Does Anybody Know...

[nicholst55]

what the lead/tin/antimony ratio of Oregon Trail Lazer Cast boolits is? I've got a box of 500 that I don't have much use for, and I'm thinking about sweetening some wheel weight alloy with them. Any suggestions on what ratio to use?

[mroliver77]

Do you just want to through them in the pot as you cast? I would dump them into the smelter when making a batch of alloy. It is a pain to put like 18/2 in the pot then try to weigh more out to refill pot etc. Personally I would keep them and mebbe someday you will be happy you did. Or use for trading stock. What are they. Mebbe we can get a trade for you and make someone else happy. J

[nicholst55]

They're 152 grain .451 SWC boolits. I realize it would be a PITA trying to keep a consistent alloy by dumping a handful into the pot, so I'd probably add them to a pot of wheel weights when smelting and pouring ingots.

[Leftoverdj]

At a very wild guess, they have something close to twice the antimony that WW do. I'd mix them with three times the weight of WW, throw in some tin, and hope for something close to Lyman #2 in hardness, but I ain't real scientific.

[NVScouter]

I had about 300+ left over since they were too hard to shoot in my 45LC. Recovered bullets showed poor rifling to bullet conforminty that matched the crappy groups.

I made them into ingots for future use so I'm in the same boat. I know they are harder than WW however.

[nicholst55]

I decided to e-mail Oregon Trail and ask them. Here's what they had to say:

"I really don't know the ratio of the mixture. Sorry I can't be more helpful."

Well gee, that was helpful. Not! :roll:

[Cherokee]

I find that response hard to believe - Maybe that person did not know but surely there is someone at OT that knows the alloy in use.

[cbrick]

what the lead/tin/antimony ratio of Oregon Trail Lazer Cast boolits is?

I decided to e-mail Oregon Trail and ask them. Here's what they had to say:

"I really don't know the ratio of the mixture. Sorry I can't be more helpful." Well gee, that was helpful. Not! :roll:

Trust me, they know exactly what they put in the pot, they just don't want you (or their competitors) making them yourself. Much better for them if you buy them.

The Lazer Cast bullets that I have checked were fairly hard ranging from 18 to 22 BHN so they probably don't have an iron clad locked in formula, rather using what they can get a deal on at the time. (that's a SWAG on my part)

Leftoverdj is probably pretty close at 3/1 and the suggestion of blending the new alloy when making ingots is a good one.

Rick

[nicholst55]

I agree with Rick; they most certainly know what their alloy is. I asked if they could divulge it, and I wish they'd just been up-front with me and said 'No.' I would have understood perfectly; just don't blow smoke up my ass.

Come to think on it, I've got more Oregon Trail boolits that just might end up back in the lead pot. I bought these when they were much more reasonably priced, and they're not all that great shooting in my guns - not with any load that I've tried yet.

[cbrick]

Don't blame OT for raising prices, everyone has. What's happened to base metal prices in the last year is pretty scary to say the least.

[nicholst55]

Don't blame OT for raising prices, everyone has. What's happened to base metal prices in the last year is pretty scary to say the least.

I've been following the prices of copper and lead, and doing a lot of moaning and groaning in the process. Damn the Chinese, anyway! I merely meant that I bought these boolits before the current upward price spiral had become so pronounced - over a year ago.