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Thread: Gonna build a shot maker

  1. #101
    Boolit Buddy Faret's Avatar
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    There is a guy on ebay that sells drippers. They work real well. Have 3 sets myself!

  2. #102
    Boolit Mold
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    I may just make my own. Between my father and I think we can do it

  3. #103
    Boolit Mold
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    plans

    i know this is kind of an older thread. but if anyone still has the plans to make one of these shot maker, i would really appreciate it if they could send me a set. shortbed454@gmail.com the like from the video is no good any more. i have been casting my own 9mm boolits for a while and i would like to start making my own shot. i already made a set of dripers and i would like to have a set of plans for the rest. thanks in advance.

  4. #104
    Boolit Bub
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    Shortbed454 I have some plans I will post later.

  5. #105
    Boolit Mold
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    thanks . cant wait to get started making my own shot.

  6. #106
    Banned
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    I too am interested in making a shotmaker, need plans.

  7. #107
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by heathydee View Post
    The shot is rinsed under the garden tap and then run through this homemade screen which is drilled full of 2.5mm holes. Shot size is dependant first of all on the size of the hole in the dripper and secondly by the level of lead in the shotmaker.The higher the level the smaller the shot ,however if the level is too high the droplets run into one another and a large misshapen blob results.The screen is simply to remove those.
    Where is OZ to get the screen?

  8. #108

  9. #109
    Boolit Master

    mtgrs737's Avatar
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    Those considering making their own shot, do you have a good supply of hard lead or at least a way of hardening your soft lead, (3 to 6% antimony)? Do you shoot enough shot to justify spending about a grand on equipment? Do you have the time to make enough shot to justify the expense? Are you the type of person that likes to tinker and figure things out? If you answered Yes to these questions then you have what it takes to make good shot. Anyone can make shot but it takes someone willing to figure out how to make good shot, that is shot good enough to break 27 yd targets consistently. I cut open all kinds of target shotshells to check the shot quality and hardness and I can tell you some of the big name brands are disappointing.

    Quality shot is a factor of the correct melt temperature, the correct viscosity, heat absorbtion rate, and starting and finishing temp of the coolant. Cooling a lead pellet drip too fast will cause it to explode like popcorn, you need it to slowly cool as it spins and drops thru the coolant. The reason for the ramp is to get the molten pellet to roll so it rounds up and enters the coolant where it spins and solidifies, this is how you get the most round shape. The shortest drop possible is needed because it will start to form a teardrop shape if it drops too far or flatten out if it drops really far. Also you lead alloy should not contain much tin if possible, as tin will reduce the surface tension, this is why they add arsenic to shot alloy which gives it surface tension so it will round up easier. Clip on Wheel Weights are the best to make shot out of as they have little tin, some antimony, and a small amount of arsenic. For long range shot I add 2% antimony to Clip on WW alloy via Roto-metal's 30% alloy this gives me between 4 - 5% antimony shot that rivals the best premium factory load shot.

    I use Sun liquid laundry soap as a coolant, it is cheap on sale at the dollar store, has the right viscosity and heat absorbtion rate, and washes off with water. My coolant tank is 25 inches deep and is made from a military mortor can, it has a pipe fitting welded on the bottom, a metal V shaped funnel to bring the shot/coolant to the fitting and a ball valve to remove the shot and coolant when I am done running a batch. I use a 2 gallon plastic bucket with holes in the bottom covered with epoxied in window screen to catch the shot/coolant and separate the two. The bucket sits in a tote/tub to catch the coolant, then I sit the 2 gallon bucket in a five gallon bucket with lid that has had the lid cut out to hold the two gallon bucket so it can finish draining the soap off the shot. From there it gets washed off with the hose, poured out in sheet cake pans on the hot concrete driveway then sieved in homemade sieves and then graphite and polished in a vibratory tumbler. I store the finish shot in 2 liter pop bottles that have been cleaned and dried and labeled.

    Your lead temps need to be about 650 degrees and you coolant temp will have to be figured out due to the type of coolant you choose. Clean lead alloy is of upmost importance when making shot.


    Good luck to all whom choose to travel this road, it can be both frustrating and rewarding!
    Mtgrs737
    Still Learning!

    NRA Life Member
    Life long OZ resident

    Personality type: Compulsive/Excessive - I don't know what that means, all I know is, if I like something, I want a lot of it!

    Pray to put "One nation, Under God" back in our country! We will never be a Great Nation without HIM!

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  10. #110
    Boolit Bub
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    I have about 150$ into mine it's all hand built and it works amazingly well. I use wheel weight lead and then quench it to add to the hardness. I can easily make 100lbs a hour. I plan to double the drippers to 14 total and make 200lbs a hour. I load 2500 rounds a month so it's worth it to me.

  11. #111
    Boolit Buddy Faret's Avatar
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    Ok finally laid off for the winter got time to put up pic's! Here they are.
    http://tinypic.com/a/2uo2p/4

  12. #112
    Boolit Bub
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    faret need some more details on your machine please like the angle of the ramp off the front and then the overall angle you run you machine aswell. plus I see your using automotive coolant what mix are you running coolant/water? I am currently using fabric softener and it works well but on my most recent run all the shot balls have a tiny lip on them, still no issue in my loading machine or shooting clays.

  13. #113
    Boolit Buddy Faret's Avatar
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    My machine is put away in cold storage but I think I ran 18* on the lip which is 3/16 thick to hold more heat. 12-14* on the ladle which is 1/2 or 3/8 thick all mild steel. My machine is adjustable with the chain too. Fired by a 10# turkey burner in a square box made out of 3/16 plate 625-650 deg temp worked for me. Coolant is straight auto ethylene glycol antifreeze no water with I would guess 10% laundry detergent. Make sure your ramp is smooth and like a scissor edge on the end nice and sharp. I was getting around 100# an hour with 8-7.5 size shot with double drippers.

  14. #114
    Boolit Buddy
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    if you guys need drippers I will sell some to you, with or with out hole for those want to turn new things or try to make double out of each blank??
    Hell we even made aluminum drippers ans some stainless 316, $$$ there......

    I'll sell you guys the pan alone that goes on top, you can save money there by not having to re-do that most critical part, and just build, source and make the rest.
    We even have a pan that holds ten 10, (not 7) droppers with a lead dam and the back of the pan.....thicker metal than our standard pans, would use a 8 inch electric element or you can try something on your own, Propane?

  15. #115
    Boolit Man Ed1's Avatar
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    what would the size of the hole be to make #4 buckshot(.240)?

  16. #116
    Boolit Buddy Faret's Avatar
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    #4 buck would be too big. Look at a lee mold or Sharpshooter mold.

  17. #117
    Boolit Man Ed1's Avatar
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    I have the sharpshooter. I was lookin for a faster way.

  18. #118
    Boolit Buddy Faret's Avatar
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    I have the lee for the same reason going to make it a 24 cavity!

  19. #119
    Boolit Master


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    Use 2 of them

  20. #120
    Boolit Bub
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    Just a quickie - I was thinking that mixing a little bit of zinc (from those dastardly zinc wheel weights) into the lead (in small enough quantities as not to inhibit the dripping of the lead) would harden the shot and make use of any zinc laying around. Has anyone tried this or know how it would work.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check