SCHOOL VISITS - Bullet Making

Mountain man Bullet Making Activity

Background

Without bullets a mountain man might starve, so every effort was made to retrieve bullets from game that was shot. The bullets were then melted in an iron spoon by the fire, and poured into a mold each mountain man carried which made the right sized bullets for his rifle. The molten lead, which looked like liquid mercury, was carefully poured into the mold where it cooled instantly. The solid ball was then removed from the mold, was trimmed, and was added to the mountain man’s shot bag for future use. If the lead ran out, there was no more until he could trade for some at the next rendezvous.

Note-for school classroom demonstrations I use pewter (pure tin) instead of lead to make the balls. Pewter is safe, melts at a lower temperature than lead, and looks
the same.

To demonstrate, set up a blanket or buckskin on the floor, with all the necessary items spread out on it. Students gather around the blanket, about 3 feet from the mold. I tell about the necessity of conserving and recycling lead, and how the mold works as I melt the pewter from a bar, using a small propane torch, and show the students its shimmery liquid form. Then I cast some bullets, and drop them in a wooden bowl of water. When cooled, I pass the bullets around for students to feel. They’re the size of a marble but heavier.