shot for hardening

[big boar]

I'm unable to obtain any WW up here but do have a good supply of pure(?)lead. If I add some tin(2%) can I get the required antimony content (for hardening) by just adding some shot from a shotshell? In a 20lb pot would 3oz. be about right?

[lylejb]

from the lasc.us cast bullet notes page, see link on bottom of this page.

"Tip: Magnum shot is a good source for antimony (4%) and arsenic (1.5-1.75%) for improving the age hardening/time curve in heat treating."

"Wheel Weights, clip-on
1/2% tin, 4% antimony,
95.25% lead, 1/4% arsenic "

OK, the first quote from cast bullet notes, shows magnum shot at 4% antimony, and 1.5% arsenic. The Arsenic is needed if you oven heat treat, and probably helps with water droped hardening. However, it's the antimony you're looking for. It gives you the biggest help hardening an air cooled boolit.

The second quote from lasc.us shows clip-on wheel weights at 4% antimony, the same as magnum shot. To try to add a little bit of 4% alloy to get up to 4% alloy doesn't work mathmaticaly.

Likely, the best way to make a WW like alloy from pure lead is to add linotype. This also adds tin to the mix.

Rotometals also sells a 30% antimony 70%lead alloy. A bar or two of this in the pot would get hardness fast. They also sell linotype, if you can't find any locally.

A recipe shows .35% tin, 2.2% antimony, 97.65% lead, trace arsenic, to be about BHN 7. That would approxamate half shot, half pure lead. If you Added 2% tin, that might be BHN 8. WW is about BHN 12.

The short answer is a little shot would get you the arsenic you need for heat treating( if you're going to do that) but wouldn't get the antimony you need to go with it.

hope that helps.

[MakeMineA10mm]

I'm unable to obtain any WW up here but do have a good supply of pure(?)lead. If I add some tin(2%) can I get the required antimony content (for hardening) by just adding some shot from a shotshell? In a 20lb pot would 3oz. be about right?

As lyle pointed out, 3oz. wouldn't even be close. To get the equivalent of WW, you would need to fill the pot with magnum lead shot, then add a pinch of tin. To make a better boolit, you should put in more tin than that.

For a 20-lb pot, I'd put in the following: 18lbs of lead shot & 5.75oz. of tin. That will give you 2% tin, 4% antimony, 1% arsenic, and 93% lead. That's as close as you're going to get to WWs by making them from lead shot.

Keep the pure lead for muzzle loading, buckshot, and slugs.

[leadman]

The bags of Remington STS shot are advertised at 6% antimony so if you have to buy shot to mix this might be a good deal.

[big boar]

Thanks to all for the replies. As I said, I'm unable to get WW, let alone linotype, up here. I've been casting for over 30 years and always had easy access to WW and lino. Then Lino dried up and just this last year WW are almost non existant. I do need the WW composition for rifle bullets and I do heat treat. I have a good supply of lead and cast a lot of slugs. I've got LOTs of balls and slugs for muzzlestuffers and don't think I need to cast for that for years to come. I need the WW for the 30's 45 rifle and such so I'll have to try to get the other alloys here. Shipping, if it would get across the border, would be really big$. Again, thanks.