Lead free boolits

[nonlead]

Made these with the standard equipment. The alloy melts around 500* and for all intensive purposes behaves like lead. Nothing new is required, just don't open the mold too soon. As they cool they "sweat" and get hard to load. They will be larger than lead bullets from the same mold, but only a little. They will be a few grains lighter (155 gr for .496").

We tested them into gel and water. In water they preformed identically. In gel, they penetrated further and we couldn't recover one, although you can see the wound channel and it is similar. They are soft enough that they dent from the ram rod but harder than soft lead. Other than that, the obvious difference is color.

Accuracy is similar to lead

Price is~$.25 each for materials ( http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/leadfreebulletalloy.htm )

These were made with a crucible and ladle on a propane stove.





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Bismuth round balls


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Bismuth on top, lead on the bottom (soft lead ball stuck at 19")

[DrCaveman]

Interesting. Any reports on how it performs with more "complicated" shapes?

Price is pretty prohibitive...now, where can we find scrap bismuth?

[runfiverun]

bismuth is brittle and requires the use of tin [@5%] to make it less so.
the old shot shell pellets used to break until they started using tin.

[Tatume]

If we eventually have to hunt without lead projectiles, this becomes a very attractive alternative. The Roto Metals alloy, at $20 per pound, contains 7% tin, and from Nonlead's experiments it appears to work pretty well. If we can continue to practice with lead, and are only required to use "green" bullets for hunting, then for all intents and purposes the cost is negligible.

Please don't get the idea that I support lead-free hunting regulations. But it is good to know that an alternative exists, and that we can continue to hunt with homemade bullets.

Thanks for posting this Nonlead.

Take care, Tom

[zidave]

then for all intents and purposes

thank you for saying it correctly

[flyingmonkey35]

Oh my the dangers of shooting a critter with lead. And contaminating the local ground water I'd just to big.

Let's just ban it all together. After all you Bambi killers. Don't you know meat comes in s Styrofoam container!

Now I'll drink my organic chai latte with soy milk.

[LeftyDon]

Sounded like real good solution to no lead allowed until I saw the price. Ouch, $20 a pound!

[SciFiJim]

Someone will have to come up with a field test that game wardens and police are required to carry.

If you had boolits made of bismuth in a lead free hunting zone, they would arrest you and confiscate your gun just because it LOOKED like lead.

I may have to get some to use though. Practicing with lead and only using bismuth to zero the scope and hunt with might be doable.

Maybe make up 20 rounds or so per season.

[Finarfin]

I would carry the receipt from rotometals that documents the purchase of a lead free alloy.

[cwheel]

But we all know the weight difference will cause them to track differently at range. Can also expect them to require different powder charges as well. We wouldn't get to do range time with the lead, switch to lead free with the same load, and expect them to have the same point of impact at anything other than close range. Could have more speed if it doesn't leave deposits the bore, but lighter weight at the same speed of lead cast boolits would be a reduced energy transfer as well. Entirely different workup on the loads. Think I'm going to stick with the lead thank you very much.
Chris

[Garyshome]

How long will it be until the guns are gone after lead boolits are banned? Not very long i suspect.

[Littleton Shot Maker]

7% tin will give a better looking - fill out - on bullets molds and it is (weight wise) as close to lead (pure) you can get- %5 tin makes good shot-
There is a couple outfits looking at making lead free- Condor (cal.) safe bullets, but who can afford to shoot them????
Even a $$14.50 for premixed 5-95 you will still have to ship it...cast it, package it, label etc....BUT if you want to live in Cali. and hunt?? What are you going to do??

There is a machine ( tester for lead called 'the Hotshot') wardens should 'have' to carry them if expected to enforce the law ---right???there are no steel bullets- what do they plan to use a magnet like for shot shells??
OR arrest every one with any lead "looking" bullets- charge them all- then test ammo and release every one later?? NAW not even Cali. can be that stupid??

BTW
Atlantic metals - east coast source
Conquest metals- products?? west coast source for this alloy..... best prices so far-

I called roto one or two times-- they called Conquest.....a little info goes a long way

Conquest also makes a spin caster- that 'could be used' to make round balls - no worries at one time we looked at replacing all the old casters with this type of tech.

[xs11jack]

I think it will be a long time before we run out of lead. The military has gone to the green bullet, saving millions of pounds of lead. Lead acid batteries are not in any danger of disappearing soon. Oh, and all joking aside, Doe Run is still in operation recycling lead acid batteries. They have forecast that they will be around a long time. The next box of bullets you buy may have Doe Run lead it it.
Ole Jack

[Tatume]

Doe Run is still in operation recycling lead acid batteries. They have forecast that they will be around a long time. The next box of bullets you buy may have Doe Run lead in it.

The last box of Sierra bullets you bought probably did too. Sierra announced that most of their lead comes from recycled batteries, and they use almost no virgin lead.