Common problems with using wheel weights

[pkchwy]

Hi all. I contacted the local foundary i get lead from and they now want $8.74 a KG for bullet cast ally 92% lead, 2% tin and 6% antamony. So i am looking at a cheaper option of using wheel weights as i have been offered wheel weights for $.40 a KG

becouse i have never used wheel weights to cast with i wanted to find out if wheel weights where harder to cast with. Does there accurate be affected and if so by how much. Does the barrels get leading and if so would using high tec bullet coating or lower velocity fix the issue

And it would be helpfull if you guys had any other problem with using wheel weights that you want to pass on.

Thanks
Paul

[Hannibal]

Smelt them separately to get all the dirt out. Use plenty of flux. Much ado about which fluxing material to use, check the 'stickies'. Mostly I say use a product that produces a charcoal and don't get your melt too **** hot.
Once you have clean ingots, add 2% tin to them in the casting pot and if your mold is clean, your casting pot clean and your temperature good you'll have shootable bullets raining from your mold in no time.

If you're shooting black powder, all this goes out the window. Ask one of them fellers.

If this is Greek, then you've more reading to do.

[samari46]

Wheel weights plus 25 tin is all I have ever used. Flux the heck out of it to get rid of the dirt and crud them more junk you get rid of the better.Frank

[Rcmaveric]

I use mostly wheel weights snd and range scraps. My guns dont care what thr bullet is made of as long as it is properly loaded and i pull the trigger right.

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[glockfan]

iM using COWW exclusively ATM,and it provide good lead enough for mid power loads. i always flux 2 -3 times a 20 lbs pot to avoid contamination gremlins.

i also use hi tek as coating,and couldn't be happier than i am with the combo, no leading at all as long as my boolits are + 0.001 diameter in relation to my barrel diameter .

i cast with a lee 4-20 ,and again, the coww used isn't getting me any problems. for max powder charges, i add some superhard to my alloy,that,s pretty much it. i'm about to put a commercial start up together , will probably use 92-6-2 alloy for a more consistent product.but for my own use,i will use coww as long as COWW is available.

[dimaprok]

I don't know what country you are in but in USA I buy my lead from scrap yards in pounds :) It used to be as low as 60 cents per lb but now it's a $1 a pound that's $2,2 per Kg for the rest of the world. Last time I scored 130 lb of linotype other time I found 60 lb of hard lead shot which has antimony in it. I also bought lead wire and solder all at the same price as well as WW.

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[pkchwy]

Do bullets made from wheel weights less accurate

[Bookworm]

Do bullets made from wheel weights less accurate

You'll need to try and see. Only your firearm can answer that.

[toallmy]

The only thing that I get concerned about using ww is Zink contamination and that can be controlled by heat .

[gnostic]

I think most people overthink bullet casting. I throw whatever I have around, wheel weights, range scrap etc, in the pot. Flux it with candle wax or bullet lube, the junk comes to the surface and I remove it with a teaspoon. My bullets are water dropped and look as good as the ones posted by other members and shoot great. I've been doing it the same way for over 50 years with great results.

[jsizemore]

Insure you remove the zinc WW's before you smelt. There's plenty of stickies and youtube videos that explain how to do that. The steel will take care of themselves. There's about 3% antimony in COWW's and adding 1-2% tin/pewter will give you great fillout in your mold. If your shooting lower pressure rounds then cut it with pure lead and you'll still get great fillout. Keep the casting temp around 700degF.

Your boolits will be at max dimension for the mold your casting with. It will all depend on whether that size is right for your gun.

[toallmy]

Through my experience boolits with smiley face wrinkles generally come from a mold that is not up to casting temp , oil contamination , or a venting problem if the alloy is up to around 700 degrees . I try to cast just short of frosting but if that is what it takes to get good fill out so be it . Shoot them and cast more .

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

depending on where you are on the planet, Lead alloy WW are being phased out. 10 years ago, when I would acquire WW scrap, the WW were all lead alloy. since then there are more WW's in the mix that are steel or Zinc. I haven't bought any in that last 4 years, but others report that about 1/2 are lead alloy and the other half are steel or zinc.

So, be aware of what you are buying.

[lightman]

I cast almost all of my pistol bullets from wheel weight alloy. They are as accurate as any other alloy. I seldom have to add any tin to get them to fill out but 1 or 2% will help.

Learn how to sort to get the zinc and steel out. Clip on weights have a little tin and antimony while stick on weights are nearly 100% lead. Like the others said, smelt them into ingots in another pot besides your casting pot.

There are several stickies about wheel weights. How to sort them, how to smelt them, the alloy content, ect.

[WHITETAIL]

+1 with gnostic do not over think your boolits.
I have been casting for 30+ years.
And the way I learned from the Lyman book
and reading on line.
Was smelt all of your WW lead in a cast iron pot.
Use wax and saw dust to flux.
Then get a steel stamp set and mark each batch.
Then when you make a boolet and wait a week.
Test them with whatever method you choose to see
if you have the right B hardness for shooting your gun.
Most of the time, you will be very close to #2 lead.
this will work in 99.999 of your shooting. ( hand guns):holysheep

[fredj338]

Clip ww were once the holy grail std for bullet alloy. Pretty much just clean it up & cast with it. Works for all pistol bullets up to about 1250fps & some low pressure rifle like 45-70. They are fast going away though & much of the stuff across the pond or now in the USA is zinc, steel & plastics. If I could still get a good supply it is all I need for casting 95% of my bullet needs as is, adding nothing.

[RogerDat]

WW's with enough tin to get at least 1% tin up to 2% tin is a very good bullet casting alloy. Tin is typically acquired as solder or pewter purchased from yard/garage/boot sales or from thrift and second hand stores for cheap prices. You don't need much tin 1 part pewter would do between 100 and 50 parts WW. Lead free solder is typically nearly 100% tin or close enough to use at same ratio.

Really an ideal alloy, soft enough to expand in lower power loads so it seats in the rifling of the barrel snug, yet hard enough to not smear at higher velocities/power loads. Good part of the point of casting is to make MORE accurate bullets buy casting in a size, weight, profile, and alloy that your firearm likes.

The flat square stick on WW's that are lead are a softer lead, worth keeping separate. You can use them to cut the harder clip on WW's if you need a softer alloy.

Muzzle loading & black powder are own thing but generally they need very soft plain lead to cast from.

PS forgot to mention what that 92/2/6 alloy is about. It is commonly called hardcast it is the same hardness as a common premium alloy Lyman #2 which is often used in cast bullet loading manuals as the bullet alloy cast for testing loads with a given mold. However Lyman #2 is 90/5/5 and that extra 3% tin is expensive so hardcast was developed for casting same hardness with less tin which made it less expensive. Aimed at the providing a lower cost alternative for the commercial caster.

Lot of debate about hardness vs. fit that doesn't belong here, suffice it to say a whole lot of bullets would gain nothing from using hard cast and would gain more from getting good fit, right load of a suitable powder. However for a whole lot of firearms the difference between the best load you can custom build and just cranking out some good quality plinking ammo is not all that large.

[Hardcast416taylor]

For quite a few years I am mixing up 50/50 alloy + tin for about all my calibers I`m shooting.Robert

[FISH4BUGS]

I have been doing 5 lbs ww's to 1 lb linotype. 40+ years of casting that way.

[Traffer]

I think most people overthink bullet casting. I throw whatever I have around, wheel weights, range scrap etc, in the pot. Flux it with candle wax or bullet lube, the junk comes to the surface and I remove it with a teaspoon. My bullets are water dropped and look as good as the ones posted by other members and shoot great. I've been doing it the same way for over 50 years with great results.
This is great advise. Casting boolits is WAY easy. After you use WW for a couple of times you will be an expert. TRIAL AND ERROR... Just melt them and try them. It something doesn't work ...learn the fix. Chances are you will do your first batch and then scratch your head and think, "what was I worried about, this works just fine". If you need harder alloy, check here on a regular basis for harder alloys being sold here on Swapping and Selling. You could mix some hard with WW and get an ideal alloy for what ever you want to cast.

[John Boy]

Do bullets made from wheel weights less accurate
No - 16 out of 25 shots in the ragged hole ...
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Targets/PDRM2558.jpg (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/Meadowmucker/media/Targets/PDRM2558.jpg.html)

[RED BEAR]

I agree with gnostic to. It ain't rocket science. Although reading some post you might think so. I started off using coww and still use them . I am pretty sure there is some zinc in my ingots but they cast great and shoot great to.

[toallmy]

I let myself put off casting for the better part of my life , simply because I thought it was dangerous and complicated so the first thing I tell anyone thinking about casting is do it give it a try . Make it as simple or complicated as you like .

[Nose Dive]

GNOSTIC and WHITETAIL offer good council.
In the OLD DAYS...WW's were all lead and only the clips were to be dipped out of the dross.
Nowadays... 'things' appear in the WW population and one can take some care on what he adds to his Smelt pot. I always thumb through the 'stuff' before I smelt. Aluminum and Zinc items can be pulled early and help save time and money later on. I always water wash my 'smelt' items one or two days before the smelting event. Let the stuff dry abit...and then I add it all over a few big hand fulls of pine saw dust and some sulfur. Please NOTE...this MIX STINKS>> AND SMOKES like heck so it must be done outside and away from...well...HUMAN BEINGS.... I mix well and of course...SAFETY GEAR MUST BE WORN so you don't loose and eye or toe. Based on the appearance of the smelt...I have been known to add some wax and some sulfuric acid. NEVER..>NEVER...add any liquid to a smelt pot once the fire is lit. NEVER...
My smelt pot is usually full of 'trash,,,garbage and corruption...so flux and other items to help purity and cleanliness of the pot contents is needed.
Keep in mind your safety gear and 'proper' behavior with the melted smelt and you should be fine.
I like to 'ingot' into cupcake tins so the ingots fit easy into my casting pot.

Good Luck. HAVE FUN... SAFETY GEAR!! SAFETY GEAR!! SAFETY GEAR!! (I've told you three times!)

[OFFSHORE]

I'm a Newbie at casting myself and I am lucky that WW of both clip-on and stick-on are easily obtainable in my neck of the woods. I've been playing with alloy mixes of the two and believe I'm close to what I'm looking for (what my guns are looking for) in a 16 to 18 BHN ratio mix. About a 50/50 to 60/40 mix of COWW to SOWW water quenched has me about where I want to be. I may try adding 1% to 2% tin at some point, but for now this is good. I collect my WW and then hand sort to pick out all the bad stuff then smelt at a low temp (600/650 degrees), double flux with saw dust and wax, then pour into ingots. When I begin to cast, I add the ingots of the desired ratio and smelt double flux again, then ladle that mix into my casting pot set for 750 degrees. So far this has been pretty good for me from low pressure 45 ACP and +P to 44 Mag 270gr. hunting loads and 445 Super Mag 300gr. GC stout hunting loads cruising at 1650/1700 FPS. Like the above fellas stated. . .it's not rocket science, just a little math and play around to see what your guns like best. I'm enjoying it!

[Char-Gar]

Do bullets made from wheel weights less accurate

They are no more or less accurate that other lead alloys of the same temper. They will have more dirt in them and need to be fluxed until it is gone.

[Dusty Bannister]

[QUOTE=Nose Dive Based on the appearance of the smelt...I have been known to add some wax and some sulfuric acid. NEVER..>NEVER...add any liquid to a smelt pot once the fire is lit.


I have heard of adding copper sulfate, to remove zinc, and I have heard of adding boric acid as a flux, but this is the first time I have heard of adding sulfuric acid. What is the benefit that would justify the risk of adding a liquid acid to the melt?

[dondiego]

I was thinking the same thing. A sulfuric acid based tinsel fairy would be impressive!

[cmk]

For quite a few years I am mixing up 50/50 alloy + tin for about all my calibers I`m shooting.Robert

I must ask what velocities you're getting from your 416 Taylor loads. (I'm assuming 50/50 means COWW/pure lead). Isn't that on the soft side for full/almost full power rifle loads?

I'm very new to this, but plan to load for 404 Jeffery, so it sort of similar, though probably with lower pressure.

[osteodoc08]

Problems with wheel weights:

1. The need to eliminate zinc and steel prior to smelting.
2. The obnoxious fumes produced by smelting the wheel weights from grease, oil, whatever else is on them.
3. The need to separate the stick ons (used as pure) and clip ons.
4. Some need to add tin for proper fill out (1-2%)
5. “EcoFriendly” alternatives have decreased yields in some areas and members find searching out SOWW and COWW to be an exercise in futility
6. Watch for razors and other things that can cut you if junk is all thrown in together in a bucket alone with the WW

Once cleaned and fluxes, use as any other alloy. 1:1 SOWW and COWW plus a bit of tin makes some fine hunting alloy, especially with a HP.

[LenH]

When I started casting my own bullets some 40 years ago, WW lead was all I ever used. You could get WW given to you then and was using 4# Lee pot and
a Lyman ladle. Those were some fine bullets and shot great. I haven't bothered with WW for nearly 5 years. Too many other sources of alloy.