Wheel weights?

[charcoleburner54]

I have a coffee can full of wheel weights when cast in a maxi ball mould are they to hard for a muzle loader thanks for the info

[dh2]

if they are clip on yes they are too hard, stick on weights you can get way with, they are close to pure lead.

[bangerjim]

COWW's are ~12Bhn.

You want pure......5Bhn. Most use that.

banger

[Loudenboomer]

coal burner I too think your best bet would be to swap for some dead soft lead. As already mentioned stick ons will probably due for a Maxi.

[mooman76]

They will work fine for round balls though.

[Brittany]

Mooman, is correct they will shoot just fine . I have shoot thousands of wheel weight cast RB in my 45, 50, 54. 58 cal.

Charlie [smilie=s:

[Hanshi]

I suppose they would work if mixed with equal parts pure lead but I'd prefer casting ball with it and using it for prb.

[brad925]

I shoot wws all the time but had to go to a .005 patch to load them.

[mac266]

if they are clip on yes they are too hard, stick on weights you can get way with, they are close to pure lead.

What he said. Clip on wheel weights are great for smokeless pistol loads. The stick-on weights (strips of lead squares with a sticky backing) are almost pure lead. Separate them out and use the stick-ons for your black powder boolits.

[Good Cheer]

You can use hardened lead for maxiballs if (big word that) the diameters are just exactly correct to make it work in your particular barrel. Won't know 'til you try. Most likely you won't have the perfect match up of barrel to as cast diameters and will need to use softer metal to load it due to an interference fit and/or to expand to fill the rifling. Muzzleloading is so much fun compared to sticking jacketed bullets into a case!

[shadowcaster]

I have a coffee can full of wheel weights when cast in a maxi ball mould are they to hard for a muzle loader thanks for the info

Generally WW's are a bit too hard for maxi balls. Try something softer closer to pure lead. WW's do work well for patched round balls though.

Shad

[shdwlkr]

I agree with shadowcaster maxiballs need to be soft lead, rb can be made from wheel ww's reason is the rb don't have to cut into the rifling like the maxiballs do. I think that is how I want to say it.


Generally WW's are a bit too hard for maxi balls. Try something softer closer to pure lead. WW's do work well for patched round balls though.

Shad

[lobogunleather]

Another factor is likely to be a difference in "as cast" diameter. In rifle and pistol cartridge reloading I regularly use wheelweights, 50/50 wheelweights and linotype, and pure linotype. In .30 caliber rifle my mold drops pure wheelweight metal at .3084", the 50/50 alloy at .3088", and pure linotype at .3092". Weights of all as cast are different, but diameters vary due to less shrinkage as the metal solidifies and cools.

[3leggedturtle]

I cast the Lee REAL 200gr out of WW for my 45 Hawken. Once it is started it was as easy as any other to seat down on the powder. Used a piece of walnut to get it started into the muzzle so the nose was flesh with barrel. Probably shot 3-400 out of it. The top band measured .467, never cast them out of pure to compare the diameters.