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Thread: OK what are these good for?

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold Brettitt41's Avatar
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    OK what are these good for?

    Was talking to my dad about bullet casting and he said here take these.



    I have 25lbs worth but no pure to mix with. I have WW's but mostly cast for BPCR. They pencil test (F) around 16-18bhn.
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  2. #2
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    I'd save them to add into pure Lead.

    They're too valuable to use just for blasting ammo.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    That's very close to 40% tin, balance lead, per many sources; very good for improving the tin content and therefore the castability of bullet alloys.

    You could sell or trade part of it at an exchange rate very favorable to you to get the pure or other low tin alloy to mix it with.

    ETA: at $8 a pound for pewter and $1 a pound for lead, the metal in a pound of the solder is worth about $3.80. So an exchange of around 3-4 to 1 is in the ballpark.

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  5. #5
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    It may be eutectic solder, in which case 63% tin, 37% lead. Should melt at about 182 degrees C if so. 60/40 solder should melt about 190 degrees C. So how accurate is your thermometer?

    Bill

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    I'd save them to add into pure Lead.

    They're too valuable to use just for blasting ammo.
    Agree. With that much tin in them, much too valuable to use as a pure lead substitute.

    Don
    NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
    NRA Life Member

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    very nice. I've only heard stories of such but never saw what one looked like til today.
    it probably has a bunch of tin in it.
    if it were me I'd start out with about 1/4 to 1/2 pound to each 10lbs clip on wheel weights.

  8. #8
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    if it was mine, i would keep it for collectability. its to cool to melt.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  9. #9
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    rancher1913's Avatar
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    if you want to do a swap, i would trade coww or soft or a combination for it.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

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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