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View Full Version : Alloy suggestion for Lee 379-250-RF boolits



nitroproof
10-06-2007, 04:46 PM
My new Lee 379-250-RF mold arrived mid-week. I have about 24 pounds of recycled lead bullets, 14 pounds of WW's, 2 pounds of bar tin and 80 pounds of lead pipe all in ingot form.

Fired up the pot Friday evening and tried it out with the recycled bullet material.
After cleaning the mold twice (w/dish washing liquid and water) and getting the melt very hot it started dropping nice, wrinkle free boolits.

Boolit weight around 253 grains and measuring .380" (measured with a vernier caliper).

For BP velocity smokeless loads what mix of alloys would you recommend trying? I'm shooting a 1880's vintage Whitney RB.

Some of my lead water pipe ingots have a bluish tint... what would this be?

I would rather save my tin for 1:30 BP boolits.

dubber123
10-06-2007, 05:06 PM
For smokeless BP velocity loads, I have had very good luck with plain old air cooled wheelweights, fitted at least .001" over bore size. I'm sure softer would be perfectly applicable, but I save the soft stuff for my muzzleloaders. Let us know how you make out.

HORNET
10-08-2007, 06:39 PM
nitroproof,
Don't worry about the blue tint, it's almost as common on pure lead ingots as it is on old ladies hair. I've had it on ingots several times and seen lots of pictures on this site of tints from very light to very bright blue. Some even get other strange colors, nothing important, just kinda cool...

crowbeaner
10-08-2007, 09:58 PM
You can get 50/50 plumbers wipe at a good plumbing supply store. I use 18 lb. WW metal and 2 lb. 50/50 to get 20 lbs. #2 alloy. This is a little harder than you need, but it makes such nice bullets I use it for lots of stuff. You could get 95/5 solder from a HVAC outlet, and use it for 20/1. The 30/1 is good for heavy 45/70 bullets that have a long bearing area. Some of the Canadian shooters are using hard alloys, and winning a few matches, so I guess it depends on who you talk to. Enjoy. CB.

nitroproof
10-09-2007, 10:03 PM
I cast about 150 Lee 279-250-RF Boolits out of my recycled bullet material (an assortment of old cast bullets some one gave me, and some bullets I've bought over the years and never used. The ingots deffinitely "ting" when they hit the concrete floor. This evening I made up a pot of 30:1 and cast few from the Lee mold, enough to check diameter. I have a vernier caliper but it's reading .380 for both alloys. By groove dia. is .379 so I should be good.

Will load up some for this weekend's range visit. [smilie=w:

I also have Hoch mold 310 gr. semi spitzer for my 38-55. Cast about 60 Boolits out of the recycled brew to compare them to the 30:1 cast over smokeless. The Lee mold sure seems chincy compared to the Hoch! I can't complain about it though, the Lee started throwing decent Boolits from session one, didn't have to do anything but give it a good bath in the kitchen sink and smoked 'em good.