shoot shell lead #8

[84mmcarl-gustav]

Hi,i got few pounds of shot shell lead #8,i would like to know what type of mixed could be,i think is from mars metal,is good for casting bullet,thanks

[nanuk]

to buy lead up here is expensive, as is any other commercial alloy due to shipping I guess.

so I am always on the lookout for a reasonable supply.

so far I have gotten luck on WW, and I can get "magnum shot" for $1.00/lb.


do you know what type of shot? from what I have read, there are generally 3 types available.

[evan price]

Good for casting, probably pretty soft, might be some antimony in it but not much. Magnum shot has more antimony.

[JIMinPHX]

When I first started casting, bags of shot were my only source of lead. I started out using #8 &/or #9 with 2% tin added. it's an expensive mix, but it worked well for me.

The bird shot that I got from Thunderbird Cartridge seemed a lot like wheel weight lead with just a pinch of arsenic added. It would come up around 13bnh air cooled & around 23bnh water dropped.

There are different grades of shot out there. The econo box shells from Wallmart are loaded with a noticeably softer grade of shot than I had in my 25# bags of bird shot. Also, if you look up shot manufacturers' websites these days, you will find specifications like "5% antimony equivalent hardness". They used to use antimony for hardness. Now they will just put in whatever they want & say that it's as hard as 5% antimony would have been. Also, a much larger portion of the shot in this world is now being manufactured in India. I fear that the future quality will not be what it has been in the past.

[cajun shooter]

There are two common shot sold. One is called Chilled shot which is not as hard as the Magnum shot. The Magnum will shoot better patterns as the shot don't deform when traveling down the barrel.
Jim, Both Lawrence and West Coast shot are made in the USA. West Coast still does it the old way with a shot tower in Nevada.

[84mmcarl-gustav]

Hello,i think the mixe is for magnum,the cast bullet it harder,will see on shooting range ,thank you

[tuckerdog]

magnum shot is about like ww's chilled is a bit softer

[JIMinPHX]

Jim, Both Lawrence and West Coast shot are made in the USA. West Coast still does it the old way with a shot tower in Nevada.

I'll try to look for that brand in the future. Thanks for the info.