Storage And Preservation Of Our Cast And Jacketed Bullets
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Reloaders store their jacketed and cast bullets on shelves, often above or next to their reloading benches... What are the considerations we need to keep in mind in the event our bullets are not used for the extended period of time...
I am relatively new to casting (1.5yrs) and I wondered about cast lead bullet storage. Thank you for this video! I love your videos
GunsWithGage - Congrats on your early casting career - may it invigorate and enrich your shooting endeavors...FC
I laughed when you said its a good thing you didn't show us the other shelve contents. Also I loved the $4.95 price tag on those jacketed bullets.
Vengenace Early - And I really like the folks that laugh instead of the ones that cringe...Best to ya, Jeff - FC Steve
my dad gave me some small rifle primers that he bought back in the 80's. it was 12 dollars for a box of 1000 cci 400s. i also just started reloading for 5.56
elitenoob1147 - And those primers are still good... Good reloading' to ya, FC
FC, If you ever want to get rid of those "old" bullets, I would be willing to reimburse your original cost! Haha. Thanks for another great video.
I really appreciate your constant shared experience and your teacher's heart. We can discover a lot through trial and terror, but multi-decade storage is not something we can test quickly. Thank you!
(I think a more appropriate question would be "why wouldn't you need that many bullets?" I've found bullets are like bacon - they're a staple of life, even though there's a group of people that seem to despise them, I seem to have an insatiable appetite for more, and one can never have too much/too many.)
Looks like you are ready, FC! ....good fortune cast in lead!
Steve Shooter - Problem with liking different bullet molds is we wind up with a lot of bullets cast up - and that needs proper storage...Have a great day, FC
...and then, there are those other storage problems... LOL! Great day to you also, Cookie! Love your channel!
I have had my used brass getting tarnished and slightly rusted. I resolved the problem by taking each piece of brass and wiping it with slightly oily rag and storing it in ziploc bags. Remained nice and shiny for years, so it looks like gun oil protects copper as much as it protects steel.
Antoua B - Sounds good, the ziploc bag and light oil wipe in a box or not makes a lot of sense. Thanks for posting... it's a good option - I saw one YT poster then put the ziploc bagged ammo into ammo cans... all good... Best to ya, FC
All good information. Some of the copper reminds me of water pipes in some houses.
E.Kent.D - That patina on bullets or pipes still work fine...we just don't want to see oxidation on our cast or corrosion on our jacketed... Thanks for all your great comments, FC
you said moisture & heat was the 2 concerns for jacketed bullets... yes sir you are correct. just 1 more other problem politicians...
I'll have to look in some of my boxes in the garage. I've got thousands of Missouri bullet company and jacketed Montana bullet company bullets still in the shipping boxes from 9 years ago. since I started casting I've pretty much just shot my own. hope they're ok. in indiana we go from 90s in the summer to negatives in winter.
bubbacrabb - Thanks for posting this comment. That was the actual purpose for this video - most of us don't check out our bullets that we bought to "lay in a supply". I had that happen when I had to throw out a couple of boxes of bullets because some kind of moisture contamination happened - but it's funny - the rest of the bullets in other boxes were OK. But it's good to look in on them every now and then...Best Regards to ya, FC
FortuneCookie45LC couldn't you melt those bad ones down to atleast use the lead for casting?
bubbacrabb - Not at all, those bullets will still shoot, I had a partial box of 25 cals that I had to throw away though as the corrosion was much worse - should have saved them or melted them as you suggest. Best to ya, FC
bubbacrabb - I could have, but mistakingly threw them out...was only like 30 bullets though - not a big deal and that was a fair number of years ago... Best to ya, FC
I have many bullets and loaded rounds with that Antique Patina on them. The loaded ones still go bang and what ever I shoot will still fall. I never was much of a "spoke polisher" as a kid and am even worse at 70.
archersfriend - Thanks for your comment. Absolutely, the ammo is still good. Corrosion can reach a problem point though...we just don't want to get there. Continued good shootin' to ya, FC
My cast bullets don't last long enough to store. Cast, reload, shoot, repeat. But from now on I'm saving jars. Happy shooting.
I've noticed that even new Hornady ammo tends to discolor easier than other brands..
Twin Planet - Best way to protect ammo in long term storage is to coat each round with a good preservative wax like Johnson's Paste Wax. And we do not want moisture trapping packaging like styrofoam... Best to ya, FC
Cool idea. Thanks for the tips!
holy bullets. if most people had that many on standby they could sell their molds
Jake A - The jugs that are full are my more favored bullets...I do a smaller run of 1000 or so, and if sweet spot loads surface...then I cast for effect (easy with Lee 6 cavs) ...there is a constant flow of bullets down to the bullet stops, range scrap is picked up to be made into ingots - casted into bullets and shot to the backstops again - that cycle has been going on for decades. When the range officers see me taking out the range scrap, they know I'll just be bringing it back... Best to ya, FC
Fortune cookie, always nice to see other loaders supply!!
Going along with this trend, do you have a "shelf of shame"? One might assume the extraordinary FortuneCookie might have never made an erroneous round in his life! Let's see the shelf of shame and hear some stories! So far at least I don't have 2 of the same errors on my shelf.
Kind of wondered if you can toss loaded cartridges into a vibrating tumbler in corncob to polish them up?
Alan Bycroft Some folks will freak out at the thought of that but I have read that all commercial ammo is cleaned up by a short tumble. Just don't overload the tumbler.
As with all your videos ......thank you! Very informative. I am absolutely addicted to casting and powder coating thanks to you and Elvis ammo. Have you tried the Eastwood chrome bonded yet? It's my new favorite! safe shooting to you
Like most reloaders, I have jacketed bullets from decades ago that show signs of tarnishing/mild corrosion. I put them in my vibrator-brass cleaner, and they come out looking like new. Any exposed lead tips will be darkened, but no harm is done. I wonder lead BHN is affected after, say, thirty years of (proper) storage?
some good info, Indy is dry in the cold winter and humid in the sumner
MCK - With all the money or time we have in our bullets, those fine $10 Costco ammo cans are looking better and better... Best Regards, FC
Do you keep a box of baking soda in those cabinets to keep them dry just in case?
I bought one of those food savers from costco but bought the plastic rolls from amazon so I seal my bullets in those then put them in my ammo cans
Good video, I would love to see the rest of those file shelf's :-) I would love to know how you keep the seal inside those ammo cans from going bad !
Nick J, try using silicone spray, either direct and wipe off excess, or indirect by spraying onto a rag and them wiping the gasket. You don't need a lot.
Thank you very much, will give it a try :-)
you can wet tumble the bullets to clean them. it should clean the corrosion off and tarnish. i did that with a 5000 pulled 62 ss109. i did them about 800 at a time with the steel pins.
elitenoob1147 - Ahhh, making your own green tips - nice..!! Good shootin' to ya, FC
I put them in coffee cans they work great and i write on then so save so much space for my ready to go i put them in ammo boxes
Holly Molly....You got stock!
gman77gas - Shucks, Gary, I just like to shoot...just as much now as when I was a young rooster. Have a great day, FC
Looks like you have more stock than Larry at MidwayUSA...ya old rooster!
gman77gas - Now that is really hilarious, Gary ;) lol FC
Good day sir..
Do you have any advice on how to clean those bullets that have some discolouration to them?
Thanx
I have a 1941 1911 with matching military holster. and a partial box of ammo from the same time period. they look pretty rough but not that bad considering. they are probably worth money they are so old.
Ive been wanting to try out some of the hornady 44 mag 265 grainers.
monsterman27 - I haven't hunted with them, but those would be great for woods elk, big hogs and tough California jackrabbits...plus that pesky ram that doesn't want to fall on the Hickok Hill. Have a great day, FC
yeah, i was wondering how they would do in my muzzleloader. I use the 240 grain XTP with green sabot. Ive taken deer out to 120 yards with them, last season arround 100 yrd shot on a doe, but sometimes its hard to tell i got them on the longer shots. Was wondering if the 265 would would deliver more wallop. I noticed the BC of the 240 XTP is better than the 265. Id like to try the 300 grain one but you only get 50 in a box and I try to keep cost down. Everything is getting too expensive. Its like they want to price us out of hunting/shooting. Be cool if i could figure out a heavy cast bullet that would group good in the same sabot. I have not had any luck with spire point bullets grouping out of my t/c triumph. Its been a picky gun.Yeah that 265 would wallop Hickoks ram and ring the gong.
monsterman27 - the 265 will thump 'em better, but the trajectory out past 75 yards will be more pronounced. Hickok's Hill has target inside of 85 yards (distance to gong) so the trajectory is OK. Everything we do has trade-offs. A buddy can spot your hits for you, those muzzleloaders do have a habit of jolting and smoking making hit ID an issue, at distance, the 300 grainers might not be easy to tell a hit was made.... Best to ya, FC
You are well prepared for the adventures ))) Привет из РОССИИ!!!
horn410 - OK that...!! And only good to great adventures to you as well...FC
what is "FС"???
The popular Russian ammo 410 caliber!!!
horn410 - It's just short for FortuneCookie45LC - the FC is in there...Best to ya, FC
I understand your thoughts.You have good videos!!!
What shooting range would you recommend out in California?
Hey FC, good video, recently inherited alot of jacketed bullets from my grandpa. Some are showing signs of patina like your hornadys. Was thinking of trying to run them through the tumbler shortly with a little polishing compound. Have you ever done this or heard anything on it? worried it might affect dia enough to effect accuracy.
Josh Edwards - Congrats on inheriting from your grandpa - he would have been glad that you got 'em. Tumbling would work, but it is not commonly done - reason - exposed lead soft points might get some damage, and if hollow points, might get media stuck in the hollow points. The patina will not affect use of the bullets - it's the outright corrosion that makes bullets to throwaway. I had to throw out some bullets that had that from shelf sitting for decades...wished I had saved 'em, but that was before UA-cam. Have a great day, FC
I am very new to reloading( 75 rounds of 9mm) and am gathering items to start casting, so thank you! Also can those with levels of degrading, can they be tumbled with say corn cob media and polished??
Duncan MacTavish - If you are referencing our brass casings, yes, you can tumble them in corn cob and polished, but wet tumbling is much superior. I have several videos out on that. If you are talking about bullets, the dry tumbling would work very well there (I wouldn't want to wet tumble bullets as water could get into the bullet core and cause problems). I would not tumble lead bullets unless I was doing that as a step in powder coating the bullets. Have a great day, FC
I want to see what's on the other 2 shelves!!!
PhillsGarage - Probably after another 250 more videos...they might be empty...or not... Have a great day, FC
"Zippedos", I found a box for 243s. What can you tell us about these unique bullets?
Arturo Erickson - Not quite antiques, zippedo bullets were popular back in the 70s and 80s as I recall...they had little grooves in them that supposedly aided performance...but they aren't made anymore so they did not stand the test of time. You might like them. Best to ya, FC Steve
Might be the grade of copper or the prep of the copper hornady uses too.
monsterman27 - The 41 cal Hornady bullets were early runs of that caliber - I bought a dozen boxes, and it took me decades to get to where I have 4 boxes left. If you look at those 41 cals, the lead noses look like they have swelled just a bit where the jackets meet the lead...they were not Hornady's best, and they have come a long way in that time... I probably will never use those except to "shoot 'em up". It very well may have been the bullets themselves that got that corrosion and not the packaging... Have a great day, FC
I was looking at the ballistic coefficients of some of the hornady 44 bullets. Isnt it weird that the XTP 240 grain has a better BC than the spire pointed FTXs they make.
monsterman27 - B.C. makes little difference in handguns as a rule. But the FTXs have better B.C. than a lot of other bullets in lever action rifles...that's were the increase in range is put to good use. With our handguns, we aren't going to be touching off at over 100 yards unless your name is Elmer Keith or Bob Munden...or Jerry Miculek...or etc. Have a great day, FC
What about labels, what is a good kind of labels?
Mike Rupp - Good point, when a caster has so many different cast bullets, any of those stick on labels and a medium point Sharpie pen are all we need. (I don't label my cast bullet jugs because I can tell by looking what they are - plus I keep my 44s and 45s separated anyway...) Best to ya, FC
This just became an unboxing video lol
Vincenzo Lombardo - Sorry about that... If all it did was get reloaders to check out their bullet inventories... most of us have boxes we haven't opened for years... hope no bad surprises are in store. But if we have favored bullets that we bought in multi-boxes or bulk - might as well store 'em in ammo boxes rather than just have all of them sitting on shelves for long durations... Best to ya, FC
Another great video! very good information. that question someone ask is like asking an artist why do you have so much paint? hahaha thanks fortune cookie45lc, p.s. i found a great source for casting material locally, getting lined up to start soon.
Wait, throw out old bullets?! Could you not just throw them in the tumbler and polish them back up?
I've never had a problem yet, I shoot them up too quick.
Mr. Tolly - That's the best solution. The only way to beat that is to have an ammo company supply you with all the ammo you can shoot...Have a great day, FC
FC45lc I would love to if you would allow me to buy a couple empty old boxes for my collection such as Hornady or Sierra i'm 15 now and am afraid that i wouldn't get the chance anywhere else. over the summer i went to an auction with my father and happen to find a whole row of reloading related items (no presses or full cardboard boxes sadly) i was only able to buy A small box of just random gun related things and in the bottom found random bullets for reloading I wouldn't ever use them as i don't know what they are. The gentlemen who bought most of the stuff was just a collector and didn't reload himself so he gave me over 1000 card board wads for reloading 12 gauge and 20 gauge for each including some plastic ones but later found that they crumbled in your hand. I will never have a use for them and was wondering if you could use them reloading slugs maybe even a trade if you would even want to do that thanks so much for reading this. ps. i would love to see your entire collection of jacketed bullets so i know were to set my goals. pps your the biggest reason i started reloading thanks again for all the videos and keep them coming.
wesjwa andrews - Would never dream of charging you for empty boxes - Tell ya what - as you know, I don't shoot my jacketed bullets that often, but I'll do my best to empty some of those boxes and I will be saving them for you. Please keep in touch with some other comments, and I'll be saving those for you... Might take a couple of months, though - I'd dump the bullets into another container, but it's not a good idea - jacketed bullets need to be kept in the original containers. When I have them, and you comment again, I'll get your address to send them to you... Have a great day, FC
Thanks FC45LC I still want to know if you would have any use for the cardboard wads I don't Imagine I would load with them as I can't save any money.
also don't be rushing loading them just to empty the box load them at your own convenience I now know where I can the boxes at least thanks.
I apologize for all of the comments but could you do a 22 caliber video or 2 I have watched some of Elvis ammo videos but would love to see the great FortuneCookie45LC do some videos on it also how can I get my address to your without scammers getting ahold of it thanks so much for all of your very informative videos.
HI there FC45LC I was wondering if you may have emptied some of the boxes sorry if I am thought of as demanding. Thanks FC45LC
All I can say is .... Drool
Mason jars for cast bullets.
M85FSLUVR - Especially the 9mm cast bullets...!! Best to ya, FC