Alloy Question

[Whitespider]

I know there's not a "one-size-fits-all" answer here, but maybe some of y'all can give me a bit of direction, place to start. Until now I've only cast for my handguns using WW plus a bit of tin.

I've acquired a couple plain base molds for my 45-70, a 330gr HP and 500gr. I've been shooting some plain base 405gr commercial cast from Meister using 50 grains 3031, no leading, bright bore. The Meister cast are really hard, I don't believe my boolits need to be that hard. What's gonna happen if I use my handgun alloy for the 45-70? Should I be adding Lino? How much? My Lino supply is just short of 20 pounds (damn hard to find 'round here), don't want to use it if I don't have to. Or at least I don't want to use any more of it than necessary. I like to cast enough to last awhile (maybe a year), if I do the "water drop" thing (never have) how soon do I need to shoot them up? I'm willing to reduce my load if I can keep the ballistic consistency, darn Handi-Rifle beats me up with 50 grains 3031 anyway.

Thoughts? Experience? Ideas? Your mistakes?

Thanks guys....

[Down South]

I’m no expert by any means. It will be interesting to see what answers you get because I just started casting for my Handi 45-70. I made up a few test loads the other day but the rifle range was closed down and I didn’t get to try them. I’m using GC moulds for higher velocities. One of them is an RCBS 405 FN but weighs in at 420 with my alloy which is WW plus a little tin. I’ve got a lot of research and testing to do myself with the 45-70.
You said your moulds were plain base. What velocities are you trying to achieve?

[leftiye]

What's gonna happen if I use my handgun alloy for the 45-70?

Depends on what alloy that is. You don't say. I use 50/50 WW/pure (just for example), I think it's about BHN11 (I believe I tested it), but I saw a thread this morning putting WWs (source - Lyman) at BHN10, (have to test again). Maybe their WWs were the 2% antimony variety. Any way, what I'm working around to saying is that is a pretty soft alloy, but it will heat treat up to about BHN 23.

So, maybe try your alloy out on the rifle. If it leads or is incurably inaccurate, then maybe heat treat it.

[wiljen]

I use air quenched WW+1% tin for a lot of my 45/70 loads (1000-1400 fps). For heavier loads in the Ruger #1, I heat boolits made of that alloy and then can get to 17-1800 with them with no problems.

[runfiverun]

i am thinking that the newer ww's are tho old ww's with the stick-ons
re melted in them by the manufacturer.
you know re-cycling.
because the proportions are pretty close to how many stick-ons i have been getting
in my buckets for the last 10-12 years now. and the stick-ons are becoming more and more
popular, i have also seen a lot of posts about stick-ons being some-what harder than pure.

back to the thread i would try the p-b and aqww's and around 1400 to 1600 fps to start.