Silver bullet

[roscoe]

My bullets have always turned out kinda of dull gray. Just like the cast bullets I used to buy and the bullets I read about here.

Now I see there are some bright almost silver looking bullets for sale from different vendors. Any idea what they are adding to the mix to achieve this brightness? Is it changing the composite of the bullet very much to get this look?

The Lone Ranger would be proud.

[matrixcs]

Clear powder paint works for a bright as cast look.

[roscoe]

Clear powder paint works for a bright as cast look.

I've never heard of clear "powder" paint. I take it this is not just a regular coat. Where do you find it?

[historicfirearms]

Casting with cooler alloy will make a shiny boolits. Hot alloy makes the boolits look frosty.

[matrixcs]

I've never heard of clear "powder" paint. I take it this is not just a regular coat. Where do you find it?

They all look like white powder then clear when baked.. check the "powders that work" thread for more info..
https://www.powderbuythepound.com/Clears-c-331/
http://www.allpowderpaints.com/clear-coats/

[M-Tecs]

Tin and casting cool equals shiny

[Bazoo]

I always get shining bullets when casting straight wheel weights. I cast pretty cool.

[bigjake]

I get shinier bullets when using more pure and cooler melt

[GhostHawk]

In my experience lead will cast shiny but tends to oxidize quickly. 1-2 % if tin seems to keep my ingots a boolits shinier longer. Right up to the point that I lube them, then all bets are off. I have taken to wiping loaded boolit noses with a spot of Ben's Liquid Lube on an old towel. This shines them back up nicely and the thin coat of wax seems to help keep them that way.

[dragon813gt]

Rub a bullet w/ a cotton cloth, it will shine. This is what some members do before taking pics. Mine a dull gray. And if they sit for months they become even more dull. They still shoot the same.

[bangerjim]

Polish by hand with fine abrasive like car polish.

But why really cares? They just go splat on the other end!

Same with really shiny brass. It shoots absolutely no better than dull brass.

If you really want cool looking boolits (and no grease smoke and no leading and ooohs and aaahs at the range) get into powder coating. Read the threads under alternate coatings to learn all about it. Mentioned above also.

Remember...........even REAL SILVER tarnishes too! You have to polish it also.

banger

[Cowboy_Dan]

Speaking of polishing boolits, I have some very old round balls that are oxidized. Do I need to do anything before loading them in my muzzleloader, or does the patch render polishing moot?

[s mac]

Don't think polishing is necessary. In fact, I think the dust you would generate polishing oxidized lead is toxic to breath.

[bangerjim]

No dust. Use LIQUID polish....always. Polishing anything should always be done with liquid based polishes......all metals when polished, create potentially poisonous particles that should be contained.

Not sure just how you are envisioning polishing them, but the way I did it for photos, there is absolutely ZERO air borne metallic dust. Throw away the rags you use and wash your hands well.

But......why even bother polishing lead boolits. Just PC them!!!!!!!!

[Hickok]

Speaking of polishing boolits, I have some very old round balls that are oxidized. Do I need to do anything before loading them in my muzzleloader, or does the patch render polishing moot?

Load'em "as is" and send'em down range.

[guncheese]

shined these with a paper towel
took 2 turns and poof shiny

or these are as cast out of straight SOWW

[DocSavage]

Why do you want your bullets to look like silver are you expecting a visit from Lawrence Talbot?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Before I started casting, I bought nearly all my bullets from SNS bullets. They were always shiney, they use a hard alloy of 92 percent lead, 6 percent antimony and 2 percent tin
http://www.snscasting.com/about-us/0
and no doubt it's not really whats in the actual alloy, it's the temperature of the mold (cadence).

[Frank V]

I've found cast bullets shoot well even if they are frosty, dull grey, or bright & shiny. Just as long as they are filled out well, sized properly, they'll probably shoot well.

[Hickok]

I've found cast bullets shoot well even if they are frosty, dull grey, or bright & shiny. Just as long as they are filled out well, sized properly, they'll probably shoot well.

So true. But when you have them shiny and silver they seem to put a werewolf down faster!