range lead for shot making

[barnabus]

i have access to free range lead from an indoor range. would this work fine for shot or must i add something to it to make it usable for 1 oz 7.5 trap loads? Thanks

[beezapilot]

I'm not a metallurgist, but from my experience- if the alloy is not strong enough (not enough antimony) the shot will be oversized. I just screen it out and re-melt with a little Superhard from RotoMetals or reclaimed shot from the range. Using reclaimed seems like redundancy, but about a third of reclaimed seems to strengthen the range lead enough to make very good shot as often the used stuff is a bit mangled and the shot I drip is pretty round. RotoMetal Superhard does a great job too.

[Cowboy_Dan]

Not to hijack, but does the oversized shot tend to be round? Seems like a way to make a dripper more versatile.

[GhostHawk]

I have had good luck mixing range lead roughly half and half with wheel weight, clip on to stretch my wheel weights.

As to your issue that is easily solved. Melt down some of that free range lead, flux it well, pour it into muffin tin ingots, package up 65 pounds worth, sell for 65 or 70$ here, take the money and use it to buy some lead with higher tin/antimony content to mix with your range lead to make shot.

[barnabus]

Great idea

[barnabus]

I'm not a metallurgist, but from my experience- if the alloy is not strong enough (not enough antimony) the shot will be oversized. I just screen it out and re-melt with a little Superhard from RotoMetals or reclaimed shot from the range. Using reclaimed seems like redundancy, but about a third of reclaimed seems to strengthen the range lead enough to make very good shot as often the used stuff is a bit mangled and the shot I drip is pretty round. RotoMetal Superhard does a great job too.

it looks like superhard comes in 5lb bars.how many lbs of range lead will it do to make the shot hard enough?

[runfiverun]

I'm making shot with stuff.

seriously it's the stuff I ain't too sure about.
some stick on weights, a couple of caps from little isotope cores, battery cable ends, some roof stuff, some old pipe, battery posts, a handful or two of 22lr bullets.
and some stuff I don't remember.
it probably has 1-1.5% antimony and some tin in it [it's soft enough to swage]

when I get the catch water up to temp and the lead at about 700-725, the catch basin just chirps.
playing with the head pressure on the nozzles [depth of the lead above] will adjust the diameter of the shot.
if I get tails I add some viscosity to the liquid.
if I get pop corn I heat the catch water more.

[Sitsinhedges]

I'm making shot with stuff.

seriously it's the stuff I ain't too sure about.
some stick on weights, a couple of caps from little isotope cores, battery cable ends, some roof stuff, some old pipe, battery posts, a handful or two of 22lr bullets.
and some stuff I don't remember.
it probably has 1-1.5% antimony and some tin in it [it's soft enough to swage]

when I get the catch water up to temp and the lead at about 700-725, the catch basin just chirps.
playing with the head pressure on the nozzles [depth of the lead above] will adjust the diameter of the shot.
if I get tails I add some viscosity to the liquid.
if I get pop corn I heat the catch water more.

If you get tails it's usually because the pellets are catching a burr as they leave the ramp, sand the edge. Popcorn is from heating the lead too hot in the pan.