The list of "casting alloy" in Accurate molds options...Please help me out

So the list is:

• Lead
  Salvaged range bullets
  1:40 Tin - Lead
  1:30 Tin - Lead
  Clip-on Lead Wheel Weights
  COWW + 2% tin
  2/6/92 Hardball
  1:25 Tin - Lead
  1:20 Tin - Lead
  1:15 or 16 Tin - Lead
  Lyman #2
  Linotype

I'm sure that this has to do with them estimating how to make the mold so it drops at your desired size. However, how do I know which one I want to choose? Still kinda new and have a Lee hardness tester on the way and I understand the hardness thing. However that is where my knowledge ends

The mold I want will be for plinking and all of these...Powder coated, traditional lube, and also black powder loads. If I had to guess I want something somewhat soft? I'm looking at the 43-220C.

At the Accurate Molds website under "FAQ" it states:

"In order to produce the requested bullet diameter, I need to know how much tin is in the alloy. All applicable alloys shrink as they solidify. The more tin, the less shrinkage. The alloy choices in the drop down menu are listed in order of expected shrinkage, from greatest to least. If you intend to use varied alloys, choose the most appropriate one that's highest on the list, so that other alloys with more tin will be a bit larger."

There is other good info in the FAQ section about picking the diameter you want.

You will have to make your choice from the alloy that you plan to use. The choice is not only for diameter but also for weight. The difference in weight and diameter between the various choices is a pretty small percentage but its better to choose the alloy that you plan to use the most often.

Clip on wheel weights do everything that I need for handgun bullets. Clip on weights plus 2% tin covers all of my other needs.

Would COWW +2 Tin be the most “universal”?

Black powder, pistol or rifle? Muzzle loader or cartridge?

If powder coating the alloy is not as important. If conventional lube then it needs to be suitable for the velocities you will be shooting. I used plain WW in all my pistols for many years.

Then there is your source of lead. Are you starting with WW, range scrap, construction scrap or buying an alloy?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

Would COWW +2 Tin be the most “universal”?

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Pretty much. It's roughly 96% lead, 3% antimony, 3% tin, and if you're lucky, a trace of arsenic. That'll be roughly 12-14 BHN for hardness if air cooled, and you can heat treat/water quench it up into the low-middle 20's for magnum handguns or rifles. It's a good mix for duty pistol pressure levels. The tin is usually added (by me anyway) to improve fillout of the mold - it doesn't really add much in the way of hardness, but will improve toughness a bit.

Lyman #2 at 5% tin and 5% antimony runs 15BHN and is pitched as a "universal alloy". Outside of rifle are real toasty magnum handguns however, a lot of guys will soften it down a little. . .often to something closer to wheelweight + 2%.

Softer is going to be the realm of Bullseye pistol pop loads, specialty stuff like the hollow-based British .455 Webleys (nominally 12-1 tin, but they made them out of nearly pure lead in WWI), muzzleloading, etc... A lot of the muzzleloaders are spec'd for pure lead, but for sub-1000 fps handgun loads, you can swap out metals with fairly reckless abandon so long as the diameter is right.

The lead/tin only alloys are great if you are looking for expansion. They do not heat treat, so what you see is what you get for hardness, and the lack of mystery to that can be nice. It's also authentic for the early cartridge era, so if you're into the "living history" aspect, there you go. The expense of the tin is the main drawback. 20-1 makes a nice mushroom, but you can't really drive it super hard or the accuracy suffers. 16-1 was one of Elmer Keith favorites, but these days, the lead/antimony/tin mixes are a much more efficient and cheaper way to get to the same place (which is a non-expanding or minimally-expanding bullet you can drive hard). 10-1 was the "official" alloy for the British/Confederate Whitworth sniper rifle, but that's about as exotic and weird as it gets.

Spend some time with Glenn Fryxell's book, From Ingot to Target - linked in the stickies at the top of this sub-forum. He doesn't really go into powder coating, but otherwise, that should help you greatly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

Would COWW +2 Tin be the most “universal”?

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Probably a good selection for the uses you stated. One thing to know, whatever diameter you specify in your order, I suggest you order a diameter .001" less than the diameter you want to size the bullet to. Reason? I've got many Accurate molds, and every one of them drops bullets at .002" over the stated diameter. Nothing worse than a mold that casts too small bullets, and that will never happen with an Accurate mold.

Don

I've told Tom "Clip-on Lead Wheel Weights" for the CF pistol molds that he has cut for me.

Unless you trying to "pip the ace" at 1,000 yards, size and weight small variances will not mater to everyday common shooting like you are talking about. I know all my cast boolits vary from batch to batch and alloy to alloy, but I have never seen any significant degradation in the accuracy I achieve or hope for.

The decision is entirely yours: loose sleep worrying about slight tiny alloy variances in sizes & weights or have fun shooting with a bunch you just cast. I choose the latter.

And I use 2% Sn in most of what I cast......and I PC EVERYTHING!

Have fun! :guntootsmiley:

The last mold I ordered I wrote in 50/50 plus tin. I also said I would be lubri sizing. I think I asked for a .359" body. The mold drops at .360" which works quite well in my lubri sizer. Probably the safest choice is to list the hardest alloy you may use in that mold. I have a 30 cal gas checked rifle mold from Tom and I listed Lyman #2 for the alloy and asked for a .311" body. It drops a .312".

Alloy makes a difference
Tested 4 alloys & 2 size dies. .429" vs .431" The .429" die always produced a .430" finished diameter bullet. When a higher % of pure was added to the mix, the finished diameter got smaller. Less spring back after sizing.

My test. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...ence.4081/full

Measure the sized bullet, it may not be the diameter on the H&I die. Different alloys spring back, after sizing, at different rates. I knew this, but got lazy and didn't check finished diameter.

This- Clip-on Lead Wheel Weights. Bullets can always be sided DOWN. Never up.

Bullet Sizes & Weights – How to Vary Them https://www.redding-reloading.com/on...-moulds-charts
The bullet diameters and weights presented in this list are based on the use of Taracorp’s Lawrence Magnum bullet alloy (2% tin, 6% antimony, 1/4% arsenic, 91.75% lead).

Bullet diameters and weights will vary considerably depending on the lead casting alloy used. This variation can be as much as 1/2% on the diameter, and 8% on the weight among the most commonly used casting alloys. For example, a .358-158 grain bullet might show a diameter variation of .002", and a 13 grain difference in weight.

Of the most commonly used alloys, wheel weights (.5% tin, 4% antimony, 95% lead) will produce bullets having the smallest diameter and heaviest weight, with such bullets running approximately 1/3% smaller in diameter and 3% heavier than bullets cast with Taracorp's metal. Linotype will produce bullets with the largest diameter and lightest weights. This alloy will produce bullets approximately 1/10% larger and 3% lighter than Taracorp. Other alloys of tin and antimony, with antimony content above 5%, will produce bullets with diameters and weights falling between those cast f rom wheel weights and linotype.

Alloys containing little or no antimony will cast considerably smaller than wheel weights and in some cases will produce bullets too small for adequate sizing.

Within the limitations given above, the weight and diameter of a cast bullet can be adjusted by varying the
alloy’s antimony content.

The size and weight of bullets of a given alloy will also vary according to casting temperature. Higher temperatures will result in greater shrinkage as the bullet cools, thereby producing a slightly smaller and lighter bullet than one cast of the same alloy at a lower temperature.

Depends on what you are casting for. For handguns I always order clip ww alloy, its kind of in the middle. If I go up or down in alloy it seems to not matter much in final size.