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Thread: Zinc Wheelweights

  1. #241
    Boolit Master
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    I found some really odd ones that I had never seen before in this last batch. They were all plastic! At first I thought they were lead with a thick plastic coating to protect the wheel. But when I sawed all the way through one, I found it was ALL plastic. Some sort of a composite I suppose... plastic mixed with steel dust perhaps.

    Vettepilot
    "Those who sacrifice freedom for security, have neither."
    Benjamin Franklin. (A very wise man!)

  2. #242
    Boolit Master
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    Would cast zinc boolits be hard enough to damage a gun bore?? I am thinking/fearing that sooner or later we are going to have to find a cost friendly sub for lead...

    Vettepilot
    "Those who sacrifice freedom for security, have neither."
    Benjamin Franklin. (A very wise man!)

  3. #243
    Boolit Mold
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    Those new plastic ones, plastic coated, and zinc made up about 30% by volume of the last 5 gallon bucket of WW that I picked up. They can make a mess real quick if you miss one like I did.

  4. #244
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you’re only getting 30% zinc and plastic you’re doing better than most. At my shop I’m lucky if 10% of the bucket is lead.

  5. #245
    Boolit Master BJK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vettepilot View Post
    Would cast zinc boolits be hard enough to damage a gun bore?? I am thinking/fearing that sooner or later we are going to have to find a cost friendly sub for lead...

    Vettepilot
    I remember MANY(!) years ago an article re: making bullets from zinc. I was so young... I remember super high velocity due to the light weight and that they were hard, but I don't remember anything said about bore damage. Steel bullet jackets are used and I doubt that the zinc is harder than soft steel.

    I wonder how difficult they'd be to push through a sizer? Would they need lube or coating?

  6. #246
    Boolit Master
    slide's Avatar
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    There are several videos on youtube about guys making and shooting zinc bullets. Elvis Ammo, Eagle Eye Shooting and some dude called Willie the bullet man.
    Boolits !!!!! Does that mean what I think it do? It do!

  7. #247
    Boolit Master
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    Yeah, I've seen their videos. I doubt if anyone has enough rounds down range to know about bore wear. (Maybe the government.)

    From what I've read, steel jacketed ammo does cut barrel life, approximately in half. I've chosen personally not to use it.

    Vettepilot
    "Those who sacrifice freedom for security, have neither."
    Benjamin Franklin. (A very wise man!)

  8. #248
    Boolit Buddy
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    Great!
    Zinc bullets mixed in with lead bullets at the range where people "mine" for lead.
    Just what casters love.....zinc mixed in with their lead.....NOT!
    Grr-rrr.
    1A - 2A = -1A

  9. #249
    Boolit Master
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    Feb 2018
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    Yeah, I've had that thought too. When melting down scrap to make ingots, I keep a thermometer going in the pot. Don't let the temp get above about 650/675f. This has saved me grief a couple of times...

    Vettepilot
    "Those who sacrifice freedom for security, have neither."
    Benjamin Franklin. (A very wise man!)

  10. #250
    Boolit Buddy Castloader's Avatar
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    Dec 2013
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    Zinc casting is a probable future for many who want to stay in the casting business. We just haven’t learned nearly as much about it. It can only screw up the melt if you treat it like lead. I plan to start casting pure zinc soon since I have collected so much. Pure zinc boolits will cause less trouble to those who mine berms than zinc alloy boolits since they will readily float on the melt and be skimmed off. They are also a little less likely to fragment in the berm. Nobody who digs up a berm really knows what he’s getting anyway. How about some bismuth from the guy patterning his shotgun a few lanes over?

  11. #251
    Boolit Master
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    Jan 2016
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    GONRA believes the really "el Bigo" ("muy largo" to you intellectuals)
    thing "Zn boolit castin' " needs is a Proper Plug In Electric Zn melter.

    Backyard Redneck cobbled propane Turkey Fryer stuff doesn't count.

    >>> IS THERE AN ELECTRIC POT OK FOR Zn MELTING? <<<

  12. #252
    Boolit Master Jim22's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GONRA View Post
    ("muy largo" to you intellectuals)
    Muy Largo does not mean very big. It means very long - at least in Sapnish.

    Jim

  13. #253
    Boolit Master
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    GONRA sez OOPS!

  14. #254
    Boolit Bub gifbohane's Avatar
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    I accidentally melted some zinc in with some lead and made them into "lyman Ingots." I have no idea what the percentage is. So now I have about 100+ ingots with some of them mixed. Can I re melt all of them again to a lower temperature to separate out the zinc from the lead? Or can I just go ahead and make bullets?

    Accuracy is not a goal with them. Will be casting 9MM.

  15. #255
    Boolit Master
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    What vettepilot said!

  16. #256
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Sold my zinc ww’s when I sold my scrap metal recently. Good riddance.

  17. #257
    Boolit Master


    SciFiJim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gifbohane View Post
    I accidentally melted some zinc in with some lead and made them into "lyman Ingots." I have no idea what the percentage is. So now I have about 100+ ingots with some of them mixed. Can I re melt all of them again to a lower temperature to separate out the zinc from the lead? Or can I just go ahead and make bullets?

    Accuracy is not a goal with them. Will be casting 9MM.
    There's a thread around about removing zinc from your melt. If you search for it, you should be able to find it. I think it is a sticky.

    Before going to all of the trouble though, try casting some and see what you get. There is another thread about using a small percentage of zinc as a hardener. You might be able to dilute that zinc enough to get it to work for you. You don't know until you try. Make sure to post your results so that we all can learn what did or didn't work for you.


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  18. #258
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I'll 2nd the suggestion of trying to cast with it before going to any extra work. A small % of Zinc shouldn't hurt anything.

  19. #259
    Boolit Master
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    Feb 2018
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    My understanding is that any zinc in a pot will literally contaminate the pot itself, which would then need to be discarded. Apparently this applies to any other tools, such as molds, etc., as well.

    I have no direct experience with this problem, but that's what I read, and it causes me to be very cautious about getting any zinc contamination.

    My understanding is that zinc must be cast very hot. But be really careful there. If you get it smoking, you're going to get zinc poisoning. I've had that twice from welding, and trust me, you don't ever want to get it

    Vettepilot
    "Those who sacrifice freedom for security, have neither."
    Benjamin Franklin. (A very wise man!)

  20. #260
    Boolit Master


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    One two zinc weights in ten pounds of lead is nothing to worry about. Some are moving to Zink bullets because they can't use lead bullets anymore. Add that Zink melts in the high 700s and it's easy to get some in your melt.
    Lead bullets Matter

    There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. - Will Rodgers

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check