Common problems with using wheel weights

[John Boy]

Do bullets made from wheel weights less accurate

No - 16 out of 25 shots in the ragged hole ...

[RED BEAR]

I agree with gnostic to. It ain't rocket science. Although reading some post you might think so. I started off using coww and still use them . I am pretty sure there is some zinc in my ingots but they cast great and shoot great to.

[toallmy]

I let myself put off casting for the better part of my life , simply because I thought it was dangerous and complicated so the first thing I tell anyone thinking about casting is do it give it a try . Make it as simple or complicated as you like .

[Nose Dive]

GNOSTIC and WHITETAIL offer good council.
In the OLD DAYS...WW's were all lead and only the clips were to be dipped out of the dross.
Nowadays... 'things' appear in the WW population and one can take some care on what he adds to his Smelt pot. I always thumb through the 'stuff' before I smelt. Aluminum and Zinc items can be pulled early and help save time and money later on. I always water wash my 'smelt' items one or two days before the smelting event. Let the stuff dry abit...and then I add it all over a few big hand fulls of pine saw dust and some sulfur. Please NOTE...this MIX STINKS>> AND SMOKES like heck so it must be done outside and away from...well...HUMAN BEINGS.... I mix well and of course...SAFETY GEAR MUST BE WORN so you don't loose and eye or toe. Based on the appearance of the smelt...I have been known to add some wax and some sulfuric acid. NEVER..>NEVER...add any liquid to a smelt pot once the fire is lit. NEVER...
My smelt pot is usually full of 'trash,,,garbage and corruption...so flux and other items to help purity and cleanliness of the pot contents is needed.
Keep in mind your safety gear and 'proper' behavior with the melted smelt and you should be fine.
I like to 'ingot' into cupcake tins so the ingots fit easy into my casting pot.

Good Luck. HAVE FUN... SAFETY GEAR!! SAFETY GEAR!! SAFETY GEAR!! (I've told you three times!)

[OFFSHORE]

I'm a Newbie at casting myself and I am lucky that WW of both clip-on and stick-on are easily obtainable in my neck of the woods. I've been playing with alloy mixes of the two and believe I'm close to what I'm looking for (what my guns are looking for) in a 16 to 18 BHN ratio mix. About a 50/50 to 60/40 mix of COWW to SOWW water quenched has me about where I want to be. I may try adding 1% to 2% tin at some point, but for now this is good. I collect my WW and then hand sort to pick out all the bad stuff then smelt at a low temp (600/650 degrees), double flux with saw dust and wax, then pour into ingots. When I begin to cast, I add the ingots of the desired ratio and smelt double flux again, then ladle that mix into my casting pot set for 750 degrees. So far this has been pretty good for me from low pressure 45 ACP and +P to 44 Mag 270gr. hunting loads and 445 Super Mag 300gr. GC stout hunting loads cruising at 1650/1700 FPS. Like the above fellas stated. . .it's not rocket science, just a little math and play around to see what your guns like best. I'm enjoying it!

[Char-Gar]

Do bullets made from wheel weights less accurate

They are no more or less accurate that other lead alloys of the same temper. They will have more dirt in them and need to be fluxed until it is gone.

[Dusty Bannister]

[QUOTE=Nose Dive Based on the appearance of the smelt...I have been known to add some wax and some sulfuric acid. NEVER..>NEVER...add any liquid to a smelt pot once the fire is lit.


I have heard of adding copper sulfate, to remove zinc, and I have heard of adding boric acid as a flux, but this is the first time I have heard of adding sulfuric acid. What is the benefit that would justify the risk of adding a liquid acid to the melt?

[dondiego]

I was thinking the same thing. A sulfuric acid based tinsel fairy would be impressive!

[cmk]

For quite a few years I am mixing up 50/50 alloy + tin for about all my calibers I`m shooting.Robert

I must ask what velocities you're getting from your 416 Taylor loads. (I'm assuming 50/50 means COWW/pure lead). Isn't that on the soft side for full/almost full power rifle loads?

I'm very new to this, but plan to load for 404 Jeffery, so it sort of similar, though probably with lower pressure.

[osteodoc08]

Problems with wheel weights:

1. The need to eliminate zinc and steel prior to smelting.
2. The obnoxious fumes produced by smelting the wheel weights from grease, oil, whatever else is on them.
3. The need to separate the stick ons (used as pure) and clip ons.
4. Some need to add tin for proper fill out (1-2%)
5. “EcoFriendly” alternatives have decreased yields in some areas and members find searching out SOWW and COWW to be an exercise in futility
6. Watch for razors and other things that can cut you if junk is all thrown in together in a bucket alone with the WW

Once cleaned and fluxes, use as any other alloy. 1:1 SOWW and COWW plus a bit of tin makes some fine hunting alloy, especially with a HP.

[LenH]

When I started casting my own bullets some 40 years ago, WW lead was all I ever used. You could get WW given to you then and was using 4# Lee pot and
a Lyman ladle. Those were some fine bullets and shot great. I haven't bothered with WW for nearly 5 years. Too many other sources of alloy.