Range Lead.

[pistolman44]

I have aquired some range lead. My question is that water quenched boolits be hard enough for 357 mag 158gr gc? Another question would air cooled boolits for a 45 ACP caliber from the range lead be hard enough. I don't have a hardness tester but I was hopeing some one here used range lead. All the lead came from an indoor range. I do have some WW and Lino that I could mix with it. I have over 200 pounds that I smelted but would like to know how to use it as is.

[zxcvbob]

Can you scratch it with your fingernail? If not (or just barely) it will be great for .45 ACP whether you quench it or air-cool or whatever. I don't cast my own .357 Magnum bullets yet, but I expect they'll be fine with a GC -- maybe OK even without.

I use scrounged lead from an outdoor pistol range for most of my .45 Colt and .38 Special bullets. I can't hardly find wheel weights anymore. It works great, and I don't even have to add any tin to get sharp castings. I push the .45 Colts pretty hard and they still don't lead much at all.

[fredj338]

Just about any alloy can be made to shoot fine out of the 45acp. The 357mag depends on vel/pressures. Range scrap can be anything too, but water dropping should be fine to 1300fps or so.

[R.M.]

The range lead that I get is surprisingly consistent at 12 BHN, air cooled. It's made up of .22s and non-jacketed pistol ammo. I accually mix it with some soft lead to bring it down to 8 or 9 for pistol target loads, .32 to .45. Works well for me and my buddies.

[Freightman]

I use it all the time in everything I shoot, 41 Swiss, 2 45/70's 30/06 all do fine never have any leading. plus 45 Colt and 45ACP.

[Larry Gibson]

I have a large quanity of range lead and have been using it for years. It is a mix of .22LR, jacketed cores of 9mm and .45 and cast bulets of all sorts, commercial and home cast. The alloy is fairly soft and appears to have a high antimony content and low tin content. It does ok by itself up through 1200 fps or so but leading can be a problem after that with PB bullets even when WQ'd. I add 5% tin and then it casts really well and makes excellnt bullets for velocities up through 2000 fps when WQ'd. That works for me.

Larry Gibson