Pure lead...now what

[exdxgxe4life]

Hello all,

I was lucky enough to stumble across about 60 lbs of pure lead in 8-10 inch rods for free. Of course not able to say no, I took them.

I've only melted down ww before.

Who/what/when/why/where/how can I do to make this usable. I'm assuming I need to ad some tin and linotype but you know what happens when you assume.

It's for my marlin 1894 in .44 mag. I currently am using a 300 grain GC mold from ranch dog outdoors.

[R.M.]

Try Bumpo's alloy calculator and see if you can find a mix that meets your requirements. It's just an Excel spread-sheet, and you plug in differing amounts of materials to get a final mix percentage and estimated hardness. I like it. It should be a sticky here someplace.

[Wayne Smith]

And read at least a good part of the Gold and Purple and Blue stickie.

[BABore]

Mix it 50/50 with sorted, clip-on WW's. Add no more than 1/2% tin if you absolutely need it. Cast at 650 to 700 F from a hot mold and water drop the boolits. Size right away if needed and let sit for 1-2 weeks before shooting. It will do everything you need.

[catmasher]

Send it to me, that stuff is't any good...:bigsmyl2:
van

[bumpo628]

Hello all,

I was lucky enough to stumble across about 60 lbs of pure lead in 8-10 inch rods for free. Of course not able to say no, I took them.

I've only melted down ww before.

Who/what/when/why/where/how can I do to make this usable. I'm assuming I need to ad some tin and linotype but you know what happens when you assume.

It's for my marlin 1894 in .44 mag. I currently am using a 300 grain GC mold from ranch dog outdoors.

If you've got a GC mold, then you should be able to get away with mixing the pure lead and WW in a 50-50 ratio as mentioned above.
With 5 lbs of each: adding 1 oz of 50/50 solder will bump the tin up to 0.56% and 2 ozs will make it 0.86%.

I just updated my alloy calculator and saved it on the last example. Let me know if you have any questions.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

/Thanks for the good word, R.M.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Mix it 50/50 with sorted, clip-on WW's. Add no more than 1/2% tin if you absolutely need it. Cast at 650 to 700 F from a hot mold and water drop the boolits. Size right away if needed and let sit for 1-2 weeks before shooting. It will do everything you need.


YEAH BRUCE!!! Ya beat me to saying 50/50 + some tin.Robert

[badbob454]

i would go for a harder alloy ,33/33/33 of pure lead/ clip on ww/linotype and a touch of solder to finish it off water drop and go ... and ba bore said it well wait a few weeks for the bullet to harden . and check it for max velocity's and unchecked for mild ( under 1500 fps ). i just dont think 50/50 lead /coww's, will hold up to magnum velocity without some accuracy issues... in my humble opinion

[BABore]

i would go for a harder alloy ,33/33/33 of pure lead/ clip on ww/linotype and a touch of solder to finish it off water drop and go ... and ba bore said it well wait a few weeks for the bullet to harden . and check it for max velocity's and unchecked for mild ( under 1500 fps ). i just dont think 50/50 lead /coww's, will hold up to magnum velocity without some accuracy issues... in my humble opinion

It holds up very nice indeed. In fact it's all I use for full house 45-70 load as well as HV 338 & 375 H&H loads. In my magnum handguns, I use it both air cooled and water dropped depending on the gun's wants. It's not always about hardness. Cutting the antimony level down makes for a tough alloy when water dropped.

[fredj338]

Mix it 50/50 with sorted, clip-on WW's. Add no more than 1/2% tin if you absolutely need it. Cast at 650 to 700 F from a hot mold and water drop the boolits. Size right away if needed and let sit for 1-2 weeks before shooting. It will do everything you need.

Agree, about all you need for most applications to 1000fps +. You can water drop that mixture to get a bit harder alloy too.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Bruce's - BABore - recommendation of 50/50, WW an lead, water quenched right out of the mold is working well for me in my 45/70.

Currently pushing 1700fps with zero problems and the best groups I have seen.

I was surprised that it cast so well with the low percentage of tin, but the alloy did just great. Nice fill out, nice boolits.

And yes, I was running the temp, as Bruce indicated, at 650 - 700 degrees.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

Sure wish I had saved some of the huge stash if soft lead I once had!

[ColColt]

I still haven't gotten the hang of how that calculator works...maybe someday.

[DukeInFlorida]

IF your Marlin has microgrooved rifling, it really prefers straight linotype. I wouldn't use any pure lead as an additive for it, since that would make things too soft (without re-adding enough tin and antimony to make it up.)


Hello all,

I was lucky enough to stumble across about 60 lbs of pure lead in 8-10 inch rods for free. Of course not able to say no, I took them.

I've only melted down ww before.

Who/what/when/why/where/how can I do to make this usable. I'm assuming I need to ad some tin and linotype but you know what happens when you assume.

It's for my marlin 1894 in .44 mag. I currently am using a 300 grain GC mold from ranch dog outdoors.

[Link23]

ill trade you lb for lb of wheel weight if you are interested

[badbob454]

my 454 has some accuracy issues at magnum pressures with 100% waterdropped wheelweights .. adding a little lino, would be good as stated before so 33/33/33 plus tin would not be an unreasonable mix for magnum loads