Shot in the mix?

[DanM]

I want to experiment with adding magnum shot to my mix. I run my 20lb Lee melter hot enough for an even frost, and water quench. With 1:40 tin/ww, this is giving me good boolits with a Bh of 14-15 measured right out of the bucket. So, I don't really need harder boolits. Not getting leading, even with near 2000fps loads, just want to experiment. I seem to remember hearing that a little shot in the mix goes a long way, so I thought I would try a rounded tablespoon of shot in the 20lb pot as a starting point. Will this add enough arsenic to make a difference? This exercise is really just for fun, and possibly some good 2200fps+ loads.

[felix]

Make several batches with various number of tablespoons and measure them accuracy wise at the target. ... felix

[beagle]

The shot's a good hardener. My shooting partner was using shot and bullets get a bit brittle. To the point where we were finding broken bullets in the berm. I mean snapped in tow and not sloughed off.

This is all right if you're paper punching or plinking but beware of this if you're using for hunting./beagle

[sundog]

I use a 'serving spoon' (like for a serving bowl at the table) and add a spoonful to each 4-6 pound of ingots added. I do not have a hardness tester, but the difference between no shot and air cooled and shot added and water quenched is VERY dramatic, immediately. Although it may be a little lacadaisical not precisely measuring, it does not make any difference. Don't know precisely what's in any of it exactly anyway. In a 20 lb pot, close for each similar constituent is not going to change any percentages any appreciable amount that we can ever notice. If you want to know EXACTLY, then you will need a high dollar lab. Hobbiests (that's US) are not capable of this level of measurement.

That said, WQ WW will be different than WQ WW+shot.

[357maximum]

I run a mix of WD'ed 50/50 ww/pure up to 2200fps and around 50K psi (gas checked 35 cal), but my goal is antler bearing flesh, for paper punching is will likely not hurt nothing having a boolit that hard. We all feel the need to play, and we all understand. Your experiment will add arsenic and antimony....it will make them harder, proably harder than you need if you are already where you need to be.

[DanM]

Trying different amounts in different batches makes sense to me. Here is what I am thinking: I will melt a pot with my regular alloy and cast till I get good bullets and quench. Then do an immediate hardness test. Then add the shot and flux. Cast some more and retest. If I get a noticable jump in hardness, I will stay with that mix, and cast out the pot. If there is no difference, I will add some more shot and retest. Does this make sense?

[jhalcott]

Those quenched bullets MAY not be at their hardest "right out of the mold". I usually only cast up a dozen or so and set them aside for a couple days. then use a mix that I know is what I want for a specific purpose. After I check the BHN of the test bullets I can adjust the shot content as needed. The test bullets get remelted at that time.

[DanM]

Yes, I usually let them set at least a week before sizing and loading, but maybe there will be a small bump in hardness right away.