Lead help. I'm a total rookie and have a few questions

[monmouth]

I'm new to casting and getting ready to swage (gathering components and waiting for BT's dies :) ).

I have access to large quantities of indoor range lead. Here are my questions:

The lead pile does have jacketed material in it, but is this good lead to use for swaging?
Can I use this lead "as-is"?

[clodhopper]

Jacketed lead bullets are usually soft lead inside.
Soft lead is the best core material for most uses.
Cast lead bullets can be made of any alloy.
Tin in cast lead alloys makes lead tough, this can break dies.
.22 rimfire bullets often contain up to 3% antimony.
This will make your arm strong.

[Zymurgy50]

You might want to check for a source of soft lead, lead pipe or roof flashing at local scrapyards, maybe find a muzzleloader shooter that can point you in the right direction. Any type of range lead is bound to be too hard for swaging. You just spent some hard earned cash for dies, and probably had to wait a while for them, why take a chance on breaking your dies with free or cheap lead that isnt the right alloy for the application.

[Cane_man]

i use range lead all the time and it works fine for me with swaging

[Gunnut 45/454]

Cane man
Ditto! Got 500# of it been making cast boolits and now swaggin them with it. I'm sure pure soft lead would make it easier to swag but around here it's hard to find a steady source. OP if your going to use it for swaggin just don't add any tin to the mix and air cool your cores. That way they stay pretty soft. And save the jackets for scrap copper to turn in and get paid for it! Out of that 500# of lead I got 90# of copper- nice money at the time!!:-D

[Prospector Howard]

I'd say Clodhopper is right. I'd use the lead from the jacketed bullets for swaging, and the hardcast for recasting for lead boolits. It would take a little sorting tho.

[Lizard333]

AS a rule of thumb, I personally wouldn't go about 8.5 BHN for swaging. Harder than that and you risk destroying your dies. If your range lead is 8.5 or softer, your good to go. Harder, and you may want to trade with other members on this site. Some guys, all they have access to if dead soft, and they need harder lead to make their boolits.

[BT Sniper]

Recovered jacketed bullets will have a soft lead core great for swaging.

Recovered large caliber cast boolits will typically be pretty hard and questionable for using as cores in jacketed bullets.

I would still gather all the lead you can. Never turn down free lead!

BT

[OBIII]

You could always smelt it down into ingots and trade for pure lead. But as was said above, never turn down free lead! :)
OB

[Forrest r]

Indoor range lead is allot softer than outdoor range lead. Most indoor ranges have the shooters use jacketed bullets or 22lr's/ no smoke. The lead usually comes out in ingots in the 40 to 1/8bhn range.

[tbj555]

I always use indoor range lead for swaging but when I smelt it I always put some pure in it to make it softer.