I heard someone say you can only reuse lead from bullets one time. Is this true, or can you re-use the lead forever?

I would think that you could reuse it as many times as you could recover and remelt it.

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The only thing I know about Common Sense is that it isn't very common.

Was this person who told you that soliciting lead from you?

Think about the chemistry and physics involved. How would elemental lead be altered by shooting it through a firearm?

I don't shoot lead bullets but there are lots of guys at my range who do. It's a race to get to the lead in the pistol range bullet trap on cleanup days. They even cut the bottom trap and welded in stays to make it easier to get to.

When I was a kid, I used to help my Dad with panning for "gold" in the embankment all the gun-nuts used to shoot into up at the heliport. Skim off the crud, go to town with the lube/sizer.

I don't think even the old wives would try to get away with that tale.

Regards,
Brian in CA

Thanks guys. I knew it sounded fishy, but thought I'd ask since I don't cast yet.

I've got some lead that I've shot and melted 5 or 6 times.

Just beware of lead salvaged from car batteries as it has too many impurities. Fluxing will take care of normal stuff but no the ones found in the lead fom the batteries.

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Seconding the car battery post -- NEVER ,EVER, EVER use lead from a car battery. The gasses emitted during smelting are extremely toxic.

You can re-use your lead as many times as you can recover it. And yes...car battery lead is bad juju. Never use it.

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I was told that in the days when there was only black powder, hunters use to wait until a deer was between them and a tree in case the bullet passed through the deer, they could retrieve the lead for reuse.

Asking how many times you can melt and reuse lead is like asking how many times you can melt and refreeze water. Just as many times as you can recover it to use again. As for the deer thing, that's hardcore, I just ask the tire store for more wheel weights. But those days are going to come to a halt pretty quick I'm worried.

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Some of the wheel weights now days have a lot of other stuff in them than lead. Zinc is one thing that will ruin a pot of lead. If you get a wheel weight that looks real smooth and will ring of have a tin sound if you drop it on a hard surface do not put it into your mix. It most likely has a lot of zinc in it. The zinc makes the melt gritty like sand is in the mix and you can't flux it out. Years ago when I was doing a lot of bullseye shooting we had a huge highwall left over from a strip mine where our range was built on that was sandstone. We used this highwall as our backstop. From all the shooting the sandstone was turned into sand. After a good rain I would go to the range and pick up buckets of lead bullets to remelt and cast bullets with. I bet some of those had been reused 50 times or more because I was not the only one doing this.

As 1Shot stated Zinc is bad stuff,but even if you were to get a zinc weight in your ingot pot all is not lost. Zinc melts at above 787 degrees while Lead melts at just over 621 degrees if you use a lead thermometer and watch your pot temp the zinc will simple float to the top like the clips and other impurities and you can skim them right off. Ive missed on ever now and then and it's never affected my metal.

that one of the wheelweights comming to an end is pretty for sure. went to 5 different shops to start building up some lead the other day......and not much luck there...

yoop

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Naval Gunners hit harder and penitrate deeper, just as accurate without firecontrol!!

I dig out lead at the range every trip and have never had a problem.

I have "mined"lead for years and never had a problem.I don't think you will either,unless you are casting for a musket.Hollow based bullets MUST be pure lead for proper skirt expansion,that is the only problem with using "dug" lead. :thumb