Question on my alloy mix

[rdwarrior]

I have been mixing my alloy 2 to 1 COWW to SOWW i.e. 10# COWW and 5# SOWW plus 2% tin. Wondering if that mix will be soft enough to expand out of wifes 2" 38 special. The powder charge is mid level - i.e. midway from min to max of cfe pistol. I have not chronoed it yet so I do not know the velocity yet. The slugs were cast in an Ideal 358156 solid and MP358429 using both mid depth and max depth HP pins. I also use these same slugs in my .357 and I dont want to have different alloys for each revolver.

Does this sound like a good ratio? I have limited quantities of SOWW so I dont want to go to a 50/50 mix unless I have to.

[brewer12345]

I shoot a lot of 38 special and I think that at the velocities you can attain in the cartridge one must expect expansion to any real degree to be an iffy prospect. If you really want expansion from a 38 (especially a snub), go with the softest stuff you can manage and hollowpoint it. Even then, there is a good chance a hollowpoint will get plugged by clothing and you may just be depending on penetration. There is a reason some people carry full charge wadcutters in their snubs.

If you are loading that alloy mix in 357 and it is in the upper half oof what the cartridge can do, I would not worry too much about not getting expansion.

[Yodogsandman]

Shoot and see what the bullet does in a few milk jugs of water.

[lightman]

I don't cast hollow points so I don't have a good answer for you. I've never had great expansion with my cast SWC's in game. Mostly what I have gotten on deer size game is a slightly deformed nose and a nice clean hole. I use mostly straight wheel weights. Your choice of alloy may give more expansion than mine and it should cast and shoot great!

[Oklahoma Rebel]

has anyone ever used a mix of corn starch and water for a ballistic medium? it has some weird properties, like if you push on it slow, your hand will sink in fairly easily, but then if you try to punch it, it might give 1/2" or so... was thinking it might be a good medium if mixed in proper portions. road warrior, you might try that. if you do, let us know how it works! good luck either way!-Travis

[ikarus1]

In a 2 in 38spl gun you are better off with soft wadcutters than most HPs, jmo

Have you tested your age hardened bullets/ingots with pencils to see relative hardness?

[bangerjim]

A mix of “stufffffff” is what I use for anything from 38-45 cal. COWW + 2% Sn is more than suficient fo plinking loads. That yields ~12 Bhn.......plus PC = an excellent load!

Rifle Hi-velocity loads need 15+. Plus PC. And mabe GC’s.

COWW = 12

SOWW = 6

So your mix is “relatively ” hard. Add some Sn and Sb to bump up the mix to 12 or so for most normal cals ( pistol). Rifle should be around ~15 or so.

Banger

[hc18flyer]

I haven't run 'Bumpo's' alloy calculator, but it sounds very close to my pistol alloy at 10ish bhn? Works fine for me and my brothers in our 9mm and .45 Colts. I have been cutting back to 1% tin, to hake go farther. I stick to big flat nose, haven't done any hp's yet. hc18flyer