First time casting range lead, need help.

[fal_762x51]

Well I got a source for some range lead from an indoor range (nice to have friends). I was able to acquire approx. 105 lbs of range lead in a 5 gallon bucket for $20. I have casted before with .45 ACP with commercial mixed lead and need to be schooled on range lead.

First, I want to load this for many surplus rifles, what would be a good mixture/ratio for any rifle rounds that would require ~ 1500 fps? More tin, more antimony, or mix some linotype ingots? Anything else you can add that I forgot?

Second, I would like to start reloading boolits for my Steyr M40A1 (.40 S&W). What would be a good mixture/ratio for this?

Last, I'm still an amateur and any wisdom from you skilled craftsman is great appreciated.

-Pat

[fredj338]

Range lead can be all over the place in composition. I treat it mostly between pure lead & clip ww. I call it 50/50 alloy. It's fine for most handgun applications & depending on the antimony content, may water drop to acceptable hardness for vel above 1500fps. If not, blending it 50/50 w/ lino should work fine.

[Echo]

Conventional wisdom around here is that range lead is fine for non-magnum pistol boolits. I am not experienced enough to disagree with that conclusion, and find that it makes sense to me. My only suggestion would possibly be to add some Sn for mold fill-out, if necessary. One, 2, up to 3%, but just enough to give sharp edges on the boolit where there are sharp edges on the mold.
Blending 50/50 w/lino, as Fredj338 said, will give dang good alloy useful for most of what us need, including rifle boolits.

[imashooter2]

I've been using range scrap collected over a period of 8 to 10 years from a couple of different indoor ranges. It runs between 12 and 14 BHN air cooled and water drops 18 - 22. This from a dozen samples pulled from buckets all across the time line. It casts beautifully as is with no additions whatsoever.

I've shot it in plain base loads up to 1,350 fps (180 grain .357 magnum, air cooled) and gas checked loads to 2,100 fps (150 grain .30/30, water quenched).

So far, no issues in any platform I've tried.

[fal_762x51]

Thanks. I was going to smelt a couple of pounds of it, but the clouds are looming and I don't have a overhang/garage. Hopefully tomorrow will be clear.

[squirrellnuttz]

I just got my greasy little mitts on around 400 lbs of indoor range lead, my buddy and I melted into ingots a couple of years ago. I'm hoping to use it to make low velocity pistol bullets with it.

I'm just getting into it, just got my first set of casting gear from purolator yesterday. I melted up around 307 ingots of WW's today, and got ahold of those indoor range material ingots. Joy!!!!

So i've got plenty of material to learn to cast with. So far I've only done a few hundred .30 cals and a bunch of shotgun slugs in my short casting career, but I think I'm on my way, especially with a resource like this site.
And the range needs another scooping this year, maybe next weekend........