How would you mix this?

[Alan in Vermont]

I have 175 lbs of pure lead that I didn't have yesterday.

I have access to a virtually unlimited supply of range scrap that seems to be smelting out to about as hard as WW

I have probably 30 lbs of 50-50 bar solder.

I would like to use part of the pure in a soft alloy for casting a mess of .358 wadcutters. Don't have a WC mold at present but that is easy to change.

Any recommendations as to what would make a workable alloy? I'd like to aim for about 150 lbs of soft alloy.

[No_1]

Not the answer you are looking for but I would use the range scrap as it and sell the pure to BP folks and use the funds for something else.

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

if you shoot revolvers a fair amount, at least half the time, mix 14 pounds of your 50/50 with the lead to make 1:25, a great revolver alloy. Otherwise, I agree with no_1. If you are looking WWish alloy it will be a decent amount of work to turn that much pure lead into a WW like alloy.

[Defcon-One]

Since you have range lead that is "about as hard as WW", I agree with the guy above, Mix up some 25:1.

Here's what you asked for:

140 pounds of your Pure Lead
11.7 pounds of your 50/50 Solder

This will get you 151.7 pounds of 25:1 alloy. It is a classic revolver alloy for wadcutters and the like. I also use it for all of my hollow point bullets with great success. It offers excellent expansion, no fragmentation, great mold fillout and is fairly inexpensive to boot.

Make up a small test batch to try it out:

12 pounds of your Pure Lead
1 pound of your 50/50 Solder

Then, if you like it, make the big batch.

Hope that helps,

DC-1


************

Changed mine, after I figured it out, then I saw the post below. Obviously he is right 12+1 is easier!

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

or to make the small batch a bit simpler. 1 pound of 50/50 with 12 pounds of lead gives you 1/2 pound of tin to 12.5 pounds of lead, or exactly 1:25, without weighing out 0.84 pounds of 50/50.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I like 50% soft lead mixed with 50% WW.

Now if your scrap is as hard as WW...there you go.

When I pick up scrap bullets at the range (after a rain), I don't get very much
BUT, they are mostly commercial cast and that gives me a fairly hard alloy
I can use to add to other alloy that's too soft.

BUT, the range scrap I've bought from a member here is
fairly soft...luckily for me, it's about the same as the
50% soft lead/50% WW alloy.

Maybe you should get a hardness tester to measure your scrap.
Good Luck
Jon

[btroj]

Use the range scrap as is. Keep the soft in case you get something harder to mix it with later on.

[lwknight]

I'm on the use scrap as is train. Save and mix the pure as/when needed.

[runfiverun]

you might get lucky and find 60 lbs of lnotype to make some more faux ww's.
otherwise i'd just mix in about 20% of the soft with the range scrap and use it.
just depends on what you have-need-can get.

[.22-10-45]

Hello, Alan..If you have unlimited range-lead..I would save that soft stuff..it's getting harder to find..someday you might want to try single-shot rifles either smokeless or black powder..easy enought then to mix up 30-1 or 20-1 PB/SN alloys. I am using range-scrap plus WW if I want a bit harder..for 6mm up thru .40-70.