Pure lead +?+?= Boolits

[junkman1967]

I have a bunch of pure lead (Aircraft ballast) What can I mix with it to make a good rifle bullet capable of 2000 fps? For the sake of simplicity lets assume

5lbs lead+___lbs of____+____lbs of_____= good alloy

Im looking to use readily available materials such as lead shot, Tin (solder, Pewter) and COWW.

Any help for a newbie would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Joe

[centershot]

Check here: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm

[williamwaco]

25% pure lead, 75% clip on wheel weights 2% pewter. ( yea i Know, that is 102)

Pure lead will need tin at least 1%, not more than 2%
More than 2% will not hurt but it will not help either and it is the most expensive component you have.

Tin and pewter are pretty much interchangeable. ( Assuming your pewter is real pewter. Much stuff that is sold as pewter today is not. )

[Alan in Vermont]

Go to this thread, http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators , download the alloy calculator and, by putting the amounts of what you have, or plan to use it will give you the percentages of each ingredient in the mix as well as a theoretical BHN for that mix.

[dragon813gt]

Download this and plug in different values to get what you want: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

[junkman1967]

Thanks for all the great information. I have located some COWW to add to my pure lead, now I need to track down some tin and use the calculator to come up with a good mix for my rifle. Any more advice is also appreciated.

Joe

[bangerjim]

Thanks for all the great information. I have located some COWW to add to my pure lead, now I need to track down some tin and use the calculator to come up with a good mix for my rifle. Any more advice is also appreciated.

Joe

You're in gilbert. I have had virtually ZERO luck finding pewter anything around the PHX metro area here, except in collectables cabinets and antique store! Rotometals.com is your best source for tin. And look around this forum. There are always guys melting down pewterware and selling it for <$6 a pound. I was lucky years ago to be visiting one of the local scrap yards and found 30 one pound bars of pure tin in a barrel. Bought it for the then-going price of lead..................30¢/#.

You can buy solder at Lowes and HomeDespot but OMG........the price!

You do not need much. A little goes a long way.


Be sure to download that calculator mentioned above...........most valuable!


bangerjim

[junkman1967]

Downloaded the calc and tin is the only thing I am lacking at this point. I have COWW and pure lead. Im going to do a small batch of about 5lbs just to get the hang of casting and getting my mix right. Thanks for the info.

Joe

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

25% pure lead, 75% clip on wheel weights 2% pewter. ( yea i Know, that is 102)

Pure lead will need tin at least 1%, not more than 2%
More than 2% will not hurt but it will not help either and it is the most expensive component you have.



What if you replaced the WWs with range scrap in your formula? Would you still just need 1% tin?
Does tin increase hardness or just help moulds fill our better? Thanks!

[dragon813gt]

What if you replaced the WWs with range scrap in your formula? Would you still just need 1% tin?
Does tin increase hardness or just help moulds fill our better? Thanks!

Read this: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

If you have questions afterwards please ask. I've read that book multiple times and still pull info out of it that I didn't know before.

[Browningshooter]

I use 50/50 coww/ soft and only add the tin if mold fill out is lacking. Water quench out of the mold to bring your hardness up.
-Will

Definitely read "from ingot to target" as provided in the links above!!

[Defcon-One]

5 lbs. lead + 4 lbs. of Linotype + 0.64 lbs. of 50/50 Solder = Good Alloy!

We call it Lyman #2!

It is 5% Tin, 5% Antimony and 90% Lead. They will tell you that it is too expensive, but it really isn't and it makes amazing bullets that load and shoot very well in my rifles!