Cast Bullet Longevity

[Idiot]

I buy cast bullets here and there as the perfect combination of quality and bargin present themselves. I store the bullets in a hot dry place, i.e. in an outside shed. The heat does not seem to be hot enough to melt the lube or affect the bullets in any way. But, I wonder, do these bullets have a certain shelf life or can I store them until I need them which may be another decade or so in the future?

I read once that cast bullets tend to change hardness a little bit over time; is this true?

[Old Ironsights]

The "worst" thing that will/can happen is that heat-treated/quench hardened bullets will slowly return to the native BHN of the alloy.

Other than that theyare good for... the life of the Planet.

[O.S.O.K.]

What he said.

And I would suggest to just plan on giving them a coat of Lee Liquid Alox lube - that will compensate some for any loss of hardness.

So, are like Sarah Connor or something? Putting up your stash for the machine holocost?

[Modoc ED]

I buy cast bullets here and there as the perfect combination of quality and bargin present themselves. I store the bullets in a hot dry place, i.e. in an outside shed. The heat does not seem to be hot enough to melt the lube or affect the bullets in any way. But, I wonder, do these bullets have a certain shelf life or can I store them until I need them which may be another decade or so in the future?

I read once that cast bullets tend to change hardness a little bit over time; is this true?

You'd better go ahead and shoot up what you've got. In another decade, it'll be all non-lead/non-toxic bullets.

[J Miller]

If a certain yahoo we've all been discussing gets elected, in 10 years there will be NO PRIVATE ownership of guns at all.

Think: UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC type laws.

Only the government and elite will be allowed to own guns. All the rest of us will be DEAD or employed by the state at a gulag somewhere.


Never mind the lead bullets.

Joe

[Lefty Dude]

30 day's thats all they last, I suggest you send them to me for disposal.

I will recycle them back where they came.

[Idiot]

30 day's thats all they last, I suggest you send them to me for disposal.

I will recycle them back where they came.

Air mail? What direction?

[J Miller]

Stop for a minute and think. There is factory ammo out there that was loaded in the 1800s. The bullets may be frosted with a bit of white oxidation, but they still shoot good. I've shot some that looked their age and yet they still functioned as intended.

With a reasonable amount of packaging lead bullets will last indefinitely. Nuther words a really long time.

Joe

[marlinman93]

Lead bullets do get harder with age. I know some shooters who are serious competitors and wont shot bullets that are over 60 days old. I've personally got a lot of old lead bullets, and some of them (given to me) are over 10 years old, and they show signs of flaking on the outside and brittle surface.

[J Miller]

Lead bullets do get harder with age. I know some shooters who are serious competitors and wont shot bullets that are over 60 days old. I've personally got a lot of old lead bullets, and some of them (given to me) are over 10 years old, and they show signs of flaking on the outside and brittle surface.

I wonder if what you just described varies with the alloy the bullets are made from? I have cast bullets from close to 30 years ago that other than tarnish look brand new. I also have factory made swagged bullets that are older than that that look brand new as well.
Then I have factory loaded ammo with their swagged bullets that show some slight oxidation but otherwise look normal.

Just some thoughts as I rarely have kept cast bullets as long as I have since being in IL.

Joe

[marlinman93]

I don't think the alloy has much to do with it. I have a friend who actually checks hardness of his cast bullets to ensure the proper alloy, and has checked his bullets after they have "aged" for anywhere from 30 days, to several years. He tells me that even at 30 days the bullets will check harder than the day he cast them.

[Old Ironsights]

Lead/alloy DOES stop hardening after a while though. IIRC Paco mentiones this somewhere. Lead is an inert mineral. By definition it MUST achieve stasis after a defined period of time.