Bullet storage: As cast or sized?

[Petrol & Powder]

I immensely enjoy both casting and reloading but of the two endeavors, casting is a bit more involved.

When it is time to cast bullets, there’s some setup, the actual process and some break-down/clean-up. Not a big deal but since the process is a bit involved, when casting, I tend to cast far more bullets than I will need for reloading in the immediate future. This means the cast bullets will be stored.

I store “as cast” bullets in coffee cans. Again, this is no problem. Lots of coffee cans on hand, easy to mark the lid with a Sharpie to identify the contents. The bullets stay clean, and the cans are durable. Life is good.

My quandary (and it’s a tiny quandary) is whether to store the bullets “as cast” or to lube & size them before storing them?

I tend to store bullets “as cast”, unsized, and without bullet lube. However, this means when it is time to reload, the first step is to size and lube the bullets needed. (I don’t powder coat and I have no intention of going down that path). This isn’t a huge time bandit, but it does make the reloading a bit slower because I have to set up the lubersizer, and spend time to size a batch of bullets before reloading.

I know that I am just trading time spent at one step of the process for time spent at another point in the process, but it got me thinking. None of this activity is a chore – just pondering my methods here.

 

[fiver]

well,,, LOL
i've fought this battle and won and lost.
i started keeping the as cast in 5 gallon buckets,, then lube sizing a couple thousand and storing them for use on a RTG shelf.

i got about 5-6 5 and 7 gallon buckets full of lube-sized bullets that i can't move, and digging them out is a pain because i end up with lube shoved under my finger nails about to the depth of my elbows.

 

[Winelover]

I lube and size all bullets ASAP.

When I used 50-50 lube I stored them in 3M electrical tape boxes and stacked those containers inside one-pound metal coffee cans. That method worked effectively.





Since then, I've switched to less tacky Carnauba Red. I still use that method for the short pistol bullets, since I still have the containers. However, rifle bullets are stored loose, in clear plastic containers, without issues.

 

[STIHL]

I am in the same boat, when I fire the pot off I normally run several hundred to a thousand at a time. Most of the time. Occasionally I’ll make a couple hundred just to try but otherwise it’s run 2-300 of one then grab the next mold. It’s hard to sit one down when you have it hot and dropping those perfect boolits. I’m not in the boat fiver is in, but I end up with as casts stored in quart jars or Rubbermaid storage tubs. Chip dip jars work good too and are plentiful around my house. I powder coat a bunch when I can but do not size. When I need them I size up enough to keep me going a while. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to do this, for the most part you have the same time involved. It really is what works best for you. Of course one of my sizers is always on the bench, so I don’t have to drag out and then put back up. I just change dies. Assuming I have an appropriated top punch. Thanks to Keith I’m slowly getting my custom nose punches made.

 

[oscarflytyer]

my cast bullet storage system is 4x4x4 heavy cardboard boxes. Nearly like what you buy 500 cnt in. And most of mine are 500 cnt or less. Big plus is a local company makes the boxes and I like doing business with them. I REALLY like this method because the boxes are very sturdy, priced right, stack easy, I can pick them up!!!! and I can write on them, then use painter's tape (over) and write anew! I have even gone to storing some jacketed bullets in the same boxes/system.

 

[RBHarter]

I have several container variations. I like to run about 120 "that looks ok" pours per run . That works great for 8c the H&G #130 , there's 2-3 yr worth of 200 gr 45s there . It's not so good with the 45-500 single and it borders on exhausting with the 454424 HP . 2,3,4,&5 cavities are better but in all of them it's 100-120 pours and occasionally influenced by the melting pot consumption. I mean I have 2 moulds that gulp 1600 gr per pour and several 5s&6s that gulp up 1000-1200 per pour , not including sprues . With those it takes a refill to get over 70 pours even dumping the sprues back in the 20# pot . Those only soaking ups 5-700 gr per pour make it a one pot deal .

I cull immediately. Mentioned elsewhere I reject 20% for visible flaws . Depending on the particular application I may weigh the 80% remaining into 3 lots and junk .

I store lubed because of all of the above and I stack 22-32/8mm in pill bottles . This is handy as I left an account note to have my scripts filled in the large dia bottles owing to mechanics arthritis and over 70° grip bloat . The up side is that the bottles brick stack and will hold 100 or more each under 32/8mm . Ms got on a humus thing about 2 yr ago and I have about 20 of those little round tubs about 4.5×2" deep and those hold about 150 of the assorted 45-230 to 265s each . While that doesn't seem like a lot of bullets I also have a few a few of the plastic yellow Speer boxes and 30-40 of the smaller "roll of quarters" sized pill bottles on the shelves. 48×48×8" with 8 steps with at least one row 1 tall 2 deep of 60 or so different bullets in like 20 calibers depending on how you want to break down RB and ML/C&B shot . Plus a whole shelf level dedicated to jacketed stuff .

When it works out and I get a day to myself more or less I will cast in the morning cull into lunch and size in the afternoon. Other times I set up the sizers on the cafe table leg , lubesize as much as I can and bottle stack them . Any bulk over runs just get bagged for days when I am able to lubesize and can .

I guess the short answer is yes . I store both ways but prefer to have them ready to load .

 

[Brad]

I generally store as cast. When I was using traditional line I grew weary of needing to neatly stack bullets so they didn’t get lube all over each other.
With PC I still store some as cast but don’t worry about storing them coated as they will not get gooey in bulk storage.

I use plastic bins for storage. Using only a few designs has helped a ton as I don’t need to keep 30 different designs on hand.

 

[300BLK]

I've stored "as cast", lubed & sized, and powder coated and sized. Stackable plastic containers are my preference. Buckets that are difficult to more are reserved for ingots. LMAO!

 

[358156 hp]

Mine are powder coated and stored unsized. I've had some experiences where antimonial alloy bullets have "grown" a mite in storage so I don't size them until I'm ready to use them. Besides, I may want to try something different at some point in the future.

 

[Jeff H]

Since I've gone to the time, trouble and expense to make sure all my 35-calibers take the same diameter, and have off-loaded multiples of the other calibers, I size/lube or PC/size as soon as I can after I cast. Sometimes that's within a day, sometimes it takes a while longer. Since I don't cast anything all that hard to begin with, age-hardening has not been an issue.

My containers are a wild assortment of "recyclables." I prefer the clear ones to translucent and prefer translucent to opaque. The variety is convenient for the fact that some moulds cast a lot of bullets and some cast a few, so I have various sizes to accommodate the varied quantities.

When I am lubing, I'm usually tumble-lubing and I like getting a coat of lube on them as quickly as possible. That way, if I don't get to the sizing and relubing steps as soon as I wish, I have no concerns about bullets getting crusty. All of mine are stored in a building with no climate control. Worst I've seen is pure lead "round-balls" for muzzle-loaders. It might take a decade or two, but Ive found some recently which actually looked fuzzy, like tiny white tennis balls.

 

[beagle]

It depends! If I have a lot loaded already, I may size and lube 500 and store in slide top plastic .22 boxes. The remainder go in small cardboard boxes as cast. If I'm short on loaded, the whole run may get sized and lubed. Look to have "ready to fire", "ready to load" and backup batches. Don't always work out this way but that's my goal./beagle

 

[Cadillac Jeff]

I don't PC, so I store mine unsized .
The Mrs likes to go to yard sales & thrift store's & is often on the lookout for those tin containers with lids , preferably hinged & square as the round ones take up more space.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I wish coffee cans were square, if they were, they would stack better. But, they are strong, plentiful (I drink a lot of coffee) and work well.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[RicinYakima]

My shooting buddy and I bought a case of the Midway blue storage boxes 20 years ago. I only cast enough ahead for a couple of years shooting and store them as cast. If I size and lube some, they go into cardboard 2x4x4 boxes because at 110* the lube would all be at the bottom of the plastic boxes.

 

[bruce381]

I do a few 1000 per session then inspect and box. when bored or done with chores I turn the star heater on and size a few 100 or all of them then re box. Now have about all my molds cast and sized need a new mold to play with.

 

[Tomme boy]

I store everything in peanut jars or pickle jars. The plastic ones. I don't shoot anything lubed anymore other than my black powder stuff. I usually always cast coat size within 2 days total of casting them. It has bitten me a few times as the bullets grew in size when I loaded them right after sizing. Then they would not chamber. It was mainly with my rifle stuff. I still have about 200 rounds of 350 legend that will not chamber I need to do something with. I think I may be able to just seat them a little deeper to be able to shoot them. They are powder puff loads so no danger seating them deeper.

 

[Winelover]

So they grow in storage. Resize them before loading, if necessary.


For example: I have four 44 caliber firearms. Three require bullets sized at .433 diameter. So, I initially size and lube all at .433 diameter, before storage. One revolver requires .431 diameter, so I'll just rerun them through a .431 sizer, just before loading them. Not a big deal. Rather have large diameters than too small. Large can be fixed, small can't.

 

[Glaciers]

I use Ziplock plastic screw top containers from small to quart size. Yes they’re round, but they are cheap, they nest on top of each other and when not being used nest inside of each other.
I don’t size till I’m ready to load for reasons Winelover states in post #17. Plus I mostly use a tin lead mix but still use COWW for a few calibers.
Don’t need a big container for a couple hundred 39 grain Hornet slugs.


The shelf over the sizers has been replaced with a slightly deeper shelf, I think 9” so I can get double deep storage and stack if needed. The new shelf also has 4 brackets screwed into 1 & 1/8 plywood under the two layers of Sheetrock. The amount of cast inventory has grown since this picture was taken.
Like I said I size before loading which allows for PC or traditional lube as needed.

 

[Thumbcocker]

I have both on hand at any given time. I tend to do things in batches. When I'm in a casting mood I cast till I'm no longer in a casting mood. Then I will set up the Star for a diamater and size till I get tired of that. As far as getting tired of a step, try gas checking a pint container of .223 bullets. For days I could close my eyes and see tiny little gas checks. I preferr to keep plastic containers of ready to load bullets on hand.

 

[Fiddler]

Back when 22 LR was scarce there were MANY 22 Mag. 50 rnd boxes left at the range. Perfect for holding 50 Lyman 311284's, 64 of NOE's copy of the '315' bullet or 100 of Lyman's 3118. They may or may not be processed. Then I started saving in these 3" dia. X 2 3/8" tall tubs that Spry Gum come in, good for >200 32 cal. pistol bullets or ~100 for the 38-40. Lately a lot of bullets are going into tin cans until they get sized and lubed. I wish there were more square containers, (as in free.)