how to get rid of bad bullets?

S

Shadow9mm

New member
So how would one properly dispose of coated cast lead bullets? I am assuming just tossing them in the dumpster is frowned upon....

I am trying to make things work, but it raised the question. If I can't what do I do with them? I cant justify having a 50cal ammo can full of lead bullets just sitting around taking up space and an ammo can... Heck of a paperweight....

Backstory
I have about 2200 125g hi-tek coated cast lead bullets. They are leaving heavy leading in my barrels after only 50rnds at velocities in the 1050-1150fps range. A 5th gen G19 with the marksman barrel(lead safe), a Sig p365, and a kimber. They were supposed to be .357, however after measuring about 10 out of the 3 batches I have they were measuring at .3555 to .3565, with the majority being .3560. I know this is within normal sizes for this bullet but they are not what I ordered, and are not working in my guns.

I am trying to make them work. I am planning to back my loads down to see if and at what velocity the leading stops. I will also be trying a slower powder, I was using HP-38/Win 231 and will be testing some Accurate #7 and possible accurate #5. Will also be trying coating a batch in lee alox just because....
 
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D

dahermit

New member
Shadow9mm said:
So how would one properly dispose of coated cast lead bullets? I am assuming just tossing them in the dumpster is frowned upon....

I am trying to make things work, but it raised the question. If I can't what do I do with them? I cant justify having a 50cal ammo can full of lead bullets just sitting around taking up space and an ammo can... Heck of a paperweight....

Backstory
I have about 2200 125g hi-tek coated cast lead bullets. They are leaving heavy leading in my barrels after only 50rnds at velocities in the 1050-1150fps range. A 5th gen G19 with the marksman barrel(lead safe), a Sig p365, and a kimber. They were supposed to be .357, however after measuring about 10 out of the 3 batches I have they were measuring at .3555 to .3565, with the majority being .3560. I know this is within normal sizes for this bullet but they are not what I ordered, and are not working in my guns.

I am trying to make them work. I am planning to back my loads down to see if and at what velocity the leading stops. I will also be trying a slower powder, I was using HP-38/Win 231 and will be testing some Accurate #7 and possible accurate #5.
Click to expand...
There are three ways to "get rid of" cast lead bullets. 1. Modify your loads and find something that will work with them (light target loads). 2. Melt and recast them. 3. Sell, trade, give them to someone else.
 
U

Unclenick

Staff
Shadow9mm,

Lead bullets are (relatively) soft and the coatings are pliant. You can do what cast bullet shooters have done for a long time, and that is squash them to a wider diameter and resize them. This isn't great for best accuracy, but it will likely cure your problem with them.

There are several approaches to the above. One is to do in a lubricator/sizer with a wider die and the press set up to fatten it. My feeling is that since we are not expecting to win a match with these bullets, but rather just get them to shoot, I would use an arbor press or even a vice to fatten them and, if you don't have a lubrisizer, a Lee sizer to final resize them. You may have to spray some cooking spray on them or dip them in light oil or in Lee Liquid Alox lube (yeah, I know, you got them to avoid that, but this is a salvage operation) to get them through the sizer, but it should make it possible to shoot them without the heavy leading.
 
R

reddog81

New member
Put them in a medium flat rate box and send them to me. I’ll pay shipping and send you back 500 bullets of your choice. I’ve got a variety of molds in all the common calibers.
 
R

rc

New member
Sounds like a caster in your area would be happy to hear from you if the bullets are really bad.
 
M

Mike / Tx

New member
Like mentioned, you can either find someone local and swap them, or you could weigh them up and trade or sell them to someone who could cast up what you want.
 
J

Jim Watson

New member
I have done both, given defective bullets to casters to be melted down and devised fixes.

I had some pre - HiTek coated bullets that were ok in .38 and .45 but fouled badly at higher velocity in 9mm. I was able to use them by dip lubing them in LLA-JPW-MS - Lee Liquid Alox + Johnson's Paste Wax + Mineral Spirits. Equal parts Lee and Johnson's, the book value is 10% mineral spirits, but I diluted it a good deal more. I rolled them in the lube in a plastic bag, then spread them out on wax paper to dry.
 
G

gwpercle

New member
Hang onto them . 9mm Luger pistols come in all variances of bore and bullet likes .
Down the road you may pick up another pistol that will only shoot those bullets . I've discovered you never know what tomorrow will bring ... and it may want those undersized 9mm projectiles .
Gary
 
Z

zxcvbob

New member
gwpercle said:
Hang onto them . 9mm Luger pistols come in all variances of bore and bullet likes .
Down the road you may pick up another pistol that will only shoot those bullets . I've discovered you never know what tomorrow will bring ... and it may want those undersized 9mm projectiles .
Gary
Click to expand...
I bought a Lee .358 bullet mold that dropped bullets at 3.60-something. I sent it back. I'm kicking myself now, because those bullets would be awesome for .38 S&W.
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
You were lucky. Most of my Lee molds drop undersized bullets. I'm looking forward to getting into powder coating to solve that problem.

Tony
 
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