Trouble with range scrap.

[sgms18]

I'm having a hard time getting good bullets w/the range scrap I've collected. Mainly wrinkles & poor fill out. I thought the molds weren't hot enough but it dosen't seem to get better as I cast. Then I thought I must have oil in the cavitys so I've cleaned w/rubbing alcohol & acetone w/no improvement. I've added a little tin (pewter) & some wheel weight lead & that has helped some. It's still tough to get good clean bullets w/this batch.

[Winger Ed.]

I'd crank the heat up until you see some frosting and try that.
If that works, you should be able to back the heat off a little until it stops.

[Larry Gibson]

Probably a high percentage of antimony if the RL came from commercial cast and jacketed bullets. The alloy needs tin and probably more lead. With RL I usually add 30 - 50 % pure lead then add 2% tin.

Adding COWWs just adds more antimony and very little tin exacerbating the problem.

[sgms18]

Thanks for the replies. I'm using a Lyman Mag25 & have it turned all the way up. (850°) I don't have a thermometer to measure the actual temp but still no frosty bullets. This range scrap came from a public indoor range so probably a little bit of everything. I guess I'll have to try some pure lead & more tin.

[Winger Ed.]

Hmm. The range scrap I've had was a mix of the more or less pure Lead that melts out of jacketed stuff,
and a lot of commercial or home grown cast.

Some of the commercial cast I've scrounged was harder than Chinese Algebra too.
Adding pure Lead would be a good place to start.

[fredj338]

I shoot mostly range scrap from outdoor ranges. I rarely add tin but do sweeten it with a bit of lino for 9mm. I run the pot at 750, no fill out issues. Could be other contaminates from the indoor; frangible matl, rubber crud. Make sure you flux well before & during casting.

[Bird]

Bring the pot temperature up to 625-630F, and hold it there. Then flux well. Anything that will not go back into the mix, scrape it off. You probably have too much antimony in the mix. Try casting again. If the bullets are too hard to size, add pure lead, and maybe some pure tin.
I have had the same problem at times with recovered range lead.

[Chill Wills]

Not often, but I have found the odd zinc bullet in the backstop. It may only take one or two to give some trouble.

[imashooter2]

I’m of a different opinion. Linotype is 12% antimony with 4% tin and it casts as sharp and detailed as printing type requires it. There is no way your range scrap has 12% antimony. So adding 2% by weight of pewter should get you an alloy that works.

Next, buy a thermometer. The dial on your pot doesn’t equate to anything. Alloy temperature is the first step in trouble shooting fill out problems.

[Winger Ed.]

Not often, but I have found the odd zinc bullet in the backstop. It may only take one or two to give some trouble.

Oh yeah, they'll make a mess out of your alloy.
I use a old Peo-Melt and after finding one by accident,
I bring the heat up slowly so if there any more strays in my range junk,
they'll float up before they have a chance to melt in.

[deces]

People are casting zinc now, good chance you have contamination unless they are all jacketed.

[dverna]

Something other than commercial cast bullets in your RL are causing your problem. Commercial bullets are 92-2-6 with 6% antinomy and that alloy casts very well.

I hope you do not waste a lot of time and tin trying to get a bad alloy to work. Tin is not cheap.

I would dump all the alloy in the pot and cast with 92-2-6 alloy...but I have lots of it. If that alloy does not work, you have a heat issue. If you do not have 96-2-6 use straight Linotype for your test.

[Bigslug]

My nine year old "range scrap analysis" thread may help you out some: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?269789-Careful-Analysis-of-Segregated-Range-Scrap-Smelt&highlight=segregated+range+scrap

Until I got the XRF scan done later in the thread's run, I was speculating on what I had based on hardness alone, but I kept inserting updates into the OP. Either way, it only ran for two pages so it's a short read regardless.

Fluxing with sawdust during the smelt and again with a blob of bullet lube during the casting session may help. More tin to achieve decent percentages in the tin-poor mixes I discovered in my travels is usually necessary. Of late, my pistol alloy has become four ounces of tin to 20 pounds of jacketed cores - sometimes with a little more tin going in if the mold decides to be difficult.

More and more, I think picking out "other people's cast" and smelting it separately is worth doing. The factory jacketed stuff - being swaged - is going be be a pretty consistent material based on the necessities of the process that makes it. That consistency alone makes it worth keeping separate. Cast can be anything, and the only clue you'll have as to what it MIGHT be is a hardness test or an XRF scan of every batch you make. Good as an enrichment tool for plinker ammo that doesn't require a lot of hard science, but probably a path to frustration for anything you want to go cutting edge on.

Fortunately, I have not yet gotten "zinked", but the possibility of zinc in a berm threatens to be a real killjoy for a lot of us. This is another reason for segregation of projectile types - we may end up having to resort to smelting cast one pot at a time so we can skim off zinc projectiles at a lower melt temperature. I'd have to think hard on a process for that, since it's pretty difficult to run a turkey burner with a PID.:-P

[Sasquatch-1]

I would recommend you get a thermometer and make sure your pot is coming up to temp. If you are using steel molds, preheat them.

[Rickf1985]

Somebody mentioned frangibles. What exactly are they made of? Is it something that will melt into a lead alloy or will it just float out as dross?

[Winger Ed.]

Somebody mentioned frangibles. What exactly are they made of? Is it something that will melt into a lead alloy or will it just float out as dross?

They're bullets made to shatter on impact. They're marketed for training and Lead free ranges.
They're mostly powdered Copper pressed into shape but not melted doing it.
Imagine a glorified dirt clod made mostly out of Copper.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I'm having a hard time getting good bullets w/the range scrap I've collected. Mainly wrinkles & poor fill out. I thought the molds weren't hot enough but it dosen't seem to get better as I cast. Then I thought I must have oil in the cavitys so I've cleaned w/rubbing alcohol & acetone w/no improvement. I've added a little tin (pewter) & some wheel weight lead & that has helped some. It's still tough to get good clean bullets w/this batch.

Are you getting "any" good boolits from your range scrap? You word your first sentence ambiguously.

You've been a member here from quite a while, is it fair to assume you've cast boolits successfully with another alloy with these same molds? I just want to make sure your problem is your alloy, and not something with your technique.

[405grain]

My first thought when I started reading this thread was "zinc". If the alloy is contaminated, adding good ingredients to it might just be a waste of those metals. Because more people are starting to cast zinc bullets, when melting range scrap you should try to raise the temperature slowly so that these intruders will float on the molten lead and can get skimmed off before they pull any shenanigans.

[country gent]

Range lead especially indoor ranges can be heavy with .22 rim fire bullets which are normally a higher antimony content. When I was melting the RL from the clubs indoor range which was all rimfire bullets it took more heat to melt and went thru a definite "slushy" stage
At most lead temps zinc dosnt fully melt but does get slushy looking
I would pour an ingot and send it off to a member here for analysis with his gun. At one time he charged a 1 lb ingot to do this.

[murf205]

Range lead has become the crap shoot of casting with all the mystery metal being dumped into a berm now days. I got lucky with my score of range lead a few yrs back because it was from a range that only hosted black powder muzzle loader and revolver matches= pure or 99% PB. I added 2% tin and got just what I was looking for. It taught me that pure lead and 2% tin will get 90% of the shooting done for me. sgms18, I don't know what your are casting for or how fast you want to drive it but if you have a scrapyard nearby that will sell you some pure lead, that + the 2% tin would be a good place to start. Powder coating will let you speed up velocity-- a BIT.

[sgms18]

Are you getting "any" good boolits from your range scrap? You word your first sentence ambiguously.

You've been a member here from quite a while, is it fair to assume you've cast boolits successfully with another alloy with these same molds? I just want to make sure your problem is your alloy, and not something with your technique.

I have managed to make some decent bullets from this RS but the majority have gone back in the pot to remelt & try again. When I say decent I mean shootable. None of them I would consider great as in 100% wrinkle free with good definition. It does seem to work better in some molds than others but the molds that aren't working well w/the RS make good bullets with straight WW lead. That said I have the WW lead in a Lee 4-20 & the RS in a Lyman mag25. I'm starting to wonder if the pid on the Lyman pot isn't accurate. I think I need to get a thermometer before I go too far down the alloy rabbit hole. It's a new pot & I've only ever had this one batch of RS in it.

[sgms18]

The RS on this batch came out of an old closed down part of an indoor range. It had probably been sitting there undisturbed close to 10yr. I wouldn't think zinc would be in the mix but anything possible. As to what I'm casting for, pistol mostly. 45acp, 45 colt, 38/357, 44mag & possible 300blk.

[popper]

I purposely cast 40SW bullets with 2% Zn and pure. Shot fine for undersized bullets. No wrinkles. Wrinkles are from cold mold or alloy (poor flow also). I cast at 720F. Get a thermometer! Frosting is from Sb and hot mold/alloy. I don't use any Sn in my alloy.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I haven't heard of temperature problems with the Lyman mag25, but it would sure be a good thing to checkout. Also, I like Larry's idea of adding Tin and Pure lead to your range scrap.

[sgms18]

I have a bucket of stick on ww I've been saving up for "pure lead" & some sheet that's pretty soft. All I've got in ingots right now is the RS & WW. Reckon I gota do some melting.

[TomAM]

Has this mold produced good bullets in the past, with a different lead source?
Wrinkled bullets from a new mold usually happens because of a trace of oil on the cavity surface.
Just get the cavity extra hot by casting rapidly. If you're casting slow, examining every bullet, the mold won't get hot enough.
Cast at a brisk pace, getting the cavity surfaces HOT until you see a whiff of smoke rise from the mold. The simplest and safest fix, and it works every time.

[jsizemore]

I got some indoor range scrap tested recently. It was 99.1% Pb and .9% Sb. This doesn't mean yours is the same but you won't know till you have it checked. I got it and some other samples done by our fellow member. You might want to contact him ahead of time to check his schedule. He stays busy with work and home and what he does for us.

[sgms18]

I didn't realize we had a member that does lead analysis. Please tell me his name so I can contact him.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I didn't realize we had a member that does lead analysis. Please tell me his name so I can contact him.

BNE

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?410426-XRF-Gripe&p=5008338

[sgms18]

Thanks!

[jsizemore]

He's in the Greenville area.

[Lance Boyle]

I'd crank the heat up until you see some frosting and try that.
If that works, you should be able to back the heat off a little until it stops.


This would be my suggestion. I was having a long spell of wrinkly bullets with a new to me NOE 358-135 mold until suddenly the mold got sufficiently hot. I had scrubbed the mold out twice with hot water and dawn, I preheated the mold on a iron plate on a hot plate while the pot warmed up. It still took about 50 casts to get up to temp. I don’t usually cast with aluminum molds and it was not what I expected to get the mold up to temp. Most of my molds have been mehanite or brass. I had been nudging the alloy temp up in stages until I found where everything was working, Once I did find it things were great.

[Sasquatch-1]

When I have a contaminated mold, I will open the sprue cutter and slowly fill the mold with molten lead. Before doing this, I leave the mold sit on the molten lead for about a minute or so. Anything cast in it should come out extremely frosty. This helps burnout any oils in the mold. I use Lee molds exclusively, so I don't know if it will work with the steel molds.

[Soundguy]

I'm having a hard time getting good bullets w/the range scrap I've collected. Mainly wrinkles & poor fill out. I thought the molds weren't hot enough but it dosen't seem to get better as I cast. Then I thought I must have oil in the cavitys so I've cleaned w/rubbing alcohol & acetone w/no improvement. I've added a little tin (pewter) & some wheel weight lead & that has helped some. It's still tough to get good clean bullets w/this batch.

on range scrap.. I run hot and add a little tin if needed.. usually get great results

[sgms18]

This would be my suggestion. I was having a long spell of wrinkly bullets with a new to me NOE 358-135 mold until suddenly the mold got sufficiently hot. I had scrubbed the mold out twice with hot water and dawn, I preheated the mold on a iron plate on a hot plate while the pot warmed up. It still took about 50 casts to get up to temp. I don’t usually cast with aluminum molds and it was not what I expected to get the mold up to temp. Most of my molds have been mehanite or brass. I had been nudging the alloy temp up in stages until I found where everything was working, Once I did find it things were great.


I have my Lyman Mag25 turned all the way up & still no frosty bullets. This make me think my pot isn't getting as hot as it says it is. It's a pretty new pot but that dosen't really mean anything. Lyman is Chinese like everything else these days. Will an IR thermometer give an accurate reading on molten lead or do I need to get an actual thermometer?

[Forrest r]

90% + of my casting/shooting needs is done with range scrap from an outdoor range. Everything goes into the pot and #100 bathes come out 8/9bhn. I like to run the rc alloy hot (725* using a pid controller). The cast bullets come out borderline frosted.
158gr hp's/170gr fn 640 series bullets for the 38spl/357's.

All these bullets were cast from rs with nothing added. No tin or anything else.
https://i.imgur.com/Gyl21QA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HTE4L7I.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tM5PTMh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1UEnqR4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KoEMJiX.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/KIOUkkZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/r2f7uBt.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/xVfJyoP.jpg

Hollow point, hollow base, long rifle bullets. It doesn't matter, they all fill out.

Been casting with range scrap since the 1980's. Never had any issues with the range scrap alloy. Now myself and the errors/mistakes I've created is another story.

[Mike W1]

I have my Lyman Mag25 turned all the way up & still no frosty bullets. This make me think my pot isn't getting as hot as it says it is. It's a pretty new pot but that dosen't really mean anything. Lyman is Chinese like everything else these days. Will an IR thermometer give an accurate reading on molten lead or do I need to get an actual thermometer?

I've saved this post that'll tell you how good they are for out purposes.

Before I retired from Zeiss, at least 2-3 times a year I had to engineer systems that would measure the exact temperature of
machined parts prior to measuring their dimensions. (Engine blocks, heads, etc. in Big 3 auto plants.)

So I've done more than my share of study of temperature measurement methods. Let me say categorically that these
non-contact "laser" measurement systems are almost worthless. They measure infrared radiation from the target, and that
radiation varies wildly with what is called the "emissivity" of the surface.

The industrial suppliers of these things claimed that they could tell me a temperature within 2-3 percent of displayed
value, IF we sent a large number of samples to them so they could measure the emissivity and calibrate their sensors. Any
time a sensor required replacement, they had to go through the whole rigamarole again. Any time the surface finish
changed, ditto.

Without calibration, and given unknown surfaces, they wouldn't guarantee accuracy to better than 25% of the displayed
value! And that's industrial grade equipment costing thousands of $$. Bottom line, if you calibrate a Harbor Freight
instrument against an accurate contact thermometer, you may be within 5% for the exact object you calibrated for. Any
other object, you can be wildly off.

BTW the laser has nothing to do with the measurement process. It's just an aiming aid.

Best method is a low-mass thermocouple or RTD device, (thermistor). These are not expensive. Some under-$100
Volt-Ohm-Meters come with a thermocouple probe. I have had two of these, and they worked pretty well. I've never stuck
one into melted lead, but there are versions that are encapsulated in ceramic which I would.

[sgms18]

I've saved this post that'll tell you how good they are for out purposes.

Before I retired from Zeiss, at least 2-3 times a year I had to engineer systems that would measure the exact temperature of
machined parts prior to measuring their dimensions. (Engine blocks, heads, etc. in Big 3 auto plants.)

So I've done more than my share of study of temperature measurement methods. Let me say categorically that these
non-contact "laser" measurement systems are almost worthless. They measure infrared radiation from the target, and that
radiation varies wildly with what is called the "emissivity" of the surface.

The industrial suppliers of these things claimed that they could tell me a temperature within 2-3 percent of displayed
value, IF we sent a large number of samples to them so they could measure the emissivity and calibrate their sensors. Any
time a sensor required replacement, they had to go through the whole rigamarole again. Any time the surface finish
changed, ditto.

Without calibration, and given unknown surfaces, they wouldn't guarantee accuracy to better than 25% of the displayed
value! And that's industrial grade equipment costing thousands of $$. Bottom line, if you calibrate a Harbor Freight
instrument against an accurate contact thermometer, you may be within 5% for the exact object you calibrated for. Any
other object, you can be wildly off.

BTW the laser has nothing to do with the measurement process. It's just an aiming aid.

Best method is a low-mass thermocouple or RTD device, (thermistor). These are not expensive. Some under-$100
Volt-Ohm-Meters come with a thermocouple probe. I have had two of these, and they worked pretty well. I've never stuck
one into melted lead, but there are versions that are encapsulated in ceramic which I would.

Wow, I had no idea. I been using a Raytek gun working on cars for 20+ years.

[jsizemore]

I have a bucket of stick on ww I've been saving up for "pure lead" & some sheet that's pretty soft. All I've got in ingots right now is the RS & WW. Reckon I gota do some melting.

If you go to the XRF SOWW Sticky you may notice that the painted SOWW's are close to COWW composition.

[sgms18]

That's good to know. I definitely have some painted ones in the mix.

[turtlezx]

how o how did there ever make boolits over a camp fire

[sgms18]

With pure lead & a round ball mold.

[Winger Ed.]

how o how did there ever make boolits over a camp fire

A fire made with oak of some other hard wood,
more or less pure Lead, and in the frying pan they also ate out of.

In cattle country, the same sort of fire got branding irons red hot.
And it didn't have to be a very big fire either.

[justindad]

Get a thermometer from Rotometals.
*
I have to set my RCBS pot to 820F so that I can cast at 720F. I purchased an analog thermometer from Rotometals for a reasonable price ($20??). I can concur that laser thermometers are worthless for measuring molten lead temperatures.
*
If using an analog thermometer to get your lead to the right temperature doesn’t help and you’re getting a good preheat on your mold - try fluxing the lead with copper sulphate (Zep Root Kill). I do this with all of my COWW alloy. The copper sulphate does an excellent job cleaning the alloy and will pull out any zinc that might get in there. Just don’t over do it, because it can pull out tin as well.

[Recycled bullet]

A fire made with oak of some other hard wood,
more or less pure Lead, and in the frying pan they also ate out of.

In cattle country, the same sort of fire got branding irons red hot.
And it didn't have to be a very big fire either."and in the frying pan they also ate out of."

They could afford guns, molds and bullets but didn't have a second frying pan???

[Dusty Bannister]

Probably had no one to warn them about lead poisoning. Just had to be careful about those lead injections.

[Rickf1985]

Frying pans were heavy, remember that they were cast iron. Everything they owned had to be packed in and out on their horse. Nothing extra was brought and as was stated, they had no idea lead was deadly other than coming out of a gun. Probably explains why there are so few old timers stories from those people, their memories evaporated from lead poisoning.

[RichBaxter]

Also, after cooked in that frying pan it was eaten off of a pewter plate.

[Rickf1985]

More likely eaten right out of the pan.

[Charlie Horse]

From now on I am going to pour my range scrap ingots before they get anywhere near the melting point of zinc. I might not even flux. Just skim. Heat from the burning wax might melt any zinc floating on the alloy.

[Nick Quick]

Every time I get my hands on range scrap I use it exclusively for casting sinkers. For sinkers wrinkles are not important. Even for jigheads if I powder coat them they look perfect.

[Wooserco]

More likely eaten right out of the pan.

I've done that! Just not with the one that I cast/melt in. I did have a friend (my casting mentor, a Korean War vet.) that cooked in the same pan that he cast from. He said: "I've been in Japan, I lived through the battle of pusan, sleeping in a foxhole with 11 rounds of ammo between me and Alvin. I'm good eating out of this pan."

I've cut one edge of the pot with a cut off disk in a grinder so that it won't be confused with anything cooking related. It does NOT reside in the house.

[sgms18]

Well, I've got a thermometer ordered & I'm getting ready to send some samples to BNE. I'll be back w/results after my next casting session.

[dverna]

Well, I've got a thermometer ordered & I'm getting ready to send some samples to BNE. I'll be back w/results after my next casting session.

Good luck. Hope you get it resolved.

[BJung]

I use range scrap and this is what I do. First, I use a frying ladle to sift out some loose dirt and pour the remaining wood from the shattered target frame and bullet lead bullets/pieces into a sack. Then, I pour out and pick out the jacketed bullets and cast those separately into ingots marked "J". The cores are more uniform and I cast .38 Special and .45acp bullets with this lead. I pour the rest into my oil pan and remove the wood chips that float to the top then pour out the dirty water and wash out the dirt. I pour this onto a used shower curtain liner and as the water drains down the driveway, rolls of rags catch the remaining dirt and wood chips. The lead stays put. i pick out the large pieces of lead and Hard Cast bullets. I use that for my 9mm and 40cal bullets trying to have an even ration of chunk lead to hardcast bullets. I test the ingots later for hardness and stamp these ingots "R". The rest of the small pieces I bag up and cast lead sinkers for my brother. i pour these into ingots made from a diving weight mold. Last are my .22lr and pellet scrap. I cast each separately and stamp the .22lr ingots "L" and the pellet lead "P". The commercial alloy is more consistent and I've found my bullet weights more consistent than mixing everything up. Maybe my casting has improved too. I am experimenting with my L and P lead with tin and casting LHP bullets. To add, after I cast, I separate my cast bullets by weight. My two cavity HP molds have different pins and the weight of each is different but cast from the same cavity, about the same. My gang molds are separated by weight and outliers are remelted along with bullets with imperfections. As far as molds with wrinkles, I thoroughly wash mold molds and heat them up to temperature. I hot plate is very helpful. I use the edge of the mold into a pot of lead and a propane torch to absorb as much heat first and then set in on the hot plate while I get everything else in place. Then, I might pour 1-2 bullets to get the mold up to temperature and I'm ready to cast. I always set my mold on the hot plate when I'm doing something like pouring the lead sprue scraps back into the pot, refilling my pot..

[TheGrimReaper]

I'm lucky. I've had great results using RL

[Charlie Horse]

Here's what some of the stuff I use looks like. It is full of pulverized bowling pins. And oh, it is a delight to melt. I have to make sure the wind is blowing away from the neighbors. But you do what you got to do if you want to be a cast booliteer.

323663

[Gunslinger1911]

I'm one that has very few issues with RS, so far !
Sometimes needs a little tin.
Rifle boolits get the WW alloy.
I also have a newish Lyman Mag25 - digital readout is off by about 60 deg, I like to cast at 750deg and have to set it at 810.
Your new therm should tell alot.
BNE is a great guy - XRF rules !

[Bill M]

I pick up range lead when it's abundant, but I usually cast from WW, and a little solder.
Several years ago we had a range officer who cast bullets, and after a shoot he commented that he wanted to get some GC bullets to load some "hot" 357 mag. I cast him several hundred and brought them at our next shoot, the way he acted, you would think I brought gold! On the way out, he waved me over, and put a couple of 5 gal buckets in my truck!
I sorted the jacketed, and wadcutters, melted and poured the rest into ingots, I shared with my old friend, Pete. That was the easiest casting we ever did. I commented how well it made good bullets, Pete said it had to be, it was a mixture of everybody's idea of what a good alloy should be!

[sgms18]

I got a chance to do some more casting yesterday & have seen some improvement. I'm still getting some wrinkles well after the mold has warmed up but not near as many. I'd say 90+ percent of this last batch were keepers. 2 things I did differently. 1, increased my lead flow to fill the mold faster & 2, fluxed with candle wax instead of sawdust. I got a thermometer & the readout on my pot is fairly accurate. Within 5 or so degrees of each other so I feel better about that. I've sent samples to BNE for testing & am interested to see what he finds. Either way things seem to be looking up. I appreciate everyone the took the time to offer suggestions.

[Huskerguy]

Three pages of replies, you probably have your answer.

My question is are you stopping to admire and examine your bullets as you cast? Pour, cut and dump just as fast as you can, don’t look at the bullets .

I purchased a new mold several years back and couldn’t find air to try it out. I warmed everything up including the mold on a hot plate. I kept looking at my bullets and mostly wrinkles. I was sure there was something wrong with the mold. Then I read something somewhere and it clicked. It doesn’t take long for a mold to cool down.

I have and currently use a bunch of indoor range scrap. It has everything in the world in it which I think contributes to the mix. You can find just about anything in there but it cleans up nicke although a mess getting there.

[sgms18]

I try & keep a steady pace & only stop to put the sprus back when the pot starts getting low. Then the next several pours go in the scrap pile getting back up to temp again. It took me awhile to get used to aluminum molds for sure.

[Soundguy]

if you have good temp..hot mold.. clean mold that is seasoned or sooted..and you still get wrinkles..I'd add a little tin.. if you know you have plenty of tin.. look at the mold again..

[sgms18]

How much tin would you suggest for about 20lb of lead?

[Bill M]

If I'm using WW, I add 1# of solder to 19#. I melt all my bar solder together and pour into ingots for ease of use. (The last time I did most was 63/37, some 50/50, and I think 5 bars of lead free.)

[sgms18]

Thanks. I've got a bunch of pewter to use for tin & a few bars of 50/50.

[imashooter2]

2 ounces of pewter into 20 pounds of lead would be near enough a 1% plus up.

[justindad]

<snip>
It doesn’t take long for a mold to cool down.

I have had a few molds with burrs that would not let go of the boolits, which meant I was whacking the mold handles so long the mold cooled off. Kept getting wrinkled boolits.

[Winger Ed.]

I was whacking the mold handles so long the mold cooled off. Kept getting wrinkled boolits.

I almost expect that from new molds.
While wearing old/thick blue jeans (and they're cold), I rub the insides of the blocks on my leg.
It polishes away small burrs without getting 'violent' with them.

[jsizemore]

I do the conversion to ounces when figuring how much pewter to add. You'll be adding pewter in the ounces so that's more easier. With a 20 lb pot you'll have 320 ounces of alloy (16x20=320) so 1% pewter/tin would be 3.2 ounces. If I'm trying to figure what's gonna work for added tin/pewter, I increase in 1/2% increments till things is good. The pewter I use has been tested to be anywhere from 92% to 96% tin. My pure Pb is liquidus at 629degF by my temp readout on my PID. Regardless of what lab certified temps are you should establish what they are for your equipment and check them periodically or whenever you got a problem to help troubleshoot. Oh, and don't sweat the tenths when you add the pewter. 1 or 2 tenths plus or minus ain't gonna matter.

[sgms18]

I got my results back from BNE so I thought I'd share.

Pb=98.3%
Sb=1.5%
Sn=0.1%
Cu=0.1%

[Rickf1985]

And there you have it, No tin. If you add about 1.5 to 2% tin you will be in great shape. At least there is nothing bad in there.

[Dusty Bannister]

As you are adding tin to your alloy, you might keep in mind that as long as there is more antimony than tin, the alloy will age harden. With the low antimony content, it will take longer to mature. Still a very good alloy for the calibers you listed early in this thread.

[Winger Ed.]

Just a guess, being so close to pure Lead that looks like most of it was melted out of jacketed stuff.

Scrounge more range scrap from a pistol range to mix with it.
You should end up with a lot of cast pistol boolits that are usually higher in all the 'goodies'
and that way you won't have to buy as much of them.
Or, like in the old days, mix it 50/50 with the old school wheel weights.

Like my Dad always encouraged------ Save a buck where ya can..

[sgms18]

Just a guess, being so close to pure Lead that looks like most of it was melted out of jacketed stuff.

Scrounge more range scrap from a pistol range to mix with it.
You should end up with a lot of cast pistol boolits that are usually higher in all the 'goodies'
and that way you won't have to buy as much of them.
Or, like in the old days, mix it 50/50 with the old school wheel weights.

Like my Dad always encouraged------ Save a buck where ya can..
Yes, this range scrap came from an indoor pistol range use to work at. It was mainly jacketed pistol bullets. I'm sure there were a few guys shooting cast but they were definitely the minority.

[Delkal]

I got my results back from BNE so I thought I'd share.

Pb=98.3%
Sb=1.5%
Sn=0.1%
Cu=0.1%

This is in line with the estimations in a lot of the alloy calculators. Unless you have the luck to get the scrap from a range with a lot of cast shooters the range scrap around here mostly comes from commercial indoor ranges with just about everyone shooting jacketed bullets. The guy I get my ingots from showed me a 55 gallon drum mostly full with empty copper jackets (which he also sells for scrap) and told me there are very few cast bullets in the mix.

Like others have mentioned recovered lead from jacketed bullets needs tin. If I add 2% pewter the BHN goes up by 2 and I don't have a problem filling out the mold.

[WILCO]

Very useful information in this thread. :)

[jsizemore]

I got my results back from BNE so I thought I'd share.

Pb=98.3%
Sb=1.5%
Sn=0.1%
Cu=0.1%

Those numbers look a lot like COWW's mixed with equal parts pure lead also called 50/50 around here. Some folks crank the heat to get good fillout with that alloy but with the higher temp have more shrinkage of the cast bullets. As long as your mold casts big enough to meet your needs that's not a problem. If it's borderline for size than you can add some tin and cast at a cooler temp. It only takes adding about 1% pewter or tin and you can cast at 690-700degF and gain a little more size. BHN will be about 9-10 and your pistol powders will work just fine. I call it my house blend. It's just plain easy to cast. Keep your bare hands off them and they take PC or Hi-Tek without problems. If you need a little more hardness you can heat treat. Really good all around alloy.