How do I tell what kind of shot I have?

[Twmaster]

A couple of years ago I bought a sack of 7-1/2 shot. I've long since lost the bag the shot came in. It's all in cans for storage now. I was hand loading for a very old Geha shotgun.

How do I tell what the content of the shot is? Or whether it's chilled or magnum etc?

Sorry for the silly questions. I really do not know much about the content on this stuff.

Thanks!

[cdngunner]

Don't know rightly.

I do know that generally the smaller shot is harder so it does not get deform as easily

[fecmech]

About the only way I know would be to melt a small sample and do a hardness test on it.

PS. An easy way to do this is melt a small sample into a bottle cap or the depression in the bottom of a pop can. Do the same thing with some pure lead. Find a small ball bearing and squeeze it between the 2 samples in a vise. If the dents are very close to the same size it's probably chilled shot. If there is a noticeable difference in that the shot lead has a smaller dent it's magnum shot.

[zuke]

Sell/swap for lead

[Twmaster]

A member here was kind enough to take a small sample and do an evaluation of it's make-up. (Thank you. You know who you are!)

According to his results its composition makes it about 12 brinell.

Over this weekend I cast my first ever boolits. I used this shot as the material for melt. I'm very pleased with the results. I was very amazed at just how much dross came out in the melt.

Now to melt down the collection of lead I have and figure out it's hardness. (or lack there-of)

[62chevy]

OK so you know how hard it is but what was in it to make it a 12 BHN. Any tin? Arsenic?

[Twmaster]

It has both Tin and Antimony in the alloy.