Zink bullets???

[iwottopq]

Hallo to all.
Have someone tried to mould zink bollets???
With what results???
Thanks in advance.
Nino

[Tatume]

Hi Nino,

While I don't know of anyone making small caliber zinc bullets, I do know several people who make zinc cannon balls. It is a fairly easy process, except that zinc has a fairly high melting temperature. Try it and let us know how you do.

[Teddo]

How about zinc shot as a substitute for us that have to shoot steel(California). Can it be done like lead is and is it heavy enough?...Teddo

[dilly]

Several people have done this. Use steel molds, not aluminum. Some say zinc is self lubricating. The bullets weigh significantly less than lead bullets. Just a guess but 60-70% of the advertised lead weight. It's got some ballistic disadvantages. Actually, zinc is worth more than lead so you could possibly just trade the zinc.

If I ever try it (and it's interesting to me so I may give it a try), I would buy a very heavy-for-caliber mold, and keep in mind that existing lead data for zinc bullet weights will have significantly less case capacity.

For example, a 200 grain mold would drop a zinc bullet of something like 120 grains (very rough estimate). If I used 120 grain data, the case capacity would be far less than 120gr lead data, and could lead to high pressure. Be careful working up these loads.

[iwottopq]

Hello.
But the zink is more hard then fmj bullets. These can damage the barrel or shorter his life???

[dilly]

I don't know that this has ever been done (reported) in enough quantity to test that.

[iwottopq]

Ok. Thanks..

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

here is a good thread, there are others, feel free to search for them.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?89931-zinc-boolits-range-report

[fred2892]

Casting zinc bullets must have been fairly well understood back in the day. So much so that here is an article on police loads with zinc bullets.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/16/equsehun.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/16/vasupyru.jpg

[Buck Neck It]

Fred2892, great article! But I can't read it easily, what publication is it in?

If anyone wants pure zinc to try this, I have plenty to trade. PM me.

[fred2892]

'The art of bullet casting' a wolfe publication (handloader magazine etc). I don't have a scanner, but will try to get better pictures in daylight if anyone's interested.

[RKJ]

I'd like to read it if you can get it. It sounds interesting. Thank you.

[dpoe001]

might be a interesting read

[Dusty Bannister]

You might just get the CD of the book. it is good information to have.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Bullet-Casting-Collection/dp/1879356759

Wolfe publishing is still in business.

[fred2892]

Here you go.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/renegu6y.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/edyveze3.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/udany9eq.jpg

[jonp]

'The art of bullet casting' a wolfe publication (handloader magazine etc). I don't have a scanner, but will try to get better pictures in daylight if anyone's interested.

I'm interested! Great article

[fred2892]

Second page
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/ute9u4aj.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/e4ujyma6.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/3uduny5y.jpg

[fred2892]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/22/asanu4ad.jpg

[dilly]

Thanks for posting that. I am sure that took a lot of time to get those pictures all clear and properly cropped. It definitely didn't go unread, so I wanted to make sure the effort didn't go unthanked.

[BAGTIC]

Compare the ballistics for the zinc bullet with the ballistics of a like lead projectile fired at a necessarily lower velocity. At short typical revolver ranges the increased MV offsets much of the disadvantage compared to lead. At long ranges it suffers. It has always seemed to me to offer potential as a short range bullet for use on smaller game/pests and also self defense. The reduced danger space would be a real advantage.


In 50 years of reading I have NEVER encountered a claim of any gun being damaged by zinc bullets. They should certainly be safer than solid copper designs.