Do all alloy? Any suggestions?

[Rancher2882]

I’m new to casting, and intend to cast of all of my handguns and a few rifles ranging from mid to hot(ish) loads. I’m curious if anyone can suggest a sort of do all alloy? I have a couple hundred pounds of cleaned and ingoted wheel weights as well as about a hundred pounds or so of rotometals linotype, which I broke down into one pound ingots. I also intend to powder coat and gas check most boolits that I cast. Would something like 4 pounds wheel weights to one pound linotype do the job? Maybe 3:1? Or any other suggested alloy would be much appreciated!!

[dverna]

Are you going to hunt with cast or just shoot targets?

[Winger Ed.]

The Lyman #2 formula is pretty general purpose, and usually what you see used in the loading books.

I'd recommend a lot of reading about & into the particulars of what you plan on shooting, and with what.
Different recipes of alloys are like different kinds of tires or light bulbs.
Each is good for some uses, and not so good, or needed in others.

[samari46]

I use wheel weights with 2% tin. It's all I have ever used. Frank

[Dusty Bannister]

Clip on Wheel Weights is a pretty general alloy to use. 1-2% tin helps with mold fill out. If you need a stronger alloy, many will heat treat and quench or add Linotype to make a harder alloy. If you powder coat, I am reading a few places that faster velocities are not doing as well if powder coated over the conventionally lubricated bullets. Seldom does a pistol bullet need a gas check. Have you read through one of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks?

[Rancher2882]

Are you going to hunt with cast or just shoot targets?

I plan on doing both actually, but mostly general purpose ranch chores, snakes and other rodents/pests for handguns, and varmints and other general use for rifles, i tend more towards revolvers(Rugers) that i can hot load

[Rancher2882]

The Lyman #2 formula is pretty general purpose, and usually what you see used in the loading books.

I'd recommend a lot of reading about & into the particulars of what you plan on shooting, and with what.
Different recipes of alloys are like different kinds of tires or light bulbs.
Each is good for some uses, and not so good, or needed in others.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t Lyman #2 be similar to a 3:1 WW to linotype alloy or is it closer to a 2:1? And thank you I intend to to quite a lot of reading and research before ever casting my first boolit.

[Rancher2882]

I use wheel weights with 2% tin. It's all I have ever used. Frank

May i ask what you are using them in though, and and what sort of velocities?

[Rancher2882]

Clip on Wheel Weights is a pretty general alloy to use. 1-2% tin helps with mold fill out. If you need a stronger alloy, many will heat treat and quench or add Linotype to make a harder alloy. If you powder coat, I am reading a few places that faster velocities are not doing as well if powder coated over the conventionally lubricated bullets. Seldom does a pistol bullet need a gas check. Have you read through one of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks?

I haven’t yet read any of the Lyman handbooks, I need to get my hands on one, just haven’t been able to yet. Those are actually next on my list to acquire. So if I’m understanding right, I need to consider either Alox or getting a lubrasizer, to get to better/higher velocities? What about things like hot .357 or hot 45LC as far as gas checks are concerned, especially since I tend to run the same bullet through my revolver as well as a carbine?

[Walks]

I would check the Los Angeles Silhouette Club website. They have many articles on the Cast Bullet. Many by Glen Fryxell.
I would buy a Lyman Cast Bullet manual before you do anything else.
Sort of a Read the instructions First thing.

[Rancher2882]

I would check the Los Angeles Silhouette Club website. They have many articles on the Cast Bullet. Many by Glen Fryxell.
I would buy a Lyman Cast Bullet manual before you do anything else.
Sort of a Read the instructions First thing.

I appreciate the input and will definitely get my hands on the Lyman Cast Bullets Handbook as soon as I can. Also thanks for the info on the LA Silhouette website I’ll definitely give it a look.

[Winger Ed.]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t Lyman #2 be similar to a 3:1 WW

I don't know. I home brew my alloys, and only have two. To conserve the expensive 'goodies':
I use as soft an alloy as I can get away with for slow speed handgun loads going around 800-ish fps.
For gas checked rifle boolits, at 1500-2,000-ish, I make up a big batch that's pretty hard, but I never tested it.

I'm about as low tech as you can get, and try my best not to over think this stuff.
I don't have a thermometer, PID, hardness tester, digital scale, digital caliper, powder coat set up,
and I'm trying to be the last person in the US to not have a cell phone.

Anyway---
It's good to see new members here, and feel free to ask anything before you dive off into uncharted waters.
All these old geezers around here will help all they can, and try to keep ya safe.

I tend to go easy on 'hot-ish' loads myself.
I figure if I really want a .357Mag, rather than trying to make one out of a .38--- I'll save up and buy one.

I concentrate on accuracy, which normally is best around 80-90% of the max. loads you see in the books.
Hot-ish is OK with cast, but no matter what you're shooting--you can't miss fast enough to win.

[jcourson]

The Lyman #2 formula is pretty general purpose, and usually what you see used in the loading books.

I'd recommend a lot of reading about & into the particulars of what you plan on shooting, and with what.
Different recipes of alloys are like different kinds of tires or light bulbs.
Each is good for some uses, and not so good, or needed in others.

I second this.
Pick up a the Lyman cast bullet handbook and check the load recipes. #2 is not suitable for all loads and powders, obviously, but a large portion of the calibers will have a loadout for #2.

There is a short paragraph in one of the earlier chapters (probably want to add a bookmark to it, I know I did) that tells you the breakdown of the various common alloys. You can (more or less) create #2 from pure lead and pewter if I remember correctly (sorry, I'm at work and can't check the handbook or my recipe book)

#2 is 90% Lead, 5% Tin, 5% Antimony. Modern pewter is tin, copper, and antimony.
Use the alloy calculator (https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators) to determine how much to add.

[DougGuy]

50/50+2% (COWW + pure lead + tin) is a very good all around alloy, it takes to Ruger rifling like a duck to water. It's just soft enough to scratch with a thumbnail making it an excellent choice for hunting boolits. IIRC, Elmer Keith recommended 30:1 for general handgun use, with 20:1 used for longer distances. 30:1 is pretty close to 50/50+2%. I get great accuracy with 50/50+2% and soft lube, haven't needed to clean a revolver barrel in YEARS. Gas checks work very well with this alloy.

[ioon44]

Since I started coating with Hi-tek I use wheel weights with 2% tin which test around 10 to 11 BHN, this works for 9 mm to .45ACP. I have not had to clean any lead out of a barrel for several years now but remember correct bullet fit is king.

[dverna]

For pests and target work I use commercial alloy...sometimes called "hardball" in .38+P loads in a lever action carbine. It is 92-2-6 alloy. Easy to find and not too expensive. I use it in my other pistol calibers for target shooting. I do not cast for rifles.

I used to mix stuff (range scrap and linotype), but I am lazy, and with a known alloy it makes things easier.

I see you put snakes on your list. Lots of info on snake loads here if you look for it.

[bangerjim]

50/50+2% (COWW & pure lead & tin) is a good general alloy I use all the time in just about everthing.....+PC, of course. PC allows you to shoot softer alloys.

GC's are only needed for hot, fast loads. I rarely ever use them except in my 30 cal rifle loads.

But get the books and read up on the subject a bit.

[centershot]

Save your linotype!! COWW alloy is a pretty good boolit metal as is for pistol loads and lower velocity rifle loads (under 1500 fps). After reading Glen Fryxel's work, I started mixing my own alloy, 94-3-3. As described in his writing, having equal amounts of tin and antimony allows the alloy to be "tougher" not harder. It will resist fragmenting better than a harder alloy. You can easily make this from COWW by adding 2% tin. If you can get your hands on some pure lead, mix it with your linotype (84-12-4) 3 parts lead to 1 part lino. This yields 96-3-1 which is essentially today's COWW alloy. Add 2% tin and you have 94-3-3. It's a beautiful alloy to work with!

Here's a link to the LASC site where you'll find Glen Fryxel's work. Glen has a PhD in Metallurgy and is employed by one of the National Laboratories, he knows what he's talking about!

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[Rcmaveric]

When I started. I use clip on wheel weights for everything. After experimenting and learning what i was doing. I started using softer. I pretty much use range scraps or 50/50 range scraps to clipons.


Nonses and above jargon aside. I use BHN 10 for my general purpose alloy.

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[bangerjim]

When I started. I use clip on wheel weights for everything. After experimenting and learning what i was doing. I started using softer. I pretty much use range scraps or 50/50 range scraps to clipons.


Nonses and above jargon aside. I use BHN 10 for my general purpose alloy.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

YES................................don't waste your valuable hard alloys on plinking/shooting lead. COWW + pure are perfect for most people. Mabe a 2% dose of Sn to help fills? Your call.

If you can' find COWW's out there, do what many on here are now doing.....make your own alloy equal to COWW. I am fortunate to be around back in the days of FREE COWW's and have many hundreds of pounds of the alloy in ingots safely stored asway. Just bought 400# of certified COWW alloy ingots for 50¢/pound about 2 years ago to add my hoard. It's not Au or Ag, but close to it these wild daze!

[dverna]

The issue with COWW, is supply...and that supply will not be worth finding. It is a lot of work and time. The good old days are never coming back.

When you read stuff written over twenty years ago, or by the old timers here who got their stash when times were good, keep that in mind.

You can formulate COWW alloy if that is what you want, and that is the value of stuff like Linotype.

[Tazman1602]

Lyman #2 from Rotometals has served me well for many, many years.

Art

[Divil]

My default is 92-6-2 hardball but I am a smokeless pistol bullet caster only. Sometimes I add musket ball lead to hardball to up the weight of a certain moulds dropping boolit, if I think it’s dropping a bit light. If I get into Rifle casting then linotype will become a thing for me.

[FISH4BUGS]

5 lbs ww to 1 lb lino. Probably too hard but I have never leaded a barrel in 40 years of casting.
Supposedly that is the Lyman #2 equivalent.
Works for me.

[Land Owner]

"Do all" alloy? The "easy answer" is - it depends...

I was gifted one-half ton of nuclear shielding lead. As an equal weight to that I add COWW's. To the product of 50-50 percent Pb-WW alloy (and whatever else is in the WW's), I add 2% tin.

One to twenty (1:20) alloy is to 5% Tin (1 divided by 20 = 0.050 * 100% = 5.0%) and 95% Lead.
One to thirty (1:30) alloy is 3.333% Tin and 96.667% Lead.
One to forty (1:40) alloy is 2.5% Tin and 97.5% Lead.
One to fifty (1:50) alloy is 2% Tin and 98% Lead.
etc....ignoring all other WW constituents.

Multiply ANY weight of Lead or COWW's by the percentage of Tin you want and ADD THAT WEIGHT in Tin to the alloy.

A purchased Gas Check currently adds over $0.04 to EVERY GC round, so choose wisely which boolits to pour as GC. The days of cheap GC's are seemingly behind us.

Even making your own GC's means A LOT of shooting before you amortize the cost of the GC making equipment...including a lot of primers, a lot of powder, a lot of case prep, a lot of reloading, a lot of use (and "abuse") of your handguns and rifles, a lot of maintenance, a lot of cleaning, a lot of TIME, and yes - a LOT of FUN. You can shoot hotter loads with GC's, but to what end? The Plains Hunters didn't have today's "common" metallurgy at their disposal in the 1800's and nearly killed the buffalo to extinction with "slow moving" Heavy for Caliber lead boolits. Dead is dead. Wildlife doesn't know or care how fast the boolit was going. I am an advocate of load moderately and shoot MORE for less $$'s.

"Saving money" through casting and reloading our own boolits is what we tell ourselves. If done frugally over time, shaving cost here and there, we spend A WHOLE LOT LESS in this hobby - compared to shooting the same number of Factory loads. We shoot more - we spend more. One goes with the other.

Powder coating has become a "game changer" by "eliminating" leading (boolit fit of course remains a necessity) and allowing increased velocity in cast boolit loads. I believe, not that I have changed my Old School ways - though I have gotten on board, that PC is the way forward and I am investigating.

[Rcmaveric]

A little tip from personal experience: grow your lead stash. Its better to look for lead when you dont need and have the time to haggle and deal. Than to need lead and have to pay the scalper his pound of flesh.

It takes time and experience to learn how and where to find lead. Its out there. It just takes patience and people skills and research skills.

I am an introvert and people scare me. Shocking i know but the internet has the veil of anominity (only a few people here know my real name or even where i live). My wife on the other hand is a social butterfly and spill her life story to sny pour sap who will listen. I send her to tire shops. Grease monkeys love a pretty lady (i will abuse her feminie charm, good looks only last so long ya know). So whil she is canvassing tire shops i will canvas recycle places and craigslist.

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[GregLaROCHE]

Lyman’s Cast Bullet Handbook is a good place to start, but there are a lot of variables and opinions out there. Reading books and manuals makes casting more interesting for a lot of people. Don’t hesitate to buy used books and manuals. Nothing much has changed recently, except the advent of powder coating. This site is a great source of information, whether searching through past threads with the search engine or asking questions directly. There’s a lot of friendly people here with plenty of knowledge and willing to share it.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

You need some pure and some pewter. Also download and learn to use an alloy calculator. I run my med. hot handgun loads at about 12 bhn and light ones about 10. Lymann #2 alloy for my med. 1700 fps checked rifle boolits. The Lyman manual lists harder alloys than necessary imho, but has much very good info in it.

[farmbif]

I as probably many others do-all alloy is clip on wheel weights with a bit of tin added. but I'm not no big game hunter and the only one I compete with is myself shooting mostly at paper, metal and wood targets. but I might add I have still yet to venture into powder coating, my Lyman 4500 still works great, and maximum velocity of my cast bullet loads is still at about 2000-2100 fps.

[OFFSHORE]

For ALL my straight walled handgun cartridges, many +P, (9mm, 357 mag/max, 41 mag, 44 mag, 445 super mag, 45ACP, 45 LC and 460 S&W) I use a 30:1 alloy of 50% COWW and 50% soft lead (30 lbs.) with 1 pound pewter and no gas checks, 10 to 13 BHN under 1800fps. For ALL my rifle cartridges (30/30, 35 Rem, 308 Win, 375 Win, 414 super mag, 444 Marlin, 45/70) most are gas checked due to velocity - 1800fps to 2350fps, I use another 30:1 alloy of 100% COWW (30 lbs.) and 1 pound pewter, 14 to 17 BHN. I am 100% a hunter first (deer, hogs elk, bear, caribou and the like), and do my plinking/practicing with the same loads I hunt with. Although I have swapped bullets styles and loads in search of the best performance, my alloys have always performed to my expectations with on game performance. Just my $.02. Good luck on your quest!

[243winxb]

BHN 15 https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/lyman-alloy-chart.3536/full

[Soundguy]

I’m new to casting, and intend to cast of all of my handguns and a few rifles ranging from mid to hot(ish) loads. I’m curious if anyone can suggest a sort of do all alloy? I have a couple hundred pounds of cleaned and ingoted wheel weights as well as about a hundred pounds or so of rotometals linotype, which I broke down into one pound ingots. I also intend to powder coat and gas check most boolits that I cast. Would something like 4 pounds wheel weights to one pound linotype do the job? Maybe 3:1? Or any other suggested alloy would be much appreciated!!

A do all alloy will be a compromise.. I prefer softer for expanding handgun..and harder for magnum rifle..but if I only had 1 and needed rifle too.. Lyman #2 would be my choice.

[Rich/WIS]

Low velocity pistol versus hottish rifle really requires two different alloys. I use range lead as is for my 45 ACP loads, but have also used COWW either straight or with perhaps 1% tin added to either. If there was any difference in castabilty or performance I couldn't see it. Rifle I cast approximately 92-6-2 or perhaps a bit harder, but my rifle loads don't see much past 1600 fps. If you have a source for range lead get all you can. Wheel weights, either clip on or stick on, are quickly becoming extinct. For alloying Linotype is good, but unless purchased new is getting hard to find. Foundry type is also available from suppliers and has a much higher percentage of Sb and Sn so uses less when mixed with soft lead or range lead. Don't worry about exact percentages, find a mix that gives the BHN that works and smelt in large batches to keep it uniform. The idea (at least for me) is to cast as economically as possible. Using range lead and components purchased before the current insanity 45 ACP is running about $2.50 a box and my rifles 12-13 cents each. I have enough powder. primers and gas checks on hand to see me off and still leave a good stash for my son. My heart aches for those getting started right now or who didn't stock up in the good times.

[Whiterabbit]

I also cast 2 alloys. Hard and soft. Find each that work for you.

[Rancher2882]

Hey all! First, sorry for not responding sooner, been out of town and incredibly busy. Second, thank you all for the information and guidance, I appreciate it all! So let the tinkering/experimenting begin, and I’ll let y’all know how it turns out!!

[lightman]

My do-all alloy has always been straight clip-on wheelweights. Occasionally I'll add maybe 2% tin to it. This covers all of my needs pretty nicely.

[wwmartin]

I use straight isotope lead and haven't had a problem with leading. BHN is10.5 and is 97.5 lead, 2.5 Anthony no tin.
I have some foundry lead and linotype/ monotype mix.
How would you mix to achieve Lyman #2 for rifle casting.

Bill

[Bnt55]

I use straight isotope lead and haven't had a problem with leading. BHN is10.5 and is 97.5 lead, 2.5 Anthony no tin.
I have some foundry lead and linotype/ monotype mix.
How would you mix to achieve Lyman #2 for rifle casting.

Bill

There is a very handy video on youtube that will help you get a specific BHN (hardness) by mixing known alloys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y0raK6_Vbk

[Soundguy]

I use straight isotope lead and haven't had a problem with leading. BHN is10.5 and is 97.5 lead, 2.5 Anthony no tin.
I have some foundry lead and linotype/ monotype mix.
How would you mix to achieve Lyman #2 for rifle casting.

Bill
Lino and your core lead 50/50 would yield about a 16ish alloy and be a hair harder than #2. You could adjust your alloy about 55% core and 45 lino and be real close to #2.

[oley55]

I second this.
Pick up a the Lyman cast bullet handbook and check the load recipes. #2 is not suitable for all loads and powders, obviously, but a large portion of the calibers will have a loadout for #2.

There is a short paragraph in one of the earlier chapters (probably want to add a bookmark to it, I know I did) that tells you the breakdown of the various common alloys. You can (more or less) create #2 from pure lead and pewter if I remember correctly (sorry, I'm at work and can't check the handbook or my recipe book)

#2 is 90% Lead, 5% Tin, 5% Antimony. Modern pewter is tin, copper, and antimony.
Use the alloy calculator (https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators) to determine how much to add.

here is a web based calculator that doesn't require downloading a zip file. No idea if it's on par with others or not, but it works for me. https://www.weatherby.dk/bhn.htm

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Build up a stash of pure, lino and pewter and you can make any alloy you will need. For revolver shooting i use mostly 20/1. My .30 cal rifles i use gas checked boolits of #2 alloy and push them to around 1700 fps. I do not try to get jacketed velocities with cast. I try for medium loads that are accurate.