Can decent cast bullets be made from smelted hard magnum shot?

[nitesite]

This question has been nagging me for a while now. I'm probably going to get into casting someday, but the availability of cheap lead over the past year has discouraged me.

However, I reload shotgun and have lots of bags of 6% antimony hard shot which I bought when they were pretty cheap. Although they now sell for over $2/lb now, I got them when they were under a dollar a pound.

If I decide to make the jump and join you guys, could I use a couple three bags to make a bunch of decent 9mm and .357 bullets? I've been slowly accumulating lead WWs to the tune of about 75-lbs now but I know that I'll need more lead than that to realize the investment payoff. That's why I'm looking into the hard shot angle.

And there's also reclaimed shot as a possible source.

What does Lyman #2 sell for these days?

[cohutt]

I'd use the shot as alloy to add to soft lead.

Lyman#2 isn't cheap anywhere i've seen it- check midwayusa for an eye opener.

Keep accumulating WW. if you can score some scrap, it is usually softer stuff- sheeting, pipe seals, pipe - and would be great to mix with the shot.

more on alloys here if you have a few days to browse:

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[freakshow10mm]

Midway rapes you with "sold by ingots" for over $2/lb. Lead usually goes for a little less that $1/lb on eBay and linotype goes for about $1-1.25/lb.

[MakeMineaP99]

With lead shot going for $50/25 ibs, I wouldn't use any of it. Save the shot, trade or sell it. Do some berm mining, or trap field mining and used reclaimed lead.

Hit the tire shops up with some Maker's Mark and Krispey Kreams, they should let some lead go.

[AdamN]

There are several guys over on cast boolits that will trade ya good bullet lead for shot, probably at a good plus on your side in the weight department.

As was mentioned, dont waste a large ammount of shot by turning it into bullets, A little added to the mix is fine but you can do MUCH better trading/selling.

Put it this way, if you sell your shot for $2.00 a pound I know where you can get good clean WW ingots for $1.00 a pound.........