casting boolits with smelted shot

[bigjake]

I posted in another thread about hitting the motherload of shot coming from an old skeet range. anyway, I smelted some of the shot into muffin ingots. I wasnt sure how the alloy would cast, I thought it wouldnt fill out a mold properly. I put a couple of the muffins in the pot and hoped for the best. to my suprise it filled out the mold nicely and the boolit was really shiny . The thing is, it was stuck in the mold, i had to beat the **** out of it with my wood knocker. I got my caliper out and it was oversized compared to the WW boolits.
Anyone of you boolit masters know why this happens?

I added some WW alloy and the boolits came right out and was almost as shiny.

[500MAG]

Shot normally has between 2 to 5 % antimony, depending on what kind. I would probably cut it 50/50 with WW or add 1 to 2% tin depending on your application.

[bigjake]

Anyone have an idea about the increase in dia. using the pure smelted shot?

[500MAG]

Anyone have an idea about the increase in dia. using the pure smelted shot?
Increased antimony can increase diameter while lowering weight.

[bangerjim]

As said.....shot is very high in Sb and too hard for most standard boolits. That can create Sb wash in your barrel. Use shot to sweeten pure and other Pb's to what you need. Handy to have for mixing, just not cast pure.

banger

[tygar]

I also sometimes use shot but I add to get arsenic & use about 8-16ozs for a 20# pot. Never used it for the base alloy but with magnum shot, I definately would use 50% lead or WWs & then see if tin needed to be added.

I was going to do an experiment & see what hardness I could get my adding mag shot to various leads from SOWWs - foundry then cook it for awhile. Wonder what pure shot or 50-50 shot lead would be.

If you have a bunch I may be interested in some of it if you want to sell/trade.

[bigjake]

I may sell or trade for brass or something. I need to clean it a bit better first. we get the dirt in 5 gal buckets, they must weigh in excess of 100 lbs. I can't carry them. my son is 6'3" 280, hes my forklift/crane :grin:

[tygar]

I may sell or trade for brass or something. I need to clean it a bit better first. we get the dirt in 5 gal buckets, they must weigh in excess of 100 lbs. I can't carry them. my son is 6'3" 280, hes my forklift/crane :grin:

OK keep me in mind.
Thanks
Tom

[boho]

I'd be intersted in buying/trading a small amount of that shot to experiment with if you're gonna let some go. PM me if you do.

[bigjake]

I dont know how to sell/trade with this shot? It isnt like the shot you get at the local gun store all perfect and even dark colored. it has many different ages of shot from white [old] to dark [newish]
Most of it falls in between. should i send it like it is? 98% free of dirt and small stones. maybe a couple of small stones here and there. Or should i smelt it? I guess i could just charge a bit more to smelt it.
I'm getting between 35 and 50 lbs. of shot per bucket of dirt. Its like frickin gold panning for lead nuts like us! every now and then there is a shot boolit in the pan, from .22 to big smoke pole boolits, they are what i call the "nuggets" I have to coax him to get the dirt, He has to trek about 200 yds. thru swamp land and poison ivy and cross an old telephone pole bridge with these heavy *** buckets. I wish I could do it, i'd clean that place out!

[tygar]

I used to have a screen that would let the dirt & small stuff go thru & where I would wash the shot with the hose & one that would let the shot fall thru but keep the bigger pieces of junk. Worked OK with most of the unwanted trash removed.

I like the shot form because I use a scoop that is 4oz of shot so it is easy to measure for whatever # of lbs of mix I am using. Although I would think little 1/2lb Lee ingots would be OK.

I'm assuming that a 4 wheeler won't work??? That's what I use on the place to do about everything, especially going thru the poison oak/ivy & sticker vines.

[kbstenberg]

BigJake when you decide how you are going to sell the shot I would also be interested. Kevin