Reusing Bullets?

[Greebe]

I am curious if there are any accounts of the early settlers reusing their lead bullets? If so did they just salveage bullets that did not pass through the animal, or did they also look for bullets that passed through?

Also is there a limit to the times lead can be reused?

Thanks,
Ggreebe

 

[necchi]

There is no limit to the number of times lead can be re-melted.
Found lead is found.
Lost lead is lost.
:idunno:
Lead bar and/or ball and shot was always a commonly available trade item .
As said in another topic about competition shooting, they didn't shoot like we do today, if a settler or trapper was in an area where trade goods come but once or twice a year thing's like lead was used as only needed.

 

[THBailey]

I'm just guessing here but I am pretty sure a free trapper 7 months from rendezvous did his best to find the round ball he dropped that deer with. I'm also pretty sure when he found it, it was melted and re-cast before using again.

 

[Greebe]

My thinking is along those lines as well. Seems like one would have taken a little time to find his lead after shooting it. I know I have hunted around looking for pass throughs on deer, just to see how the bullet performed. Sometime I actually find them.

I am curious though if any of the old writings indicated this.

 

[Greebe]

Any idea what the cost of lead was back then percentage wise in comparison to now?

 

[George]

Interview of Wm. Clinkenbeard, John Dabney Shane papers of the Draper manuscript. About 1780.

"We were saving of lead. I shot a buffalo, got the bullet, and then shot a deer, after chewing the bullet round."

Spence

 

[Greebe]

Cool. That is the kind of accounts I am looking for. "Chewed it round." That's the way to do it. :shocked2:

 

[George]

"Chewed it round." That's the way to do it.

It doesn't have to be balls which are being reused, chewing came in handy at other times. From _Hidatsa Eagle Trapping_, by the anthropologist G.L. Wilson, concerning hunting ducks in mid-19th century by Hidatsa Indians. They had run out of small shot...

"We cut some bullets into small pieces and then bit these little pieces round, like shot."

Spence

 

[BrownBear]

I've read accounts of early frontier shooting matches, in which the winners got shares of the lead recovered from the backstop.

 

[Wes/Tex]

"We cut some bullets into small pieces and then bit these little pieces round, like shot."

Spence

wonder why condors can't do that too? :wink: :rotf:

 

[Patocazador]

"There is no limit to the number of times lead can be re-melted." (Necchi)

Yes. It is true of any elemental metal. It irks me no end that these "used" gold buyers pay on the basis of half the current gold price because your ring, necklace, gold crown, etc. is "used".

 

[necchi]

I don't study the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade era, I'm in Minn and have done research on the Voyageur.
The wage varied greatly depending on experience and destinations, but a years wages was roughly 80-100 pounds sterling in the 1820's and that was darn good money for the time (big bucks)

Pounds=p, Shilling=s, Penny=d

A Fine single gun= 3p4s6d
1 pound of powder= 11d
3 pounds shot= 1s3d
1 pound of ball= 5d
12 flints=2d
1 gal Rum= 2s3d

A great little book about early trade items and the movment of such is Outfits and Advances by Ryan R Gale available from TOW.
He's made a very handy compilation of Hudson Bay Company records

 

[Golfswithwolves]

It is wise to use a bullet again if it has proven itself as a game-getter. Same with recovered shot. You know they have gotten the job done once, so it only makes sense to put them up to bat again.

 

[Greebe]

It is wise to use a bullet again if it has proven itself as a game-getter. Same with recovered shot. You know they have gotten the job done once, so it only makes sense to put them up to bat again.

Lucky lead? Hehe :blah:

 

[FishDFly]

"It is wise to use a bullet again if it has proven itself as a game-getter. Same with recovered shot. You know they have gotten the job done once, so it only makes sense to put them up to bat again."



How many folks wandered around carrying used balls in their pockets?"

"did they also look for bullets that passed through?" How does one find a pass through?


"How many folks find used shot", most folks only find used/recovered shot when eating critters and break a tooth.

 

[azmntman]

I was able to dig one out of a tree a fat cow elk was standing right by once. Pass through and about 2 inches deep!

Other than that its dig n sift time and I would pass myself (long as we can still get lead any other way)!

 

[FishDFly]

Yep

 

[Patocazador]

It's amazing that we can't find the lead once it's shot but ducks and condors seem to gorge on it. :idunno:

 

[hanshi]

It's amazing that we can't find the lead once it's shot but ducks and condors seem to gorge on it. :idunno:

...according to the "Disney", or is it "Dizzy" crowd, they seem to think so.

I rarely find my shot lead. If it's a deer, it usually goes straight through.