what load to use and not to use?

[corey012778]

I am hoping by this coming weekend to atleast to smelt what lead I have on hand and make some ingots.

the lead I have on hand:
42 lbs of WW +/- 2 lbs
about a full 500 count of lead air gun pellets (air gun now longer works)
1/2 lbs of 12ga slugs and 000 buckshot
about 1/4 lb of #8 shot.
3 to 5 lbs of old fishing sinkers
3 stick on WW's

the ww's and sinkers I know I can use.

What is useable out of the other things I listed?

[snowtigger]

All of it. Be sure to keep the melt temp as low as possible. After is is melted, look for floaters. These are probably zinc or steel. Steel won't hurt, they will not melt. Zinc, on the other hand will melt, and ruin your alloy. The good thing is they melt at much higher temp than lead.
When the rest is melted, remove these, along with the clips from the WW.
The sinkers, slugs, and stick-on weights are mostly soft lead, no problem. If the shot is standard shot, no problem. If on the other hand, it is magnum shot, well then Halleluja!! It contains a high content of antimony and other good things. It will only make the alloy harder.
You might want to add a little tin, no more than 2%, to make the mold fill out better. An available source of tin is found at plumbing supply houses in the form of lead-free solder. 95/5 is what I use. It is 95% tin and 5% antimony. Both good things. HAVE FUN!!

PS; If you are at this point, it is too late for you. You are doomed to spend your time looking for wheelweights, and other sources of lead for the rest of your natural life. Most people won't understand, you may have to find refuge in this site with the rest of the loonies..LOL

[garandsrus]

Corey,

As snowtigger mentioned, it all "good" stuff, with the possible exception of a zinc WW... I would suggest melting it all together in one batch so that your alloy is consistent for the approximately 50 lbs of material you have. This will allow you to improve the consistency of your boolits.

John

[corey012778]

thanks guys, I just got in my 4 qt cast iron pot. I am getting ready to go out hit my source for 60+ more lbs of ww and going to pick up another 5 qt pot to smelt with.