Messed up lead

[Doc]

I recently acquired a whole lot of ammo that had been in storage for a long time. There are hundreds of rounds of .22 ammo, and some lead balls for a muzzleloader. The problem is that the lead is kind of corroded with a white outer layer. Will this corrosion affect the bullet performance or the gun barrel in which they are fired? Is there a way to clean the corrosion off the lead?

[fasteddie]

I wouldn't try to clean the lead off live rounds unless it was real light corrosion . Take the stuff with heavy corrosion, package it , then take it to Growalot's property and bury it . Problem solved . 

[wolc123]

That .22 ammo would be great for dispatching trapped coons and possums.  Accuracy don’t matter for that.  I hold the barrel right next to their heads.
 

That has been my biggest usage of .22 ammo, the last few years.   I have been doing all of my target practice with a BB gun, for about 5 years now, to conserve ammo and to minimize aggravation of the neighbors .
 

  I give coons a single .22 shot, to the intersection of a x formed between the eyes and ears.  Pussoms get that, and a second shot, behind the shoulder.  They have a little pea brain that is hard to hit consistently, and they will play their name, if you miss it.  The double lunger always does them in.  

[airedale]

I collect old vintage metallic cartridges and have some with that white residue on lead bullets, I also have some old odds and ends 22 ammo in a jar some of which with pure lead bullets has the same type residue. I use the 22 stuff for informal plinking and as far as I can see it still fires ok and accuracy is adequate enough for that kind of use. As for taking off the white residue I once read that vinegar on a rag will take it off without too much wiping and  elbow grease.

Al

Edited July 9, 2022 by airedale

[fasteddie]

Not to get too far off topic but why shoot Opossums ? They eat a lot of Ticks ! 

[wolc123]

1 hour ago, fasteddie said:

Not to get too far off topic but why shoot Opossums ? They eat a lot of Ticks ! 

It’s been a few years since I caught one.  If I do this year, I might release it for that reason (and to save the 2 22’s)  I don’t think they do nearly the damage to the corn as the coons do

[mattypotpie8S]

2 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Not to get too far off topic but why shoot Opossums ? They eat a lot of Ticks ! 

https://www.fieldandstream.com/conservation/possums-dont-eat-ticks/

[mowin]

Opossums don't eat ticks. Matty has already posted the link to a study supporting just that.  

[land 1]

oppssums raid alot of nest and even if they ate every tick they found still be ticks

[Daveboone]

helping this topic stray a bit, but...I always wondered ....wth? How many opossoms to people see around to start with? The occaisional highway pet, but otherwise I fail to see them making much of a dent in the ol' tic population...and if I was a 'possum myself, I be thinking its a lot less work to shimmy into a Mcdonalds dumpster for lunch than turning over a yards worth of Kentucky blue grass for a mouth full of tics.

What was the original topic? 

Moldy bullets. Put em on the porch and the 'possums will lick them clean. Really, just shoot them up for plinking or some such. As long as the casings are fine and not swollen, they should be ok.

[Doc]

Thanx everybody for the info.

[land 1]

yeah doc the orginal topic took a turn lol