and re-use it?

Per #16, I recycle them.

If you are shooting into a berm, after rain they will be the white dots on top.

I have a 16x8 trap here at the house and they wind up at the back of it below the dirt but above the skirt in the back.



At the farm, I built my own version of Jerry’s that I thought was a great idea. Just open it up and scrape the lead out into a bucket.

 

[AJC1]

Per #16, I recycle them.

If you are shooting into a berm, after rain they will be the white dots on top.

I have a 16x8 trap here at the house and they wind up at the back of it below the dirt but above the skirt in the back.

View attachment 1022648

At the farm, I built my own version of Jerry’s that I thought was a great idea. Just open it up and scrape the lead out into a bucket.

View attachment 1022647

If your recycling lead and shooting cast your price must be very good. I consider that setup optimal.

 

[GoldieMI]

Making 223 bullets from 22lr rounds has been done successfully many times

~ 2 MOA for 22LR/Lead into 223 bullets...about the same as that rifle shoots 55 Grain/62 Grain FMJ Hornadys. makes for fun plinking rounds

 

[AJC1]

~ 2 MOA for 22LR/Lead into 223 bullets...about the same as that rifle shoots 55 Grain/62 Grain FMJ Hornadys. makes for fun plinking rounds
View attachment 1022731 View attachment 1022732

I wish I had the stuff to do that. I plan on searching up plans and making the tooling when i get back to my parents house.... another of a million reasons i want a lathe.

 

[GoldieMI]

I wish I had the stuff to do that. I plan on searching up plans and making the tooling when i get back to my parents house.... another of a million reasons i want a lathe.

PM when you do...I will share what I know..it's a multi pull process on the press to make it work. We are talking about having a press pulling party one of these fall days when it's not so hot, and everyone has the weekend off work.