New WW, Lead or Zinc

[vulture47]

A local tire shop had about 500lbs of wheel weights he got in for large truck tires, but told me he couldn't use them because they were the wrong kind and I could have what I wanted, so I hauled several boxes home, "big boxes." I cast some 30 cal. boolets for my .308 and when I went to size and lube them I couldn't pound them into the sizer die. These are the hardest stinking slugs I've ever seen, well cast slugs anyway. Is it possable that what I have are WW made from a very high concentration of zink? If so then I can cast and shoot them as cast but I'll never get them to size. Mold was .309, size die was .308. Oh yeah, I'm new to this site, great info. I've been casting my own for years, kind of let it go for a few years there but now I've got to get back into it to make rounds up for my .577 Snider, and .577-450 Martini.

[jdgabbard]

Hrm. I've not heard of any like that. However, it is not completely impossible for a company to change their alloy. Can you upload pics of the WWs?

[sagacious]

A local tire shop had about 500lbs of wheel weights he got in for large truck tires, but told me he couldn't use them because they were the wrong kind and I could have what I wanted...
These are the hardest stinking slugs I've ever seen, well cast slugs anyway. Is it possable that what I have are WW made from a very high concentration of zink?
...

No, if they're like the ones I've been using, they're definitely not zinc. It's just hard lead.

I have also noticed that the large truck ww's are harder than the standard auto ww's. I suspect that they contain more antimony and/or arsenic to additionally strengthen them because of their larger mass and the increased stresses placed upon them by trucks driving on unpaved roads or worksite access roads, etc.

Cast away, and enjoy your good fortune! Or cut them with some soft lead if you need a less-hard bullet.

Good luck, hope this helps.

[qajaq59]

Must be even harder then lino.

[jdgabbard]

just out of curiosity. Are you sure you didn't have the wrong sizer in the press? Just asking as I've had a mold that dropped .005 over once. Went to size it and it was pretty darn tough. So if that is tough lead with lots of tin in it, and you have the wrong sizer, then I'd think it would be a bit tough on the lube/sizer as well as your arm.

[fredj338]

I've sized linotype bullets that are 0.002" larger than the die & while diff. certainyl sizeable. You would know if it were zinc, you would have to cast at extremely high temps, 800deg+ to get any kind of fillout.

[mrbill2]

How soon after casting did you try to size them ? Try sizing some the same day you cast them. If they can't be sized the same day, then you must have Kriptonit.

[beagle]

From my experiences with truck weights in quantity, they're of a harder alloy and make good bullets. If too hard, cut them a bit with some stickon weights which will be pretty near to pure.

I hope they haven't changed the alloy on me. When #1 son was driving a truck, he'd get me small quantities...anywhere from a gallon to 5 gallons and they were some prime lead and big enough to make the rendering down process easier./beagle