Lead alloy for wadcutters

[Keith357]

I have pure lead and linotype
For my 357 rifle bullets traveling faster than 1300 fps i use 50/50 lino/pure (powder coated)

For wadcutters at 900 to 950 fps can i reduce the linotype
Let's say 2 parts pure to 1 part lino

I ordered a TL358-148WC from eBay and will probably load as they drop and use alox for lube

Thanks,
Keith

[hawkenhunter50]

Sure can, could even cut it more than that I'd say.

[Winger Ed.]

I use just enough alloys added to pure lead for slow speed wadcutters to make them cast well.

I figure if swaged 'store bought' bullets are more or less pure lead, I shouldn't need to add any more expensive alloy
material to harden them more than what's necessary for mine going at the same speeds.

If you can cast full filled, 'pretty' boolits at 10:1--- I'd go with that.
Then tinker up or down with the alloy & temp. on your set up and find what works best for you.

Bear in mind- they more lead than the book's alloy uses will make them a little heavier than what the molds says they are.
But; if you stay closer to 'mild' than 'wild' with the powder charge, its no big deal.

[Gamsek]

Pure lead with 2% tin will easily withstand WC velocities even being shot in wet paper. No leading and nice grouping at 25m. Yes if swaged lightly lubricated work, then pure with 2%tin is adequate.

[45DUDE]

Gamsek -those look really good. I run my bnwc at 920 in 38 cases with a 10-1 mix and they will stand more but that is where they group the best. Lubed boolits group better in my guns.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

3 parts pure to one part lino will approximate clip on wheel weights and probably work for both applications.

Personally, I'd stretch the lino even further by finding some tin or pewter, then run 5 parts pure to one part lino plus 1% tin/pewter. Powder coated, water dropped out of the oven, and allowed to age for two weeks or so, this will probably still work in your rifle.

[StuBach]

I’m still shooting bullets from my grandpa cast at 94% Pb/6%Sn with zeros antimony (Lino). Blend is a bit on the rich side but prices no hardener is needed if lubed properly and with the right load. I have shot this blend in multiples wad cutters and SWCs.

I did tweak the blend myself and adjusted down to 98/2 and casting got a little tougher for fill out but bullets still grouped well with no leading.

All depends on your application but might be worth saving your Lino if you can?

[Gamsek]

Gamsek -those look really good. I run my bnwc at 920 in 38 cases with a 10-1 mix and they will stand more but that is where they group the best. Lubed boolits group better in my guns.

I heard lube works better for some but I am just using them for plinking with my old Ruger Blackhawk SA with cheap red dot.

[Forrest r]

You could easily go 1 part lino 10 parts pure, same for your 357 loads.

90%+ of my shooting is done with bullets cast from range scrap. I make batches using 150#+ of recovered bullets that yield 100#+ of ingots. The large batches have more consistency from batch to batch and typically are 8/9bhn.

Playing around with a 308w @ 50yds, a 10-shot group using 8/9bhn alloy.
[IMG][/IMG]

Same alloy used in 38spl cases. Blammo ammo loads for the 686, 6-shot groups @ 50ft.
[IMG][/IMG]

Same range scrap alloy (8/9bhn) in 9mm cases loaded with a 25,000psi +/- load doing 1100fps+. A 10-shot group @ 50ft.
[IMG][/IMG]

If it was me I'd start with a small 1 to 10 batch and test it in your 357 rifle. If it doesn't work out in the rifle cast the rest up into wc's. Keep re-doing the batches ( 1 to 9, 1 to 8, 1 to 7, etc) until you have a alloy that works in that 357 rifle and then use that alloy for everything.

FWIW:
I use a 1 part mono-type 3 parts pure lead + 2% tin for high pressure loads in a 308w. That alloy is:
4.25% tin 4.75% antimony 14bhn
10-shot groups @ 100yds doing ladder testing with the high end loads 30,000psi+.
[IMG][/IMG]

Strait monotype is supposed to be 9% tin & 19% antimony. Your 3 to 1 alloy for the 357/1300fps load is:
2.25% tin 4.75% antimony 14bhn

[Forrest r]

Gamsek -those look really good. I run my bnwc at 920 in 38 cases with a 10-1 mix and they will stand more but that is where they group the best. Lubed boolits group better in my guns.

A lot of posters say that, myself I find pc'd & traditionally lubed bullets to be equally accurate. For me it just easier to find accurate loads using pc'd bullets.

Where pc'd bullets really shine for me is when I do extended periods of range time, high volume shooting. What a 1911 chambered in 9mm looked like after a 600 round+ range session using the load posted in post #9.
[IMG][/IMG]
A look at the dirty bbl from that 1911/9mm after the 600 round+ range session.
[IMG][/IMG]
1 wet patch (hoppe's #9) and 1 dry patch cleaned that 1911 bbl.
[IMG][/IMG]

What my 686 looked like after a 200 round range session with the loads pictured in post #9.
[IMG][/IMG]

While a mere 200 rounds is not a long range session for me by any means. I was testing loads in another revolver and was shooting the 686 between sets. Didn't bother cleaning that 686 after the 200 round range session. Simply put it away and took it out the next week and ran another 500+ rounds thru it.

I'm a huge fan of the 38spl/wc combo and have easily burned thru 100,000+ of them over the years. Used H&G 6-cavity & 10-cavity molds to cast them for years. Finely sold them off, hands can't take the weight of the heavy molds and the +/- 100# casting sessions. Used to use the NRA 50/50 lube and lube the bottom lube groove only. I never could get a 500 round range session with the NRA 50/50 lubed bullets. Would have to stop and clean my hands (pistol would start slipping), wipe the revolver down and hit the chambers in the cylinders with a brush knocking down the carbon ring that had built up destroying accuracy.

Used to go thru a bunch of the 8/9bhn range scrap and would order 10 sticks of lube at a time making piles of 38spl wc rounds. Would fill 30cal ammo cans with them & easily burn thru a ammo can in a weekend. This was my last run of traditionally lubed wc bullets for the 38spl cases. They are actually the Mihec 148gr hbwc's coated with 45/45/10.
[IMG][/IMG]

I've since switched over to pc'ing those hbwc's, that ppc revolver eats them like candy.

Accuracy is 1 thing, accuracy staying consistent from the 1st shot to the 600th shot in 1 range session without having to clean anything is another.

[farmbif]

I have always believed that for 800-950 fps wadcutters, pure lead with enough tin for mold fill out was all that's needed.

[imashooter2]

Cable sheath and 2% Pewter for me. More than adequate. I wouldn’t use up my Lino in wadcutters.

[country gent]

I cast my wadcutters from the same pot as my BPCR bullets 20-1 lead tin. ( usually at the same time running 2 moulds) fill ut, weight and general constancy is good and they shoot very good. I beleive the sifter pure tin shoot better than the harder alloys. Maybe do to the swelling of the softer alloys sealing and gripping better with the light powder charges and pressures. Mine are shot as cast and pan lubed with emmerts improved. Lee liquid alox should work fine also. Alot of the old wadcutters (star, national, alderts, hornady, speer) were swaged from pure lead both hollow base and solids. Then dry lubed with motor mica.

Experiment with the alloy try some with different alloys harder to softer see what works for you in your firearm

[cwlongshot]

I just use 20:1. Never had any issues or complaints. It casts and fills out well. Ya dont need hard for 99% of what anyone does with this bullet.

Good lukc

CW

[45DUDE]

forest r post #10 I like your style. American Select is my favorite wad cutter load in a wheel gun.

[Keith357]

Im going to shoot the wadcutters in my Ruger blackhawk so i've decided to use a little 50/50 solder to mix with my pure and I will save my linotype for my rifle loads ... thanks to everyone for their input

[cwlongshot]

I think you will be happy with that choice!

Good luck

CW