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View Full Version : Lead, WW's, Tin, Antinomy Cheater's Chart?



webby4x4
05-31-2009, 10:34 AM
Hi Guys - I was wondering if anyone knew of a newbie cheater's chart that might show me some various mixes of Pb/tin/anitnomy, Pb/WW's, Pb/95%/5% Solder, Pb 50/50 solder, etc.?

I have a reliable source for 99.9% lead and can get it regularly. I've been casting / water quenching some of my slower rounds (light load .45 ACP) with pure lead and haven't had too many problems with barrel leading so far, but now that I'm learning more about this trade, I want to start incrementing my loads some, in search for greater accuracy.

Anyhow, I know I need to start hardening my lead and my search for WWs is still fruitless. Depending upon what I come up with, I may be relegated to buying solders of some type and building my mixes from there.

What I don't know yet though, is the mix amounts I'm supposed to use. As such, I wondering if anyone has any recommended starting points to get me going with some various mixes of WWs, solder, etc.. I know everyone has their pet mix (so to speak), but is there a beginner's guide to adding certain items to lead to achieve varying hardness?

For what it's worth, I'll be loading rounds such as 9mm Luger, .45ACP, .357 Mag, .38 cal, 30/06, .243, .222, etc.

I'd certainly appreciate it.

Regards,
Rick

462
05-31-2009, 11:11 AM
Excellent information here: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm.

mroliver77
05-31-2009, 11:54 AM
Water quench does nothing for pure lead except cool boolits faster. You need some antimony and usually arsenic that is in wheel weights and magnum shotgun shot. Wow pure lead in a .45 acp! You can get hardness with tin but it is more expensive. Darn nice boolits though. If you watch the selling page here there is lots of WW for sale. Mixed with your pure @ 1/1 or 2/1 and water dropped will make dandy peestol boolits.
Jay

fredj338
05-31-2009, 01:19 PM
Excellent information here: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm.

The LASC is the best site going for all things casting. Also pick up a copy of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, great ref. source as well. As mentioned, water dropping pure lead does nothing for you. Adding tin in the form of solder helps castablity & hardens a bit, but is pricey. Adding 50/50 clip on ww to pure lead makes a good bullet to a bit over 1000fps. Adding 3-1 lead-lino makes a good bullet to 1200fps or so & water dropping those gets you a bit faster. If you need to buy some metal for alloying, Rotometals are good to work with. Free shipping & a disc. for volumn helps. http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/linotypealloy.htm

webby4x4
05-31-2009, 01:20 PM
Wow pure lead in a .45 acp!
Jay

Why do you say that? I've pushed about 2,000 rounds of my pure lead mix down range without any problems. I'm still a newbie, so if I'm doing something wrong, please feel free to give me hell. :)

Thanks,
Rick

webby4x4
05-31-2009, 01:24 PM
Adding 50/50 clip on ww to pure lead makes a good bullet to a bit over 1000fps. Adding 3-1 lead-lino makes a good bullet to 1200fps or so & water dropping those gets you a bit faster.

Thanks, Fred - this is what I was looking for, but was hoping there might be some handy-dandy chart for this that I could keep in my reloader's notebook, where it shows the mix percentages and what each alloy is good for (as far as fps speed), etc...

I have an older version of Lyman's casting handbook, but they only give references for "pre-mixed" alloys (so to speak), where they talk about hardness for Lyman #2, Pb, Linotype, Monotype, etc.

Thanks,
Rick

fredj338
05-31-2009, 02:26 PM
Thanks, Fred - this is what I was looking for, but was hoping there might be some handy-dandy chart for this that I could keep in my reloader's notebook, where it shows the mix percentages and what each alloy is good for (as far as fps speed), etc...

I have an older version of Lyman's casting handbook, but they only give references for "pre-mixed" alloys (so to speak), where they talk about hardness for Lyman #2, Pb, Linotype, Monotype, etc.

Thanks,
Rick

Go to the LASC website & look for alloy maintanance. It gives recipes for making carious alloys like #2, etc. Casting is kind fo a trial & error thing & exact alloys are really not necessary. BTW, pure lead 45acp @ 800fps shoot fine w/ the right lube. Adding a bit of tin makes them cast easier & gives a litte firmer bullet.

mroliver77
05-31-2009, 03:47 PM
If you can get with shooting pure lead in acp, more power too you. I am surprised by this is all. Even at 800fps I would think there is enough pressure to lead the barrel or cause bad sccuracy. I have found in the last couple of years that I can get away with lots softer alloy than I thought previously. I actually fixed a leading problem by going almost dead soft in one peestol. I remember a post a few years back where this came up and I thought the poster an...... well I thought him wrong. Appears this middle aged dog can still learn. ;)
Jay

Slow Elk 45/70
05-31-2009, 04:13 PM
Yup, there are a lot of opinions out there, Lasc site info is backed up with "some" facts , so read and make your own trials & errors , most of us do.[smilie=1:

webby4x4
05-31-2009, 05:55 PM
OK, thanks guys. Would anyone know where there might be some type of information that shows the BHN for suggested FPS then, for both pistol and rifle? Or, is that a bit of trial and error too?

Obviously, I'm stretching my supplies as far as possible, so if I can stay with the softer stuff for slow pistol loads, the more I can use the alloys for my fast rifle / fast pistol loads.

thanks again,
Rick

462
05-31-2009, 09:13 PM
Again, spend some time here: http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm.