Shot - what is in it?

[FISH4BUGS]

A friend gave me 25 lb 2 bags of shot unopened.
I would like to use it to sweeten my wheel weight alloy, but I have no idea what is in it.
Is there a "standard" formula for shot?
How much shot to harden a 5 LB WW alloy to Lyman #2?

[Dusty Bannister]

From the Lawrence Brand site. Magnum lead shot with equivalent Hardness factor of 4-5% antimonial lead alloy. Percentage of antimony not given.

http://www.lawrencebrandshot.com/product/magnum-lead-shot/

[Bloodman14]

Somewhere here is a lead formula (LASC?) for mixing alloys. I believe that shot can be up to 5% antimony, the rest being lead. I do know that I smelted/recovered several pounds of shot into ingots that made a satisfying 'thud' when they hit the garage floor. Have not had the need to mix it with anything, so can't answer that one.

[G W Wade]

At current shot price you could probaly sell and buy something better. Shot up here is $50/ 60 a bag GW

[Bloodman14]

At my local Bass Pro (Springfield, MO.) shot went from $25 a 25 pound bag to over $60 seemingly overnight! Someone blamed the war in the sandbox, and prices have come down a bit since then, but not enough to get back into shotshell reloading. Cheaper to buy factory.

[Minerat]

My led alloy calculator authored by NP bumpo628 says using
5# mag shot with 6% antimony, 1.25% arsenic, 98.2% lead if you add to that
0.4#s 95/5 lead free solder and
2.6# of cww's (4.91%SN, 4.98% antimony, 0.86% arsenic, 89.3% PB)

you get pretty close to Lyman 2 (5.0%SN, 5.0% antimony, 0% arsenic, 90% PB).

[BLAHUT]

I have only used it straight, not mixed with anything. Sell the shot and buy what mix you want.

[Winger Ed.]

There is different alloys of it. Chilled Magnum shot should be pretty hard.

If you keep it and really want to know, you'll have to melt some and test it.

[JimB..]

We have such funny language in this hobby, by “sweeten your wheel weight alloy” do you mean increase tin, increase antimony, make it harder, make it softer, make it fill out better, or something else? Is your wheel weight alloy based on COWWs or SOWWs?

@minerat is, imho, on the right path, but that spreadsheet is based on a formula that doesn’t account for quenching or aging, both of which are very important when an alloy includes arsenic. Arsenic in a lead alloy forms a fine crystalline structure as the alloy cools and ages, becoming significantly harder than the spreadsheet would suggest. There is some test data on this with alloy tested at short intervals for a year, probably somewhere at LASC.

All that said, the right answer is probably to sell it as shot.

[GregLaROCHE]

Shot is not my thing, but I’ve seen lots of posts over the years to sell/trade it for other lead or components. It’s much more valuable the way it is, than melting it down.

[FISH4BUGS]

We have such funny language in this hobby, by “sweeten your wheel weight alloy” do you mean increase tin, increase antimony, make it harder, make it softer, make it fill out better, or something else? Is your wheel weight alloy based on COWWs or SOWWs?

I want to harden the allow of straight COWWs. Since I don't know the composition of the shot, I was hoping to harden the COWWs to use in casting.
Currently using 5lbs WW's to 1 lb linotype.

[bdicki]

Shot is a pain to melt, what size shot is it?

[JimB..]

I want to harden the allow of straight COWWs. Since I don't know the composition of the shot, I was hoping to harden the COWWs to use in casting.
Currently using 5lbs WW's to 1 lb linotype.

Sorry if my tone was unpleasant.

It’ll certainly increase the hardness of COWW. The alloy calculator will get you in the ball park, from there water quench a fresh bullet and test hardness to see if you’re happy. Being lazy I would only water quench for testing, after that I’d just let them age harden.

[FISH4BUGS]

Sorry if my tone was unpleasant.

It’ll certainly increase the hardness of COWW. The alloy calculator will get you in the ball park, from there water quench a fresh bullet and test hardness to see if you’re happy. Being lazy I would only water quench for testing, after that I’d just let them age harden.

hey....I never even thought that.
Thanks for the clarification.
I have difficulty using the percentages and that calculator ....maybe I should have paid attention is Math in high school :)
I was hoping that someone would make it simple - 5 lbs WW to X amount of shot gives Lyman #2.
But thanks for all the advice.

[JimB..]

hey....I never even thought that.
Thanks for the clarification.
I have difficulty using the percentages and that calculator ....maybe I should have paid attention is Math in high school :)
I was hoping that someone would make it simple - 5 lbs WW to X amount of shot gives Lyman #2.
But thanks for all the advice.

I think @minerat did that up in post #6
“ 5# mag shot with 6% antimony, 1.25% arsenic, 98.2% lead if you add to that
0.4#s 95/5 lead free solder and
2.6# of cww's (4.91%SN, 4.98% antimony, 0.86% arsenic, 89.3% PB)

you get pretty close to Lyman 2 (5.0%SN, 5.0% antimony, 0% arsenic, 90% PB).”

Following that you’ll have lyman #2 hardness when cast and something harder after quenching or aging.

The open question is, what kind of shot? Magnum shot is apparently harder than other shot.

[Soundguy]

I want to harden the allow of straight COWWs. Since I don't know the composition of the shot, I was hoping to harden the COWWs to use in casting.
Currently using 5lbs WW's to 1 lb linotype.

Coww is pretty nice by itself for even magnum handgun usually... Adding lino and you are moving towards Rifle or extra high pressures/speed.

[fortrenokid]

Howdy Pards

Some bit of time back I bot a couple of 25lb bags of used (reclaimed) shot from, if memory serves, RotoMetals.

It was dirty and needed to be washed (as their advertisement clearly stated … I appreciated their accurate, straightforward description) but, once cleaned, it melted down nicely into 1lb ingots. It was stated to be 95% lead/5% tin.

95/5 is, IMHO, entirely suitable for most cast-bullet shooting and it’s served me well. For some rifle bullets intended for higher velocities, I mixed in some Linotype and was very satisfied with the results.

My counsel would be to melt the shot down and use as is for most low-velocity/medium-velocity shooting. For higher velocity loads, consider adding some tin or antimony. If you have access to linotype, it has both of those metals.

Good luck and good shooting!

Happy Trails and

Adios

Fort Reno Kid

Casting lead is where you find it. I’ve been very satisfied with the melted-down, reclaimed shot.