***need insight regarding a mix

[magmoose]

New to posting and to casting,,, but today I ordered a mold for my 44 mag (RCBS 250gr Keith, handles, Lee 20# pot and sizer stuff). I have 500# of ingots made from wwts and about 100# for foundry lead. The foundry component% are: LEAD= 61, TIN= 12, and ANTIMONY= 27... I think the wwts are about L= 96, T= 0.5 and A= 3.

For developing a 250 gr Keith for target shooting and hunting (800 to 1300fps) in my Ruger SBH 44 mags (7.5 inch barrels on both) I think I have some options including:

1. Cast with wwts only and water cool (L=96, T= 0.5, A= 3)

2. Mix wwts and foundry at a 4:1 to get a L= 89, T= 2.8, A= 7.8

3. Mix raw lead and foundry at 3:1 to get a L= 90, T= 3 , A= 6.75

I hope I've done the high math right on the percentages...

I would appreciate your comments/advice. Is this more art than science???

moose

[Cactus Farmer]

Is this more art than science???

Art,Build some boolits and shoot,if happy, no further work needed. If you think it can be improved, try another mix. We do this for fun.:lovebooli

[454PB]

For the use you mention, all but #1 are a bit wasteful of expensive components.

If you didn't know it, type metals can also be water dropped or heat treated. I use monotype mixed 1 to 3 parts pure lead and air cool for velocities up to around 1300 fps. The same mix can be water dropped for about 26 BHN if you need a harder boolit.

It's BOTH art and science......plus being addictive!

[Lead Fred]

Dang I just sneak out at night with some WW pliers & an empty bucket.
Come home the long way, then meltem down and castem.

:kidding:

[fredj338]

As 454 stated, straight ac ww work fine to 1200fps or so, wc for 1400fps+. You can go w/ #2 or #3 if you just want to use the foundry alloy up, why not, you aren't going to do anything else with it.

[Edubya]

Welcome aboard, Magmoose.

As you have noted and has been rementioned, casting boolits is an "artistic science", and as such there will be as many opinions as there are posters to such questions as yours. I like your #2 recipe. I believe that it will give you good fill even down to 725*. It will certainly give your boolit the strength to withstand the velocities mentioned and should grip the grooves well enough to put that projectile where the muzzle is pointed.

Before you get too carried away, have you slugged your barrel? I cast a whole bunch of boolits before I got real happy with my cast, regardless of alloy blend: Fit is King! Dunno who to credit for the originality of that, but it is paramount to get a good measurement and oversize the boolit by .002-.003 for you to get the good fitting/functional cast.

Good luck,
EW

[sagacious]

Magmoose,
I'd definitely start with option #1. Water-quenched ww's should be more than adequate, and give good results. WW alloy is excellent by itself for many applications. I use ww alloy for the 44Mag, in both revolvers and carbines.

Lead is abbreviated as Pb (from the latin word for lead, Plumbum).
Tin is abbreviated as Sn (from the Latin, Stannum).
Antimony is abbreviated as Sb (from the Latin, Stibium).
Just sayin' so you'll know what folks mean when they write "3%Sb". Good luck! :)

[skimmerhead]

magmoose go to www.lasc.us and click on cast bullet alloy - alloy maintence, there is all the info you'll need +

skimmerhead

[skimmerhead]

sagacious you should check this out too, i found this after i asked you the other day how you would mix lino and lead. their is a mountain of info on everything related to casting and reloading, check it out!

skimmerhead

[magmoose]

Thanks to all for the help.

EW, I have measured the cyl throats using a slightly compressed bullets (enlarged by lightly tapping bullet nose with a hammer on a hard surface) and found the throats to be .4305 in diameter (smallest). The barrel diameter is .0005 smaller than that.

The RCBS mold I ordered was reported by some of the product rating folks to be at .432. I know it may be a shot in the night to get a .432 product from the mold. Hope so, but hope is never a good plan!!! Don't know what I'll do is it drops something too small.

Thanks

moose

[sagacious]

sagacious you should check this out too, i found this after i asked you the other day how you would mix lino and lead. their is a mountain of info on everything related to casting and reloading, check it out!

skimmerhead
Thanks-- yup, well familiar with the lasc site. It's an excellent resource. Good luck!