Newbie to casting

[Billybob123]

I am new to casting and have accumulated 400-500 pounds of wheel weights. I am wanting to cast them into buckshot and slugs for my shotgun. I read somewhere that the more antimony the harder the shot and less deformation upon detonation of the powder and thus flies truer. Don't know if that's true or not so I wanted to draw on your collective knowledge and experience. Should I be adding antimony to my lead from my wheel weights to get hard buckshot and if so how much. I have several different molds for buckshot and slugs and want to start making some this winter since I live in snow land and there isn't a lot to do around the house as honey-do's like I have during the summer. Thanks for your recommendations.

[clodhopper]

The easy thing would be, take the wheel weights you have, make some buck shot then shoot it.
If it's good make more.
If the preformance is not up to your expecations, you can change your alloy.
Most slugs are reccomended to be cast of soft lead.
I have had good results casting and shooting lyman's 525 grain 12 gauge sabot slug with range scrap that runs a few points harder than lead.

[shadowcaster]

You can also water drop or heat treat your buckshot to make them harder.

Shad

[Billybob123]

You can also water drop or heat treat your buckshot to make them harder.

Shad

I've heard of heat treating and that sounds fairly easy. I would suspect though that you don't want to heat treat buckshot in your home oven. What is another way to heat treat buckshot?

[Garyshome]

I've heard of heat treating and that sounds fairly easy. Until you melt your Shot. Toaster oven from goodwill.

[plainsman456]

I have made #1 buckshot with ww and they do penetrate better.

My brother asked me to make up some for his 12 gauge and he has killed 3 deer with them.

He told me they shot tighter than the factory stuff.

I have not done any thing with slugs yet but might in the future.

[bangerjim]

NEVER......EVER use your food oven/utensils or inside oven for lead anything!

As mentioned above, get a toaster oven at a junk store. Do it OUTSIDE the house. And watch the temp!!!!!!! Don't trust the dial on the front of a used oven......you will end up with a nice pile of lead in there. Don't ask me why I know that!

Antimony is what makes lead hard and allows you to heat it up and quench in water to gain some hardness. WW's have a little. If you are concerned, get some Ant alloy (NOT pure) from Rotometals.com to add.

Shotgun slugs are generally always soft lead or a tad above. At least that what I have always heard and used.

Clip-on wheel weights (COWW) are generally around 12 bhn, a bit too hard for slugs. Stick on weights (SOWW) are normally considered soft(er) lead, around 5-7 bhn.

If you are really concerned about hardness, I assume you own a hardness tester???????????????? If not, you are just stabbing in the dark with alloy mixes. You can (sort of) test hardness with the "poor man's artist pencils" method as documented on this site. Search for it with the engine above. It is a SWAG method but is relatively close to the actual hardness. Or buy a Cabine Tree tester you will have for the rest of your life!

Good shooting!

bangerjim