Winchester BB alloy

[MikeBJones]

Guys:

I just acquired 1600 pounds of virgin BB size Winchester Western/Olin (non-Magnum) shot. Does anyone know the alloy ratios? Their MSDS sheet is non-specific. Reloader's Reference lists #6 Magnum shot as 96% lead and 4% antimony. I know the standard shot is softer and should have less antimony. Not likely there is any tin in the mix. I'm guessing about 98% lead and 2% ant. Haven't tested the hardness yet. Anyone know for sure?

My first post.

[cabezaverde]

I would trade some ww alloy for some of that shot. Shoot me a PM if interested.

[smlekid]

winchester shot used to be 3% antimony for there target sizes I think the bigger field sizes dropped antimony as the bigger pellet doesn;t deform as much at firing

[mikenbarb]

PLEASE PLEASE dont melt it down! Its great stuff for coyote loads and I need some real badly if you want to sell some or work a trade. Thanks, Mike
PM sent.

[softpoint]

I prefer BB for coyote loads as well. And that's what I keep in my shotgun for home defence. I'd like to have some of it as well. It's getting harder to find.:)

[dwtim]

After doing a little bit of researching for my mag shot alloy, I learned that:

* Like the other poster said, bigger shot has less Sb, but more As;

* size 7-8 may have as much as 6 percent Sb;

* As content varies from 0.5 percent to 2 percent;

* it's never exact, because the rejects might be recycled a few times;

* chilled shot has, as stated, somewhere around 2% Sb;


I have ingotized magnum shot with 1 percent tin, and it generally comes in around 15 BHN. I have chilled shot, but it's a waste to cast with it because there's probably too much arsenic, and range scrap is much cheaper for about the same hardness. Anyway, I need to feed my shotguns. 8-)

I pieced this together by reading all kinds of product information about Mayco shot. I don't know who makes Winchester's.

[MikeBJones]

To those who want my BBs. I can't see where it would make economic sense, considering the shipping costs, to barter for the shot. It costs about $.20-$.25 per pound with a 66# max, to ship flat rate with USPS. That seems to be the popular method for shipping WW and alloys. Unless you're willing to offer your first born, I plan on keeping the supply and smelting it as needed for bullets. Not going to waste it on making 7-1/2 shot. I'd like to stick to the topic of what the alloy is. Again, I assume it is 1.5-2% antimony and 98% lead with a trace of arsenic. Anyone know for sure? It is American Standard Winchester Western/Olin.

dwtim:

I'm curious why you feel shot has too much arsenic for casting. I've cast some 45 cal. hollow points and shot them in water. They expand almost the same as my mix of 10#WW+10#Pb+1.3#50/50 solder. No fragmenting, but just a little harder than my mix.

Mike

Thanks for the replies

[jar-wv]

Mike. I have a bunch of chilled lead shot recovered from a turkey shoot range. Most is #8. After smelting I found the ingots to be a bit softer than ww but a good bit harder than pure. Dunno if that helps you out any or not.

I'm not going to ask to trade for any or buy any, but why not help out fellow casters if they make it worth your while. You will find that this is really a great bunch of honest folks here. And by the way welcome to cast boolits

jar

[Rick N Bama]

If you want to sell some, I would be in for a few pounds. An ounce of BB's should be good medicine for my pesky backyard Squirrels.

Rick

[Gee_Wizz01]

If you want to sell some, I would be in for a few pounds. An ounce of BB's should be good medicine for my pesky backyard Squirrels.

Rick

Rick

You must have some really tough squirrels if you need BB's!

Gary

[mpmarty]

LOL on the "backyard squirrels". Where I live they weigh around twenty pounds and fly when startled. Turkeys are a curse hereabouts and whenever a bunch comes on the property I sneak out with the twelve gauge and try to nail the toms. Once you take out the toms the hens don't come back for some reason. Anyway last weekend up our driveway comes about a dozen of the critters and I grabbed the Mossberg 500 and snuck out the back door. Worked my way around the house and crept behind the wifes Suburban and drew down on the most distant tom I could spot. Dropped him and shucked another into the chamber while I regained my footing and wondered why the darn 500 seemed to kick so hard. Dropped a second tom and missed a third before they all got away. Picked up the empties and realized I'd had some #4 magnum buckshot in the darn thing for some reason. WOW was my shoulder sore the next day.

[Rick N Bama]

Rick

You must have some really tough squirrels if you need BB's!

Gary


LOL, the d@@@ things run up to the top of a big popular tree I have that I estimate to be about 45-50 yards away. I'm planning on maybe loading 1-1.5oz of BBs into a 3" hull as hot as I can get it. If I can get 1 BB into the Squirrel, he's all mine. I hate the things, especially when they start getting into my attic, stealing the Pecans, etc. Since my old neighbor, that kept them in check moved, I'm shooting at 3 or 4 a week. Sometimes I get lucky & connect on 1 or 2. I've even bought a Mossberg M535 & equipped it with a TruGlo Strutt Stopper choke in an effort to better control their population. I would just buy some Hevi shot loads but dang the cost of those....my pocketbook simply won't take it with all the Squirrels we have.

Rick

[Treeman]

Rick, RE squirrels:Cb caps in a .22 or a good air rifle.

[dwtim]

dwtim:

I'm curious why you feel shot has too much arsenic for casting.

Because arsenic is not lead. 8-) The bullets come out light. So do my magnum shot bullets, but they have more Sb, so they work better in the dual role of high pressure pistol bullet and low pressure rifle bullet. (I don't think shot is not good for casting--many of my bullet alloys contain magnum shot.)



I've cast some 45 cal. hollow points and shot them in water. They expand almost the same as my mix of 10#WW+10#Pb+1.3#50/50 solder. No fragmenting, but just a little harder than my mix.

I have no doubts about their fitness, but with magnum shot I can get get hard, or darn hard bullets, and I only need to water drop one kind. Then I can soften the alloy using free range scrap. The soft shot has greater value in my shotshells.