Not sure what this is.

[Hitnmiss]

Hello,

I have been casting for about 25 years. More off than on. During that time i have always used COWW. Now that I'm out of COWW, a friend dropped off a few hundred pounds of 97% Pb 3% Sb Outside of lead, what is it. Can it be cast as is? What do i need to do to use it for 223, 458 Socom, 45/70 and so on.

[Rcmaveric]

PB is lead and SB is antimony. Treat it like you would COWW. COWW are an estimate d average of 98%PB, 2% SB, trace Arsenic and occasionally may or may not have >1%SN.

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[centershot]

Hitnmiss,
If you add 2% tin (Sn) to that metal you'll have basic COWW alloy. It might work well as-is, but a little tin will allow better fill-out.

[Knightflyer]

If memory serves, about 6-7oz of tin to 20 lbs of your alloy would bring tin to about 2%.

You can buy nuggets of tin from rotometals, but I've heard of guys using old pewter (which is mostly tin). Haven't tried it though. Maybe someone who has will chime in with their experience.
David

[Traffer]

I will third the add some tin (or pewter which is almost pure tin) The antimony/tin combo is magic stuff for bullet casting alloy.

[NyFirefighter357]

If memory serves, about 6-7oz of tin to 20 lbs of your alloy would bring tin to about 2%.

You can buy nuggets of tin from rotometals, but I've heard of guys using old pewter (which is mostly tin). Haven't tried it though. Maybe someone who has will chime in with their experience.
David

This is correct 3.2oz/3.5oz tin/pewter per 10lbs.

[lightman]

Hello,

I have been casting for about 25 years. More off than on. During that time i have always used COWW. Now that I'm out of COWW, a friend dropped off a few hundred pounds of 97% Pb 3% Sb Outside of lead, what is it. Can it be cast as is? What do i need to do to use it for 223, 458 Socom, 45/70 and so on.

You have basically clip on wheel weight alloy minus the 1/2% tin thats in wheel weights. You can try casting with it and see how well it works. As the others have said, you may have to add a little tin. You can buy tin from places like RotoMetals, use solder as a source for tin or you can scrounge around for pewter. Identifying Pewter can be a new learning experience. There is usually someone here selling pewter in the swapping and selling section.

[Hitnmiss]

Thank you for all the answers. With the way things are, I'll see about ordering tin/pewter.

Outside of dropping it in water from the mold. What is the easiest way to make it a little harder.

[44magLeo]

Any of the type alloys, Linotype, Monotype have a lot of antimony in them. Mixing these in at the right proportions hardens the alloy.
Heat treating can be done a couple ways. Water dropping from the molds is one. Heating a large batch of boolits in an oven and quenching them all at once is another.
The oven and quenching gives more uniform results.
To be most effective your alloy needs antimony.
The 97/3 will heat treat ok. From around 10 BHN or so to better than 20 BHN.
I would add some tin to get better fill out. The tin decreases the surface tension of the lead. This allows the lead to conform to the shape of the mold better.
You can buy tin from foundries like Roto Metals, they cost a bit though. Most of us find it in scrap stuff.
Pewter is a good source of almost pure tin. Solder is another. Plumbers used to use bar solder, it comes in two alloys. 50/50 tin to lead and 40 -60 tin to lead.
Roll solder like you can buy in stores can be found in similar alloys. They make a lead free solder that is mostly tin.
You can look I the Sellin and Swappin section on here and find people that collect pewter and resell it in ingot form.
I Look around locally to find my lead. Watch any local for sale ads, you never know when something will pop up.
Yard sales often have rolls of solder and pewter objects.
Up in the stickies up at the top of the lead section is a thread on pewter and how to ID it.
Leo

[Green Frog]

The various folks suggesting adding up to about 2% tin (Sn) are steering you straight. You might be able to get your alloy to cast OK as is, but you'll find it to be a lot more temperamental than it will be with the tin. I'd say it will be very worthwhile to make the small investment in a few pounds of tin relative to relative to the several hundred pounds of really good alloy you will end up with. Congrats on a nice get!

Froggie