Casting with lead shot

[lead_her_fly]

I recently came by a 25Lb. bag of #8 lead shot. I do not load shotgun shells so...... the only use I could think of for this stuff is to put it into the pot and make something useful out of it! :-D
Is that a good idea?
What is the metalurgy of shot?
Any helpful information would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Skip

[ANeat]

Lead shot is good to add in to your regular mix. It has arsenic in it which helps in the ability to heat treat. It doesent take much so your 25 pounds should last a while

[ANeat]

Here is a good article on heat treating lead alloys http://www.lasc.us/HeatTreat.htm

[gray wolf]

I thought that was a good ??

other than the heat treeting what elce can it help. What will it do for W/W's
How about for ten pounds of W/W how much shot?

Is the 6,71/2 and 8 shot the same as buck shot?? :coffee:

[felix]

No, you want "Magnum" shot; size makes no difference. Only magnum shot has additional antimony and prolly more arsenic as well. How much to add to what would only be a guess on my part. If nobody in the know answers, add half pound per 10 pounds of WW. ... felix

[MT Gianni]

Craigs list? offer to trade for 50 lbs lead and see what you get. Gianni.

[pumpguy]

Shot is up to about $30.00 a bag. Makes it pretty valuable. You might want to try to trade it to someone who loads shotshells.

[singleshotbuff]

Ditto on the trade ideas. Shot is going for $40 a bag here in Ohio right now.

SSB

[leftiye]

Lawrence brand Magnum shot used to be 5% antimony, and about 1/2% tin (they never talked about arsenic back then for heat treating). Harrison, I believe it was touted this as a perfect alloy to heat treat. Hardens to BHN of 42!!! when heat treated. Prolly shatters too (oh, well). Made some of my hottest cast boolit loads out of this back in the 80s, he weren't lyin'.

[Paul B]

IIRC, Paco Kelly's favorite alloy was 18 pounds of shot plus a one pound roll of 95/5 percent lead free solder. Said it made a good bullet as is and heat treated to a very high number.
Also, IIRC, the smaller the size shot the higher the antimony and arsenic level. I think the arsenic helps the smaller shot to form the spherical shape of the shot as it falls from the tower.
Paul B.

[0802]

I think Ranch Dog posted a recipe he used in which he added some shot. I'll see if I can find it.

[randyrat]

STOP don't melt that shot down, I'll trade ya WWS for that shot and give ya more for boot

[BOOM BOOM]

Hi,
I Use A 1/8 Cup To A 10 # Pot Of Tw As A Hardener, It Also Helps Hardening By To H2o Quench Methode.

[pjh421]

Melt it! Melt it! Melt it! Randy Rat can re-melt it and pour it through a shot-maker. Hee hee hee.

Paul

[lead_her_fly]

I did melt about 10lbs of this stuff and I wonder if it is pure lead shot. I have never seen so much dross in all of my life!
Don't have a thermometer but the pot was turned up to about 9 to try to get the lead melted and man what a mess!
There was shot that wouldn't even melt and a bunch of "sooty" looking stuff. The shot that didn't melt of course ended up on top and could be taken off very easily. Any thoughts about what I may have gotten into? I am not going to mix any of this stuff with my other alloy until I find out what it is. I do have some range lead that I may try some with. Help me out folks!
Skip

[cohutt]

I had a similar experience with a bucket of lead shot that had been in a keel, or so i was told. I knew it would be nasty as there were some pieces of plastic/fiberglass but mainly the shot was well oiled. The dutch oven smoked for a while the flamed and burned off for an unusually long period of time.
It took a lot of stirring but regardless i still ended up with a some shot that wouldn't melt, seemed to float with or on the substantial dry ash dross layer. Layer was half an inch or more no kidding.
It eventually came out clean after some skimming and fluxing; it was softer than WW but harder than pure lead and berm recovered alloy. Basically clacked ingots together to see which dented which.
fwiw i posted about it here i think and several opinions were offerred. Can't find the thread of course, would have been late spring maybe.....

found it: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=17231

(glad i did, couldn't remember who offerred to test it for me)

[floodgate]

I believe shot is tumbled in graphite, which is probably the "sooty" stuff you are seeing. Also, small-size shot has a LOT of surface area per unit weight, so there can be a lot of oxidation. I used to cast from shot, and I remember it as being a messy process - but it worked out OK in the end.

floodgate

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
WHAT DOES THE BAG SAY?
I got a small bag of shot that would not melt even at 900 degrees.
It was unlabled so I believe it that politically correct shot. CRAP!

[randyrat]

Trade it for WWs That stuff is a nasty mess to melt....:-D