WW Clipons vs Stickons

[HighRoad]

Quick and easy question from a newbie. I've been reading that I should separate the clipons from the stickons when I do my ingot making. But I don't understand why. Can anyone help me with that and how I would use each kind?
Thanks

[fryboy]

quite often the stick ons are a different alloy , used to be almost pure lead but instances have surfaced where they are iron ( quite common ) and zinc ( not as common but still possible ) by adding them to the clip on WW's it tends to make a even softer alloy

edit for add....

stick on's make great muzzle loader boolits , ww not so much

[cheese1566]

Yep, stick-ons are nice and soft. Like fryboy said, good for muzzleloading. I save mine for 12 gauge slugs.
Some use soft lead for light pistol loads with no problem.

[462]

Though I know it isn't quite correct, I consider stick-on weights to be pure lead.

A handgun may require a 50/50 mix of stick-on/clip-on for its optimum performance, while a rifle may prefer 100% stick-ons. By segregating the two types of ingots you can create different casting alloys -- 50/50, 75/25, 25/75, etc.

[sqlbullet]

That about covers it.

[Matt_G]

I cut my clip-on WW lead with stick-on WW lead or other source of soft lead when the need arises.
Usually, that need is when I'm casting hollow points.
With all the great moulds Mihec has been making for us in the Group Buy section, soft(er) lead is getting more important to have 'round these parts. :mrgreen:

[fredj338]

As the others noted, there is quite a diff in composition & hardness. You can semlt separately & combine or you can smelt together in equal amounts for a 50/50 alloy. For me, smelting separately gives me more control over the final alloy.

[a.squibload]

Highroad: great avatar!
I just want to sort this out, hope I'm not covering stuff you already know.
Also hope I get it right!

Stickons
lead - indent easily with wire cutter, smash with hammer, thud when dropped on concrete.
steel - won't indent, magnetic, ring when dropped, marked "Fe".
zinc - very hard to indent, ring somewhat when dropped, won't bend, might be marked "Zn".
(Keep zinc out of your melt!)

Clipons
same except that lead clipons are stiffer than lead stickons, will still indent easily.

After you test a bucket or two with a wire cutter and a magnet
you will pretty much be able to spot the different types by looks and markings.

As lead goes clipon lead is hard, add stickon lead to stretch your clipon supply,
or harden up stickon lead by adding clipon lead.
Generally speaking fast rounds (magnum revolvers and rifles?) want harder boolits,
slow rounds can get by with softer boolits,
but fitting boolit diameter to barrel diameter seems to be more important.


Read on! All I know I learned at Castboolits.gunloads.com...:cbpour: