Magnum Shot question

[Haywire Haywood]

I acquired 2lb of shot for experimenting. About how much shot would be needed to make ACWW as hard as WDWW?

thanks,
Ian

[MT Gianni]

I am under the impression that magnum shot has the arsenic and a little tin added then it is waterdropped. If that is so then melting it would draw out the hardness and you would be left with an alloy a little more arsenic heavy than ww but not by much. Gianni.

[sundog]

Yes, and depending on the grade of shot, tournament grades of smaller shot being the highest, antimony can be up to 6 percent. Not being able to accurately measure those quatities at home, one can only hope to find a formaula that can work. I have added shot to range scrap (mostly from pistol range where alot of 'hard cast' is used), plus a little more tin to help fill out, and come up with some purdy hard boolits. BHn? Don't know, but the are significatly harder that straight WW by a long shot by scratch test.

Another thing, boolits hard by alloy should retain that hardness, whereas WQ boolits will degrade in hardness over some period of time.

So, how much? I've used a soup spoon per 1.5# (cornbread ingot) of WW or range scrap and only enough tin, if needed, to make the boolits fill out. Make sure you flux and stir really good or there is an excessive amount of dross. sundog

[Haywire Haywood]

Thanks, a tablespoon of shot per 1.5lb is a fair bit. I suppose I'll just put that 2lb in my 20lb pot and see what I get.

thanks,
Ian

[Dye]

Haywire
Shot with 6%Sb will have a hardness of 27.5.water droped.

Be carefull Dye

[Haywire Haywood]

Sorry for the confusion there. It'll be mixed in with what's in the pot now, which is about 15lb of WW+1% tin.

Ian

[Haywire Haywood]

Well, the results are in. I wish I had a couple hundred pounds of shot now. :) From the fingernail test, it looks like they are a lot harder than straight ACWW. It cast fairly easy too once the mold got up to temp. Nice sharp bases. I water dropped some too, but while the AC boolits have a light frosty appearance, the WD ones are very frosted, almost textured.

Ian

[Haywire Haywood]

Hmm... I am still asking around concerning this and was told today that the whole purpose of adding shot was to get the arsenic to aid in the Water Quenching process rather than make the alloy harder air cooled. My groups with straight WW went from 6" to 2" groups when I started water quenching. I suppose I'll find out if it did any good for me when I get around to shooting some of these I have cast up. It's dark now by the time I get home in the evenings and my weekends have been full of other things of late. :-(

Ian

[drinks]

HH;
I add only a tablespoon full to 8-9 lb of wws, this is plenty to get BHN24-26 when waterdropped.
Also gives BHN14-15 air cooled.