Which Alloy For 311467?

[Hip's Ax]

Which alloy would I want to use for the Lyman 311467 to use in my 1889 Schmidt Rubin? I plan on using Unique powder and experimenting with different sizing diameters and different home brew lubes. Thanks in advance. :-D

[45 2.1]

Staight wheel weights will work fine for what your intending to do.

[Hip's Ax]

And wheel weight alloy is 5% tin, 5% antimony, 95% lead?

[LAH]

W/W = 95.5 lead, 4.0 antimony, .05 tin. Source= Mayco Industries, Granite City, Ill.

[Hip's Ax]

Thanks for the help folks!

[LAH]

Let us know how the Rubin shoots.........Creeker

[Hip's Ax]

Folks, I did some reading and research last night and I couldn't find guidance on what alloy is appropriate for what muzzle velocity and when a gas check is needed. Any input on where I might find information like this or are cast bullets a sort of a black art where experience is the only reference? I have Lymans cast bullet book and also a paper patching book called "The Paper Jacket" and couldn't really find any information other than breakdown of the componets for a given alloy and the corresponding BH. Like if I choose to go beyond Unique and use a powder that gives 1800 FPS or whatever is there a table somewhere with suggested alloy, gas check usage and lube? This is facinating stuff, thanks for the help.

[Newtire]

Richard Lee's book has that kind of information about alloy BHN vs pressure and about a ba-zillion loads. Maybe someone could tell you which cartridge that Swiss Rubin is closest to. I just use hardened WW for loads other than light plinkers like Unique is used for. For the Unique, I would use just straight up WW sized .002" over bore diameter with some Lee Liquid Alox and a gas check since the shank is cut for it.

[Hip's Ax]

Awesome, I have Lee's book and didn't think to look in it. I'll fix that tonight. It is accepted that 30/40 Krag data is safe for an 1889 so thats what I have been planning on using.

[sundog]

Hip, glad you're finding this fascinating. I find it to be more of an obsession.

As your speed increases somewhere past 12K to 16K or so, you'll need to add a gas check. All this depends on YOUR variables. What will kill accuracy is not so much the boolit velocity as the rpm (directly related to twist). But in increasing velocity, slowing the twist to maintain an optimum rpm (which increase with velocity), you will eventually get to too slow a twist and then lose stabilization (Greenhill or some variation). Gotta make it all come together for YOUR variables. I have yet to see a halfway decent milsurp with halfway decent barrel at least be able to shoot some kinda group at a hunert yards with a boolit that fits going about 1600 fps (assuming the rifle is otherwise serviceable). From there, you just have to try stuff - boolit shape, size, weight, length, and fit; powder; primer; brass; lube; etc. Fire formed brass will help the process better than anything else from the gitgo. You have to maintain some kind of concentricity, fitting the boolit to the throat and in most cases (pun intened) getting the boolit seated out as far as practical. It needs to be lined up straight in the barrel before you pull the trigger. Boolits what enter the barrel off center are just not going to shoot consistently in just about all instances. A harder boolit will make it easier to bump the speed up. How you get it hard is your problem. Either lino, mono, or a heat treated or water quench alloy. Good for target work, difficult to hunt. Speed isn't everything, it just makes the boolit shoot flatter. Gotta remember, the bison was almost exterminated with very big, very slow boolits, and real gun powder.

Anyway, hang around this bunch too much, and 'yer dun fer'. We need a range report.

Take this for what it's worth. If it were me and I was trying to find a place to get to 16-18K, I would try some WWs with enough tin/solder to fill out, if needed, in the 180ish+ range w/GC and about 16-18/2400 or 18-22/4227. Find where it shoots a decent group, and then chrono just to check it. More than likely you will hit an accuracy wall somewhere as you aproach 24K. YMMV. sundog

[Hip's Ax]

Wow! Thanks sundog!

[Hip's Ax]

And wheel weight alloy is 5% tin, 5% antimony, 95% lead?



Hmmmmm, 105%, that would be a neat trick! Thats what I get for cutting and pasting off the net. :roll:

[versifier]

Those figures are probably so you can judge weight retention in your hunting loads. :mrgreen: