A Swap I'm Real Happy With

[Alan in Vermont]

A co-worker of my reloading buddy was looking for something to shoot in 38 caliber loads. I had a mostly full JIF jar of Lee 358-140-SWC that I was going to load for myself. Word went back and forth that I wasn't interested in selling them I would trade for lead. Turns out the guy has a buddy who brings him lead flashing, some used, some still in part rolls and, at least in this batch not speck one of tar. The boolits went to the office where my buddy works and today he brought me a box of lead that his co-worker left in return. Probably close to 40 pounds.

YEEHAW!!

[00buck]

That sounds like a good deal to me..That will fill up a lot of JIF jars!

[runfiverun]

2.5 or there abouts.

[Alan in Vermont]

I think this pure will give me enough to make up right around 100 lbs of #2. I have all the necessary ingredients. 76# of lead, 22# of foundry type and 3.5# of 50/50 solder should give me 101.5# of an alloy that is 4.98% tin, 4.99% antimony and 90% lead. That's too close to "real" #2 as can be.

I have never cast any #2, I have always had mystery metal of one mix or another. That has always been sufficient to meet my needs but having the ingredients it is now a question of why not? With a supply of #2 I can use it as a test medium to check as-cast diameters and weights as well as having a constant to use should I want to experiment with different lubes. I have always used NRA 50/50 and have quite a few pounds of it left before I need to consider finding something else. Right now I have a Lyman 457125 that is dropping under .450 with my current mix of COWW+tin. I want to see what it does with #2, if it drops small with that it will head for the ebay highway.

BTW, thank you Bumpo, for the alloy calculator!! That makes life so easy.