reclaimed shot

Reclaimed shot has deformed pellets as a result of being shot out of a hull previously, No way a choke change will repair deformed shot to were it will pattern well.

The only way to get good patterns is to use nice round shot (new shot) I patterned some loads I made with reclaimed and it had a lot of holes in the pattern.
 
personally, I wouldn't use reclaimed shot in any gun of any value. Any shot that has hit the ground with any force at all will have a certain amount of "grit" embeded in it. I melted 10 lbs of reclaimed shot a few years ago to make bullets and the amount of sand-dirt grains in the dross skimmed off the top convinced me that I would never use it unless re-melted.

I realize that most of the shot is contained in a shot cup but enough sticks out the top to concern me.
 
I use it all the time nothing wrong with it as its reclaimed from a trap/skeet range by the time it hits the ground its in the fall zone and not moving with much power. biggest thing for me is this shot im getting is free or next to it for me new shot is too pricey to use on pest birds and clay targets. my hunting loads get new shot but that's only because there is not much #6 shot in this reclaimed stuff
 
I melted 10 lbs of reclaimed shot a few years ago to make bullets and the amount of sand-dirt grains in the dross skimmed off the top convinced me that I would never use it unless re-melted.
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That alone would keep me from using reclaimed shot in my guns.
 
Most modern wads offer enough protection. I use it when I get it. Often get more pellets migrating outward of the core pattern. Never effected my scores. I use full chokes
 
This reclaimed shot idea had a short run about 1976. While on vacation in Arizona and doing some shooting at a club, the owner convinced me to try some, I bought 100 Ibs. of it. Used about 1 Ib. of it testing loads and patterning it. It doesn't pattern well, at least not out my two guns at the time. I still have all 99 Ibs. of it and use it in the shop when Iam gluing something up and need some weight for pressure. Works great for that. Other than that it's just deformed lead.
Never thought about the dirt aspect, but that is probably a very valid point. Be kind to yourself and your scores, my advice is do not waste your money on it for reloading shot shells, use the very best new shot you can afford. Nice round pellets that contain some antimony for hardness to help them stay round for aiding in good even patterns.
 
X3
it won't pattern well

led pellets get deformed (especially the cheap stuff that most people use for trap) enough by a full choke the first time though that the patterning sucks; I can only imagine the second...third... 4th because who knows how many times the shot has been reclaimed off the range. If that shot has hit target, its going to be even worse.

Buy it to melt down to make new shot, but I wouldn't reload it as is.
 
mrgoat said:
This reclaimed shot idea had a short run about 1976. While on vacation in Arizona and doing some shooting at a club, the owner convinced me to try some, I bought 100 Ibs. of it. Used about 1 Ib. of it testing loads and patterning it. It doesn't pattern well, at least not out my two guns at the time. I still have all 99 Ibs. of it and use it in the shop when Iam gluing something up and need some weight for pressure. Works great for that. Other than that it's just deformed lead.
Never thought about the dirt aspect, but that is probably a very valid point. Be kind to yourself and your scores, my advice is do not waste your money on it for reloading shot shells, use the very best new shot you can afford. Nice round pellets that contain some antimony for hardness to help them stay round for aiding in good even patterns.
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considering most shot is still made by dropping lead into a coolant its hard to get completely round pellets
 
considering most shot is still made by dropping lead into a coolant its hard to get completely round pellets
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And they will be farther from round, each time that they are fired through a choke. If you want to be cheap, and use reclaimed shot, then be cheap, but don't try to convince people that reclaimed shot will ever pattern as well as new shot, or that it doesn't contain contaminants.
 
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antiqueguy said:
considering most shot is still made by dropping lead into a coolant its hard to get completely round pellets
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You do know that drop shot is processed to remove badly out of round pellets?
Is reclaimed shot similarly processed? Or is it just sold as is?
 
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