Another lead shot question

[Vulcan Bob]

Hi all, wanting to stretch out my COWW supply I'm going to go to a 50-50 mix of COWW and pure. Now a nice older gentleman gave me a coffee can full of cleaned reclaimed lead shot. Looks to be about a #8 size (came off a skeet field) and probably is not magnum shot. I figured to go with 5lb of COWW, 4lb of pure and 1lb of this shot with 2% tin added. This alloy would be used for hand gun only up to 1,300 fps with SPG lube. Sound ok to you? Any and all thoughts on this appreciated!

[beagle]

That alloy ought to be all right. Depending on what the shot is, you might not need to add tin. I'd see how it cast before I added the tin as it's in the $10/lb range now./beagle

[Vulcan Bob]

That alloy ought to be all right. Depending on what the shot is, you might not need to add tin. I'd see how it cast before I added the tin as it's in the $10/lb range now./beagle

Hey there, Beagle, appreciate the info. I was not aware that shot had any significant amount of tin and was looking for the antimony content to bolster the plain lead. I have new Lyman molds, #429421 and # 452424 that are proving difficult in regards to proper fill out with straight COWW and thought a bit of tin would help. I gotta run the casting temps higher than I would like to get fill out with the Lyman's and thought the added tin would allow me to reduce the temp as well.

[jmort]

The shot will not have tin. I think adding tin is good, so 4 ounces would do it.

[cbrick]

Pretty doubtful there will be any tin in your shot. Depending on what shot it is there will Sb and there will be As. Jmortimer is correct, adding 2% Sn by weight will be a good thing. For better mold fill-out it's not higher pot temps you need it's higher mold temp. If you add the tin there is no sense wasting it by too high of a pot temp, keep the pot at or below 725 and either cast faster or better yet properly pre-heat the mold to a good casting temp. A pot temp of 725 is at least 250 degrees hotter than you need for a good casting mold temp and will get and keep your mold plenty hot.

The purpose of adding the Sn is to reduce the surface tension of the alloy going into the mold to allow perfect mold fill-out. Sn looses it's ability to do this past 750 degrees plus Sn itself oxidizes much faster past this temp. Other reasons for adding the Sn is a slightly harder boolit but more important is a more ductile boolit.

Rick

[leadman]

I have cast many boolits from just reclaimed shot for handguns and rifles. Works very well, probably better than the hardball alloy.

[beagle]

Dependent on the shot type (which you can't determine from what you have), you'll pick up quite a bit of antimony especially from #8 and #9 shot in the Magnum varieties especially. Your ratio should give you some help. I'm stingy with tin and would see how the alloy casts first and then add the tin if needed./beagle

[MarkP]

I usually cast reclaimed shot as is, one lot I bought had about 10% by volume of steel shot. I thought it was taking a long time to melt then realized steel shot was floating on the molten lead.

[Vulcan Bob]

Hi all, thanks for all the input! I had to run the pot at 725 with straight COWW to get a really good fill out on the Lyman EK's and that is a lot hotter than I like to run. The molds work well at 660 but have erratic fill out, hence the desire to add a bit of tin. I tell you, who has more fun than us?!