Lube or powdercoat/resize and load or pass them along?

[Howland937]

Traded for a box full of bullets today. Probably 100lbs total. Lots of old Speer 30 cal bullets, mostly still sealed. Alone, they're well worth what I have in the whole pile but they'll be finding a new home. My question is regarding approximately 800 .358 lead pistol bullets. A few hundred are old Hornady LRN 158gr, a few hundred are LRN of unknown origin and weight yet to be determined. There are probably 200 SWC and a hundred or so WC.

I don't own a .38 Special or .357 so I'd be shooting these in 38 Super if I shoot them at all. I don't necessarily need more bullets for it, though. So, what would you do with them?

There were 600 .355 124gr TMJ'S, 250 Berry's .45 200gr HP's, 1000 Fed LPP's and a pound of Accurate #2 unopened (with a white label...) also in my haul.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I don’t know your situation but I voted to send them packing based on what I would do. I just don’t have the time or money to mess with stuff I don’t need. That kind of stuff I send to the members who can use it and have the time and money to invest. But that’s me.

 

[.38 Special]

I'd personally be inclined to melt them down and use them for casting. If you do not already have a furnace and molds, perhaps the universe is telling you something.

 

[kmw1954]

I am a caster and if they are not all mauled up I'd shoot them if I had a need for the caliber. If unneeded or unwanted I pay'um forward. If they were all mauled up then I melt them.

 

[twistytorn]

My experience with the Hornday LRNs is that they're very soft swaged bullets. Works great in a 12-15ksi .38 special, but not much fun in .38 super.

They would work nicely as the bulk for a better alloy in a more suitable caliber/weight for you.

 

[mdi]

Not owning a 38 or 357, I'd melt them down and cast my own. I don't think any of the bullets you described would be suitable for 38 Super...

 

[Thomasss]

You don't have enough options for your vote. I shoot all those types. I have a Lyman Lubricator to resize and lube. But I also cast Lee .357, so those can be Alox liquid applied and shot as is. And finally Speer .30 cal. SP can be shot very nicely in my Rem. 700 or my Garand. If I would ever find another great deal, I guess I could always trade.

 

[Howland937]

There's the total haul...not counting guns, milk crate, ammo can or jump pack.
The Speer bullets are all 30 cal. 4 boxes 100gr "Plinkers" 1 box 170gr JFP, 2 boxes of 110gr jacketed IIRC.

The tubes are lubed 50 cal ML with 5 in each. 2 boxes of 385gr Hornady Great Plains, 2 boxes of .490 round ball. Big box of Hornady 158gr LRN and clear boxes are the .358 of unknown make that I was asking about. The Hornady bullets arent lubed, the rest are. It's mostly all old crap.

Thought there were wadcutters in there too, but they were round nose. They were just boxed upside down.

 

[Howland937]

Not owning a 38 or 357, I'd melt them down and cast my own. I don't think any of the bullets you described would be suitable for 38 Super...

Not ideal, but I was intrigued by the possibility of using a 158gr powdercoated bullet resized to .357 and trying to get 1000fps +/- out of it. For plinking and maybe shooting in bowling pin matches.

 

[FROGO207]

I would put the unwanted stuff on the reloading swap and sell subforum and see if someone will swap with you. Someone might have just what you need.