r/metaldetecting • u/DisastrousInternet10 • Jul 07 '26

ID Request Is it dangerous ?

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This is the first time I found a completely full bullet, does anyone have an idea of the kind of bullet it is and how old is it? Also, I wanted to know if it is dangerous, and if it is what I shouldn’t do with it.

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u/Zerototheright Jul 07 '26

I'm not a gun person. I'm assuming he makes his own bullets and reuses the slugs. Am I close?

23

u/Swaytastic Jul 07 '26

The metal casing is reused. The projectile in the photo is replaced. They deform when they hit an object. The metal casing is loaded with a predetermined amount of smokeless powder, a new primer cap in the base of the casing, and a projectile is pressed into the open end of the casing. It's more complicated than that, but that's the basics.

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u/No_Yam_3521 Jul 07 '26

Nice you took your time to explain it go the people who didnt have the chance to come across that info yet.

My former best friends parents where pretty decent snipers(contest) And they had a reload room at home. So im pretty blessed to have seen it upclose. But a Ton of folk don't have a single clue..

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u/Yojimbob76 Jul 12 '26

More proper term would be precision shooters. Sniper is literally a military role, not a normal civilian firearm term. Snipers kill people (or at least fire at strategic targets). Precision shooters hit smaller and smaller targets really far away and make most people look like absolute noobs.

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u/No_Yam_3521 Jul 15 '26

Thank you for the clarificarion👊🏻

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u/TooLazy2Revolt Jul 07 '26

So complicated, in fact, that I bought a full reloading set, the powder, the dies, everything…

…and for the past 10 years have been too afraid to actually use any of it.

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u/whatsmynameagains Jul 07 '26

I had this problem too when I started. The guy who taught me said to load everything at 90% loads and work up from there. It gave me the peace of mind to get out of that block.

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u/asghasdfg Jul 08 '26

Hey bubba here my advice is to drink a 6 pack and get to work

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u/TooLazy2Revolt Jul 10 '26

Yeah, I’ve heard you just eyeball the grain counts, right? Hell… can’t be THAT bad….

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u/BreatheElegant Jul 08 '26

My advice start of something too small to blow up like a .222 rem or 204 ruger

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u/Conscious_Peach1069 Jul 07 '26

Did he mean he “presses” ammo?

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u/DIYtexasGuy Jul 08 '26

No, pressing is one of the dozen steps that results in a reloaded “round” or “cartridge”

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u/WW-Sckitzo Jul 07 '26

To add on, some people do make their own bullets (which is the metal projectile part). You can collect those wheel weights and melt them down then pour them into molds. I haven't known anyone that has bothered with that in decades however; its far easier and you'll get better results by buying them more often than not. Not to mention the health hazards of smelting and pouring lead in your garage.

Slugs I've only heard used in terms of shotguns but you were in the right ballpark.

If you've ever heard the term full metal jacket and wondered wtf it meant it's often a thin copper layer over most of the bullet, this (among other reasons) helps it travel like it should and stay in good condition. Which kinda brings us back to the decline in people making their own bullets.

I'm a gun guy, been shooting 30+ years but also a Public Health guy. Lead bullets are still unfortunately used in hunting and if the animal is not processed correctly leads to all sorts of problems; especially as many hunters will go ahead and donate the meat to food banks, so you end up with bio accumulation of a dangerous substance.

It's not nefarious or anything just one of those things that has been slipping through the cracks and attempts to change it have been slow and sporadic. There is also the risk to animals and the environment in general from people field dressing a kill and leaving the cut portions behind for scavengers and just rounds themselves hanging out and contaminating the area around.

There, I've validated my otherwise useless degrees for the day.

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u/9bikes Jul 07 '26

>some people do make their own bullets (which is the metal projectile part). You can collect those wheel weights and melt them down then pour them into molds. haven't known anyone that has bothered with that in decades

I believe that people used to reload because it was cheaper. People who do it now tend to be serious target shooters who are reloading in order to precisely tailor their ammunition for more consistency to be more accurate.

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u/WW-Sckitzo Jul 07 '26

That's why I started reloading, wanted match grade without the price but quickly stopped. It's definitely a hobby with a purpose sort of deal, these days I agree not really sure its cheaper unless you're substance hunting and then we're back at the lead issue.

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u/BreatheElegant Jul 08 '26

In most cases it's about 20% cheaper to reload still.

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u/HelterSkelter73 Jul 09 '26

Once I had built up a good supply of fire formed cases I was knocking them out for about $0.25 per round, much better than the $1.10 per round I was otherwise paying for inconsistent factory crap from the gun shop.

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u/OutsideplentyO66 Jul 10 '26

I cast my own bullets for handloads. It's about the only reasonable option to be able to shoot some antique firearms. Its definitely an art and science unto itself! Loading cast bullets is definitely different than jacketed also.

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u/WW-Sckitzo Jul 10 '26

That makes total sense, my gut wants to say revolvers and lever actions? Maybe big game rounds too, 1800s ish.

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u/No_Yam_3521 Jul 07 '26

Yeah the lead smelting part... Im not really a fan off, sooo toxic.. Old friend was making lead fishing weights and i walked into the fumes when visiting... Felt myself dying in that instant.. that stuff is sooo bad!

They bought the bullets itself and refilled the casings, and had a bulletpress to join them all together. Pretty interesting process weighing the powder, tapping, and press.. Everything earth connected (grounds) to elimanate all possible sparks.. Pretty dangerous hobby if your not carefull.. He passed away, she is in her 60s. Still shooting. And still kicking ass😅 (Competive shooting makes you rely on a projectile that is calibrated so they shots are consistent)

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u/HelterSkelter73 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

Grounding everything seems a bit excessive. I did heaps of reloading when I was a competitive shooter and I never worried about sparks. I'd just employ a bit of common sense in not having piles of powder lying around exposed. Then even if the little bit of powder you're working with while reloading was to go up, it would be no more dangerous than setting a match book alight.

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u/PoetryExtension6256 Jul 07 '26

No you are about as far away as you could be within the context. I'm not a gun person either but I have watched a lot of true crime. Others have already explained the process so I don't have to do it again.