hard lead for buckshot

[William Yanda]

I plan to cast some buckshot.
Seems the consensus is that buckshot need to be harder than soft lead.
I believe I have at least 3 options.
1.COWW, water quenched,
2.COWW, oven treated, or
3.harder alloy.
I have COWW in muffin tin ingots, assume 3% Sb, 0.5% Sn, Mikeypooh's typemetal, Assume 15% Sb, 5% Sn and pewter. Does 10# COWW, 1.5# typemetal and 7 oz of pewter get me close to Lyman #2?
I couldn't figure out inputing my ingredients on the alloy calculator. Hopefully someone here has BTDT.
Opinions?
Thanks
Bill

[runfiverun]

you plan on shooting stuff on the other side of an oak tree??
you do know you have to get the stuff down a barell and maybe through a choke.
3% antimony is super magnum shot in pellets of that size.

[William Yanda]

3% antimony is super magnum shot in pellets of that size.
Thanks r5r
Looks like straight COWW might be the simplest course. But isn't there some arsenic involved? I thought the hardness was to prevent deformation between ignition and the muzzle, to encourage straight flight. Is there something I am missing?

[fcvan]

The factory buckshot we used to qualify with was soft and had a buffering agent to reduce shot deformation. The buffering agent was little white beads, composition of which I couldn't tell you. I'm sure it can be looked up.

The Rem 870 Express guns at work were Cylinder bore and were fun to shoot. I bought several of the surplus guns after I retired, 4 of the 5 were unfired. I couldn't pass them up for $189 apiece.

[William Yanda]

" ....4 of the 5 were unfired. I couldn't pass them up for $189 apiece. "
Sweet-I just paid almost that much for a rifled barrel for mine.

[Greg5278]

" ....4 of the 5 were unfired. I couldn't pass them up for $189 apiece. "
Sweet-I just paid almost that much for a rifled barrel for mine.

I would cast them from Wheelweight with 1-2% tin for good fillout.
You can then heat treat them like a regular bullet from WW. I water drop them after 1 hour in the oven at 425-450F. I add a few drops of soap to my cooling water bucket to lower the surface tension so they cool faster. They pattern pretty tight if the rigth wad and buffer is used.

I use the Precision Reloading buffer, as it's very easy to work with, cheap, and a great Product.

NOW for the Caution! Be careful working up loads to buffer. The Buffer can drastically change the Chamber pressure. If possible use a known buffered load, and then back it down a little bit if the pressure is over 10,000PSI. That should keep you out of Trouble even with a 2 3/4" gun. Check your Extraction, and carefully look at the head of the hull around the Extractor Cutouts. If you are generating higher than normal pressure you can see a slight mark or bulge. You have to know you gun, my Ithacas show it diffenently than other designs. Any area where the Head is unsupported will be the first place to check. Also use slower burning powders. PM me if you need some guidance on where to start, and which Powder.
Greg
AKA 12 Bore

[DLCTEX]

I don't see a need to harden them if using COWW, but WCWW will work. I wouldn't want them too hard if shooting them through a choke.

[runfiverun]

you don't need tin to make a ball.
most just use pure lead to make round balls [think muzzle loaders].
ww's of either variety will do the job easily.
buffer is excellent for protecting the shot, allowing it to flow around in the barrel and through the choke area too, it also helps groups be more even from round to round.
arsenic is a surface tensioner it helps lead alloy go round, that's why they use it in shot.
i'd look at ballistic products for the buffer, load data, and general good ideas pertaining to shot shell loads.

[Down South]

I use COWW. I use the small tumbler bowl for my Lyman 1200 to graphite impregnate the buckshot. The tumbler also helps round out the buckshot and smooth out sprue cuts.