Lead shot

[Flailguy]

I will be getting a large amount of reclaimed lead shot from a rang in the near future. I was wondering if this will be a good overall alloy for handgun boolits? Anyone have experience with this? Average bhn?

[Rcmaveric]

Depending type of shot, it has a decent amount of antimony and possible trace arsenic. That is an estimate though. It will be up there. I will have to check my charts. i was looking into reclaimed shot as a means to replicate CWW. Mag shot will have higher arsenic and BHN.

[Rcmaveric]

Description------------------Tin % Antimony % Arsenic % Copper % Silver % Lead % Weight (lbs) Hardness
Chilled Shot 0% 2.00% 0.625% 0% 0% 97.4% Brinell 10
Magnum Shot (6 or 9) 0% 4.00% 1.25% 0% 0% 94.8% Brinell 13
Magnum Shot (7 - 8.5) 0% 6.00% 1.25% 0% 0% 92.8% Brinell 13


these are all estimates.... if you don't want to cast with it i can.

[JMax]

I love shot, toss in a little tin, some lead and all is good

[jmort]

Reclaimed shot
Makes sense
Old Sponsor

"Our Reclaimed Lead Shot averages about 5% Antimony Lead and is approximately 425 lbs per cubic foot or .24 lbs per cubic inch."

[Flailguy]

I will definitely cast with it. Was just wanting a little info as I have only cast with straight wheel weights so far.

[Flailguy]

What is the best source (price wise) for tin?

[Rcmaveric]

Roto metals for bulk. A pound goes a long ways. When i am out and about i always keep an eye out for lead free split shots. Not popular in my parts so i find them on sale sometimes for a couple bucks.

[Flailguy]

I'm in California so I bet all the split shots around here are lead free.

[Rcmaveric]

I was stationed in Lemoore and i cant recall, i want to say its 50/50. The split shot ones are tin, everything else lead free is steel. I fished the Trinity River atleast twice a month for trout. Kings River had some awesome bass till it dried up.

[Streetwalker]

Since the larger sized lead shot is pretty much outlawed in Kalifornia any more, I find #2's, #4's, etc. at garage sales and bird hunters who reload have even given me there large sized shot. I gladly take it, add a little tin from 50/50 solder purchased at Ace Hardware and cast away. The Magnum lead has anywhere from 5 to 7 percent antimony in it and with a little tin added, it casts GREAT rifle bullets. Even the chilled lead shot, which can be quite soft, makes good low to mid-velocity pistol bullets with a little tin added to the mix.

[Flailguy]

Thanks for all the info. Not sure what the ratio of chilled to magnum shot ratio will be. I'll have to smart some and see what I end up with.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I recall the sizes of recovered spent shot from a club I belonged to skeet and trap fields that had never in the 40+ years of existence been mined. Everything from #12 (?) thru 00 buckshot showed up. Seemed the most common was 7 1/2 or 8 shot so the hardness would be a `crapshoot` guessing the hardness.Robert

[lightman]

The proof will be to cast a few bullets with it and see how well they fill out and shoot. Shot can vary some between brands and types. Some times reclaimed shot is mixed with other stuff like pieces of the clay targets. Most casters feel like shot is a decent alloy.

[Flailguy]

Sounds like it should work well for moderate pistol loads. Worst case it will be a good base material. Thank you all for the input!

[RogerDat]

With the mixed bag of lead such as collected used shot big batches work best. If you can do it in a single batch that is good. If not then you make a couple of big batches poured in large 10# ingots (steel bread loaf pans 1" deep work well) then cross mix 1/2 from each batch into a new batch. You can be pretty sure whatever that particular final mix is good for all of it will all work out the same. That cross mixed batch is the one you cast into ingots for your casting pot.