Downrigger Cannonball Alchemy

[Steak Daddy]

I've got about 24 pounds of lead downrigger cannonballs and am looking for suggestions for readily available alloying components for suitable (smokeless cartridge) casting.

I guess I am leaning towards 50/50 mix with linotype, but would appreciate any other suggestions offering a little better economy! Using only wheel weight to date, I was gifted these lumps and have no experience in alloy tinkering.

I cast only for .45 Auto and .44 Magnum at the moment, so 800 to 1300 (GC) FPS.

Thanks in advance.

[a.squibload]

Sounds like advice from an expert is needed here...

so better ask someone else!
Actually Bumpo comes to mind, I think he has posted an
alloy calculator if you search.

I assume those are soft, my quick answer would be
mix 'em half & half with clipon WWs, maybe add 1% tin
or pewter, should be good.

[bumpo628]

I agree with a.squibload that you should try 50/50 with clip on WWs, not Lino.

Since you only have 24 lbs of the mystery metal, you're better off using it for the 45acp since it is a lower pressure round and you can use much softer alloys than you can with the 44mag.

Since they could have used just about anything for the cannonballs, first thing I would do is smelt it separately into ingots to see if it melts nicely. Then cast a few boolits straight out of the smelting pot to see if it fills out well. Smash an unknown boolit against a known WW boolit in a vise to see which one is harder. That should give you a better idea of the alloy in those weights.

[Steak Daddy]

Great advice there natty bumpo, thank you.

[Sasquatch-1]

You could see if someone wanted to trade for WW alloy. Soft lead is a plus for swagers.

[L Ross]

Coincidentally I just melted down two cannon balls and two fish shaped down rigger weights. While pouring the mystery lead into ingots I preheated a single cavity Lee 45 mould I keep handy just for making test bullets for hardness testing. My LBT hardness tester revealed 8 immediately after pouring and 10 + after curing 48 hours. My guess is they were poured back when the Great Lakes Salmon boom was on, and moulds were common for fishermen casting these weights, and they were made from pre-zinc era wheel weights.

Duke

Duke

[Lance Boyle]

Duke,

I think you probably hit the nail on the head.

I know for a fact that my work's garage was casting a fair amount of downrigger cannonballs with the pulled off wheelweights. It didn't hurt that the head mechanic was a licensed fishing guide. I couldn't get WW for bullets but I did get a couple cannonballs for fishing.

Sadly NY state has gone to steel clip ons. Our new head mechanic had to empty his bins by the balancer of the lead WW and replace them with nontoxic before the law went into effect per management. He put them in a bucket that was used for a door stop for the winter. They of course were a rusty mess by Spring.

All I can say is they may or may not be shiny ingots right now with the word Lyman emblazoned on the top. :cbpour: