New to Casting

[kellykasia]

I am about to make my first attempt at casting. I have been reloading for years, but never made my own. I'm starting with 9mm. I have 50 lb of 99% pure lead. I know I need to add tin, or antimony to it to make it harder. I've read through a lot of the threads here already. A lot of great advice, but still a little confused. What would you recommend I buy to mix in with that much lead and how much of it for a 9mm projectile? You all really seem to know what you are talking about here so any advice would be appreciated. I will continue to read through the existing posts here.

Thanks

[Bzcraig]

2% tin by weight will get you where you need to be and give you good boolits.

[kellykasia]

great, thank you very much

[Scharfschuetze]

Kelly,

Before getting started, take a minute and download the "From Ingot to target" from this thread. The link is in the first post.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?110213-From-Ingot-to-Target-A-Cast-Bullet-Guide-for-Handgunners

[kellykasia]

Kelly,

Before getting started, take a minute and download the "From Ingot to target" from this thread. The link is in the first post.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?110213-From-Ingot-to-Target-A-Cast-Bullet-Guide-for-Handgunners

Thank you very much. I will check that out now.

[41 mag fan]

You can go the cheap rate or the more expensive rate. Cheap rate is to mix a know amount of tin/antimony mix into your lead , or use range scrap.

More expensive way is to buy from members who advertise tin/antimony mix on here and add, or the most expensive way is go thru rotometals and order from them.
Rotometals will be expensive but you know when you buy from them, that you're getting what they advertise.

[Cherokee]

Kinda depends on what level of load you are going to use in the 9mm. For me, I found a 2% Tin 3% Antimony alloy works best for my below-max top end loads and adding 1% more tin really improved the accuracy of my top end loads. YMMV. If you can, get Rotometals stuff so you know what you have and can repeate it in the future. Otherwise, look for some Linotype.

[Lizard333]

IMO opinion, even with the tin in your pure lead, it won't be hard enough for 9mm. My 9's require COWW with 2% tin to get the barrel leading to stop. Fit is also important. Mine are sized to .357.

Read up, you can save yourself some headaches.