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View Full Version : What alloy to use for a 35 Rem deer load



Wm Cook
11-27-2017, 05:54 PM
I would like to settle down to one alloy that would be used for multiple cartridges. They range from the 22's to the 35 Rem, but I want to be specific about buying a quantity of casting alloy that will do the job on Midwest whitetails using my 35 Remington Marlin.

Could anyone recommend a specific casting alloy or at least the percentage of lead, antimony, tin? Maybe just the Lyman #2?

Velocity will be assumed to be about 1,500 to 1,700 fps.

I guess I have the same question about lubes. I have a heater on my sizer but I prefer soft rather than hard lube. My loading process goes from being lubed to being seated in a case pretty quickly.

I was looking at the Lyman Ideal for that. What do you think of that idea.

Thanks for the help, Bill.

kens
11-27-2017, 06:51 PM
A popular alloy is 96-2-2. or (COWW + 2%tin)
Air cooled it is good for hunting loads, and handguns.
Water dropped it gets harder for high velocity applications.

largom
11-27-2017, 07:02 PM
The alloy I use for my 35 Rem., and all of my rifles is 50% wheel weights and 50% lead with 2% tin added by weight. I age my boolits 30 days before loading. I cast with the RCBS 35-200 mold. I load 33gr. of IMR 3031 for a chronograph velocity of 1800 fps. The lube I use is Felix World Famous Lube. I get no leading. Expansion test showed the boolit expanded to .550 with no loss of weight.
Hope this helps, Larry

Wm Cook
11-27-2017, 07:37 PM
All of the above helps a lot. I use the Mold 35-200-FN 35 as well. The 50/50 WW to lead and the 2% tin used by Largom is almost comparable to to the Brownell 080-001-504WS which is 97.5% lead and 2.5% tin. I had thought that was more for lower velocity black powder loads. Do you think that's about the same? It sounds like you have hands on experience and if it works it works.

From the looks of what the internet has to offer the Felix is only available as a home project. Do you think that's right? And how about the aging. I've got about 15 years of off and on casting but I am just getting serious about it now. Small cal's like the K Hornet, 222 etc. So I have to ask about the aging and the need to water drop cast bullets. Is that applicable to the 35 Remington and whitetail?

Thanks again to everyone for all of your help. Bill.

MyFlatline
11-27-2017, 07:47 PM
I run about the same mix and end up with a BHN of about 12. I powdercoat and gascheck...well, just because. My favorite load is IMR 4198, 24 to 24.5 grains, 1 1/2 " groups at 100. I use 2 different molds, one drops a touch heavier than the other, 207 and 217 for an average..208551 recovered from a water bottle test..Have not recovered one from the field.

Leslie Sapp
11-27-2017, 08:43 PM
I use the 50/50 WW/pure + 2% tin. It expands well with no leading, and I believe you'll be well pleased with the results on deer and hogs. Straight wheel weights don't expand enough at 35 Remington velocities to suit me.

shredder
11-27-2017, 08:52 PM
Ha Ha, I think I hear an echo....... I too use the same "50/50 WW/pure plus a bit of tin" with the same RCBS 200FN and have the same deer killing results at around 100 yards. My velocity is 1850fps and they make a nice smack when they hit hide. Very accurate in my marlin too. 1.5 inches at 100 yards which for me is really, really good in a Marlin lever gun with scope. No deer gets away from one of those if you hit em right.

As for lube I started with Lee alox, then lithium grease/beeswax (works great smells awful) then made up some speed green, liked it and it is still working for me. (50/50 beeswax and 2 stroke outboard oil melt em together) If I ever use up the huge supply I have, I may just have to make something else just to try it. I have had good accuracy using speed green with my 30-06 also my 8x57 Mauser and the 30-30, 303 Brit and .223.

9.3X62AL
11-27-2017, 08:56 PM
My "default" alloy is 92/6/2, AKA Taracorp alloy. It is half Linotype/half unalloyed lead. BHn runs 14-15. I cast Bruce B Soft Points for my hunting loads--the front 30% of the bullet's weight is pure lead, the rear 70% is 92/6/2. They are time-consuming to make, but you don't need many for most hunting venues. I have tested homogenous-alloy examples of these BBSPs against one another, and their targeting behavior downrange is identical--so you can practice and sight-in with the more-easily-produced homogenous-alloy bullets and hunt with the slow-production bullets and not have a performance fall-off or anomaly. I did whack one coyote with a #311041 cast in this fashion--entry wound was 1/2", exit was 1-1/2", and it was a BANG/flop at 115 yards.

I believe the process for making Bruce B Soft Points is stickied on this site.

runfiverun
11-27-2017, 10:10 PM
it is probably in the sticky section a search should turn it up.

the 50-50 + tin alloy should be about 1% tin and about 1.5% antimony many water drop this alloy and wait a month or two for full hardness [which should be around 15]
but your gonna see a full compliment of alloys mentioned.
they will range from 1% to 2.5% tin and 1.5% to 3% antimony.
there isn't gonna be much difference between any of them from 900 up to 1900 fps except for the one the meplat diameter makes.
make the meplat smaller and raise the velocity to 2200 fps and water drop the alloy from the mold [shrug] you'll once again have a very similar terminal affect, only you'll be able to do it another 50-75yds away from where your standing.