Lead Mix

[686]

this is my lead mix. after fetting my ww in 5 lb ingets and also range lead.

43lb mix

30 lb ww
5 lb range
5 lb liontype
2 lb soft
1 lb 60/40

what do you think?
it is harder than i need for 38s and 45 acp but is cast nice. i mix in a 100 lb pot and do not empty it. i also have 2 other smaller pots i use to help cross mix it. pour it in to 5 lb ingets to use in my 45 lb master caster and magma 90 lb bottom pout pot for hand casting.
i am starting to make some 45-70 340 gr bullets. 1000-1500 fps will this be good for those bullets? i want to make some soft bullets with a gc to hunt with. what lead mix would you use? i was thinking 50-50 ww and soft lead 20 lb each and add 1 lb 60/40 to pour good. this is for a tc 23 in barrel. thanks

[454PB]

Sounds like a good recipe, and should end up close to Lyman #2.

[686]

any other 45-70 shooters

[dromia]

Have you tried it on a hardness tester and got a Bh number.

Just curious.

[cbrick]

30 lb ww
5 lb range
5 lb liontype
2 lb soft
1 lb 60/40

Certainly nothing wrong with that. Probably most of us enjoy tinkering and experimenting with alloy combinations every now and then, especially if you have these various alloys to use up or it's all you have.

Several years ago I had numerous stacks of various alloy ingot combinations in my loading room and the number of them kept growing, it got difficult to keep them separated or even know what I was working with. Since then I made things considerably simpler by using only wheel weights. I separate the stick-on weights and clip-on weights when making ingots. The clip-on weights with a couple percent tin added are about 12 BHN; the stick-on weights with tin are about 6 BHN. With these two alloys I have most any BHN range I could want. The stick-on weights @ 6 BHN, 50/50 stick-on and clip-on runs about 9 BHN, clip-on at 12 BHN and convection oven heat treated clip-on WW to any BHN range needed over 12 BHN right up to about 30 BHN.

Now I have three stacks of ingots, stick-on WW, mixed 50/50 stick-on/clip-on and clip-on WW. At least for me simple is good.

Rick

[wiljen]

I'd bet that alloy casts well. With the 60/40 that should put the tin up around 2%. You might even be able to save a few $ and use 1/2 lbs of 60/40 for 1% tin without losing anything in castability.

[686]

i am like most , i keep learing. i use to think it had to be very hard for a cast bullet to be good. at the same time i was shooting 1000s og hb wc 38 spl. some leaded bad and most anly a little. i found a new co. that did not lead. what i found was the hb edge went out to the out side edge of the bullet. no bv or flat edge at the bottom. this keep any gas -heat from going around the bullet melting it to the barrel. he also has some kind of dry lube coated on it that no body else used.

this helps me under stand that harder is not always best for not leading. i can see a softer lead fitting tighter, with a good lube , not leading.

this 45-70 is my first rifle to cast for. was thinking of 50-50 w/some 60-40 w-gc . this would be a softer bullet for me. i thought of this for a hunting bullet. thanks to all

[wiljen]

If you want a softer 45-70 bullet - just use the pure lead and the 60/40 to create an alloy roughly 20:1 Lead:tin. Most of the BPCR guys shoot something between 30:1 and 16:1

[hiram]

I read an excellent alloy for 45-70 is 20# range lead and 1# linotype.