Opinion: Stick on wheel weights

[Markbo]

With all due respect to John Boy I will continue to scrounge wheel weights for as long as I can get the lead for free. It is the best possible deal. It's free!

40-50% of WW here are Fe. then about 50/50 mix of the remaining WW here are lead and zinc. 5% trash. So any bucket here is mostly recycle. I've started smelting the zinc too for the future.

What are your future plans for zinc?

[Whiterabbit]

attach a cell phone vibrator offset motor to my hot plate. heat up steel SC mold on hot plate. turn on vibrating motor. ladle pour zinc into mold. let vibrate a couple seconds, then take the mold off and let cool. cut sprue as soon as it freezes. Collect bullets.

Use heavy for caliber "this mold has seen better days" cheap single cavity molds.

That's my plan.

[Markbo]

What caliber/weight are you getting? I have not actually seen anyone post that they have cast zinc bullets that shoot well. I am very curious what you are doing.

[Whiterabbit]

what I'm doing: 2 things. #1, exploring alternatives to lead, being that I live in California and in some areas of the state I'm not allowed to HUNT with lead. (all target shooting still OK...for now.....). #2, exploring "cheaper" alternatives. What I mean by cheaper, is that if "free" or really really cheap sources of lead are hogged up by shooters here (and we have ALOT, and I mean ALOT of gun owners, shooters, hunters, and NRA members in CA. ALOT.), then perhaps the alternatives they pass up can be taken for free or cheap, even if the raw material is inherently more expensive. In the case of zinc, I could even melt down pennies in a pinch. So #2 isn't "looking for a cheaper material" as much as "looking for a material that is cheap to scrounge".

Anyways. zinc is not the solution, it is simply a CANDIDATE. Worth exploring/researching/trying.

So that's the why. Here's the what.

1. 357 handi barrel reamed to max. I'm not going to experiment with zinc in the barrel of a fine hunting rifle or my nice BFR. I'm going to try in a cheap throwaway rifle with a cheap easily replaced barrel. In case this is seriously damaging to equipment.
2. Furthermore the goal is hunting, and we are talking about very low density metals. I'm not gonna load anything up and shoot a 200 lb pig yet, I'm gonna go rabbit hunting where I could put rocks down the barrel and the terminal performance will still be OK.
3. "the internet" tells me steel molds only. 357 is a benefit here, as single cavity molds are plentiful and cheap. I want a heavy, but 200+ grain molds are prized. So I simply stay with whatever drifts my way in S&S. In my case, it was a 158/160 grain RN mold. So far, so good.
4. the actual casting. to simplify things, I choose to cast with everything RAGING hot. in my case, the LEE 10lb dripper set to max and get the mold as hot as I can on a plate.
5. as "the internet" foretold, the surface tension of zinc is terrible. So the mold doesnt fill out. to solve this, I tap the handles or the bottom of the mold with my oak sprue opener. The intention is to settle the zinc while it is still molten. Getting everything VERY HOT helps keep the metal liquid as long as possible. This actually fixes mold fillout nicely.
6. I destroyed my LEE dripper. Doh! The nozzle clogged. Nozzles are not replaceable. Double d'oh! $13 at titan and I have a brand new dripper pot. From now on it is ladle pouring over the turkey fryer.
7. This learning cost me an hour and a half of my life for NINE bullets.
8. Learned about oatmeal too. pure lead is very nice. Pure zinc in the pot is the same. Lead with a few percentage of zinc is NOT nice, as we know. Well, pure zinc with a little lead is ALSO not nice. I did learn though with a 50/50 mix of zinc and lead, I can sawdust the HECK out of it, stir, pull the clumpy stuff off the top and I am left with perfectly fine castable lead.

9. OK! I have my nine bullets. it's a mold that drops RN bullets at 160 grains. The zinc bullets weigh 92 grains.
10. Load data. Find load data for a 92 grain bullet using H110 in 357 maximum. Doesn't exist. No problem, only 30% (roughly) of what I shoot has load data anyways, I'm comfortable manufacturing my own. So I have my extrapolated data (I'm not hiding it, I genuinely can't remember what it was), and charge a 357 max case. Holy smokes, it comes up to (by eyeball) ~.07" from the top of the case! Sheesh. ....sheesh. Ok, let's plop the bullet down on top of that, .1" deep, mild compression. Quick hand check, can I pull the bullet out by hand? nope? OK good.
11. So, happy fun range time. load one up, shoot it. holy SMOKES the muzzle flash is impressive. It's like getting your picture taken in the dark with a bright flash, except it's broad daylight in the spring without a cloud in the sky. That's crazy! .....But now that we think about it, not all that surprising, 16" barrel or no.
12. group size. I shot at 50 yards with open sights. I don't remember the group size and that is a good thing. It means the groups weren't rabbit head size small, but it also means they weren't pie-plate size big either. 50 yards. OK good. There's some potential here.

I sent the mold on down due to another project. i need a new 357 mold. I still won't cast zinc for any other gun minus the 357 handi (for now). I've only cast, loaded, and shot 9 bullets. To say my experience is limited is an understatement. But the above sums up the learning experience, point by point. I will cast and shoot zinc again. I will keep an eye on S&S. When a SC 180 grain steel mold pops up of any profile for a steal of a price and im first in line, I will snap it up. Or a 158 for a great price if I'm first in line too. 357 molds are up real often and go real quick.

Anyways, that's what I'm doing.

[bslim]

All of my SOWW go into one pile, and smelted, they work out to around 9 brnl. I keep them seperate and use them in my wife's 38 spl loads. They run around 720 ft./sec. and so far no problems with leading.

[Markbo]

rabbit, thanks for that detailed explanation. I hope to read about future experiments

[jonp]

ok, do you guys pull off that sticky stuff or just skim it?

[Lizard333]

Melt it and light it on fire. Piece of cake.

[Gmangh15]

dang there is some really good info here. Im glad I read this

[Kacki]

Don't fool with the sticky, just burn it.

[jonp]

Just picked up the WW at a shop for free. Had more Fe stick-on's than I would have thought. I'm running into not only Zinc but Fe COWW also.
Is there any rhyme or reason to the markings other than a big Z for Zinc and Fe/Pb? Got a bunch of different stuff.

[Lizard333]

Zn will be on MOST WW's. When I sort my WW's I have a pair of dikes, and a magnet. If you can cut it, it's zinc or steel. If if it won't stick to a magnet, and you can't cut it, it's zinc. Keep in mind, they all use steel for the clip ons, so don't include the clip while you check for wether or it is steel or zinc.

[jonp]

Got it. Is there no chart that lists the different markings from the manu's? That would make it easier

[Markbo]

.... If you can cut it, it's zinc or steel. If if it won't stick to a magnet, and you can't cut it, it's zinc. ....

If you CAN'T cut it.... it's zinc or steel.

As far as markings, there are dozens and dozens. With a little practice, you will be able to pick them out on sight, but just look for Zn or Fe and toss those out. If you are not sure, have your lead at just the right temp when you throw them in. If they don't melt, throw them out. If your temp is too high you will just melt the zinc into your lead. Super easy way to tell for sure.

[Lizard333]

Oops. Can't it is. Good catch. 😎

[mold maker]

Most all of the markings on WWs have to do with the intended service, as in aluminum versus steel wheels. The only markings I pay attention to is Z and Fe. They determine which scrap bucket to toss them at. Old timey household pliers with the wire cutter at the hinge will only leave a tooth mark on lead, unless you have a gorilla grip.
My eye focus isn't what it used to be so the tooth mark is much easier to see.

[FALaholic]

If you CAN'T cut it.... it's zinc or steel.

As far as markings, there are dozens and dozens. With a little practice, you will be able to pick them out on sight, but just look for Zn or Fe and toss those out. If you are not sure, have your lead at just the right temp when you throw them in. If they don't melt, throw them out. If your temp is too high you will just melt the zinc into your lead. Super easy way to tell for sure.

+1 This.

I just got started this year, but researched the heck out of this hobby of ours for even longer. For the life of me I could never understand why guys would let their melt get too hot. If zinc weights did get in there by accident you ruined that batch. I invested in a good thermometer from Rotometals as part of my first bit of gear.

[Lizard333]

+1 This.

I just got started this year, but researched the heck out of this hobby of ours for even longer. For the life of me I could never understand why guys would let their melt get too hot. If zinc weights did get in there by accident you ruined that batch. I invested in a good thermometer from Rotometals as part of my first bit of gear.

I melt my lead in a old propane tank. 150 pounds at a time. Zinc can be in your melt up to 2% with no worries. Using a weed burner for the top, I will vary rarely melt a zinc one, I hand sort before I smelt. It's not the end of the world. Get above that 2%, that's when you have oatmeal.

[inspector_17]

Last batch of WW I bought had Zn SOWW. (not many places giving away ww anymore!) Surprised the heck out of me.

[Markbo]

I have 2 x 35 gallon drums. 1 is full & the other is 3/4 full. Once they are both full I will feel like I have enough and won't have to continue to scrounge for them. That should be enough for around 48,000 .45 bullets. In the future, it will be a matter of buying lead. Currently the scrap yards don't want to segregate lead from non lead. If you want wheel weights, no problem but you get them all and to me that is a waste of money spent. Now if I can just find enough brass and primers!