Cast boolits with Lead Shot?

[Leadlauncher]

G,day,
I have a milk tin of lead shot. I have some sticks of 50/50 solder. Can someone tell me if I can cast the Lee 405HB in 45 70 with these 2 components, and if so, what mix ?

cheers

[scottfire1957]

I can't, however there is a lead alloy calculator on this site that might.

[runfiverun]

well let's start with the shot itself.
smaller sized bird shot usually has more antimony than the larger sizes and Magnum shot has more than chilled.
you could have 5-6% antimony, 3% antimony, or about 1% antimony.
you'll have to take a guesstimate at what you got there. [I'd probably call it 4% if it's mostly 7-8 shot]

then I'd melt and flux and reduce the shot itself into ingots.
you have a lot of oxidized surface area to deal with and graphite covering the shot itself.
once you have that, then weighing out some ingots and adding 1% tin should give you a workable alloy.

it might be a bit tough to blow up a hollow base to grip rifling well with that mix, so I would suggest adding some soft lead maybe half/half and working with that.

[Leadlauncher]

Thank you runfiverun. When you say add 1% tin, do you mean the 50/50 solder? Cheers

[Cowboy_Dan]

Thank you runfiverun. When you say add 1% tin, do you mean the 50/50 solder? Cheers

Yes, enough of that solder to bring the alloy to 1% tin.

[quilbilly]

I use small birdshot as a hardener for pure lead to make my alloy. My current alloy is 35% birdshot, 65% pure (more or less but close), and then add just a little tin. It has made excellent boolits for both my rifles and pistols plus expands well with the rifle boolits.

[baogongmeo]

I'm from the Ozarks and we use a lot of local terminology but I've never heard of a "milk tin'... what's that?

Much obliged

[GhostHawk]

I suspect he is talking about a 30 gallon milk cans.
It is how milk was delivered to the city. Milk was cooled, then filtered into the can and hauled to train station or truck for delivery.

Typically they were galvanized steel with 2 good handles and a tight fitting cap. Ideal shot storage IMO.

[runfiverun]

some of the later ones had a bit of insulation and a plastic liner.
they would be great for storing shot.

pouring it out would pose a little problem but a water dipper would work to get the shot out pretty well until it was low enough to manage.

[leadman]

I have used shot reclaimed from skeet and trap fields. It casts well and water quenches and heat treats very well as it has arsenic in it.
The tin from the solder may or may not be needed, but 1% should not hurt anything.

[dtknowles]

I hate threads like this, it seems once I find them some smart person has already provided a good answer.

[Leadlauncher]

Ozark Man. When Aussies say milk tins it is a 1 or 2 litre metal can which previously contained powdered milk. Historically used much for the last 100 years or so as a "billy can", which was filled with water, put on a fire, water boiled, tea leaves added to produce tea. Cheers

[Shiloh]

I have used shot reclaimed from skeet and trap fields. It casts well and water quenches and heat treats very well as it has arsenic in it.
The tin from the solder may or may not be needed, but 1% should not hurt anything.

I have purchased recovered shot for hardening purposes. Sure like to find some more. Locally that is.

SHiloh

[Echo]

Yes, enough of that solder to bring the alloy to 1% tin.

So. Fifty pounds of shot ingots equals 800 ounces of stuff. Forty-nine pounds equals 784 ounces of stuff. Add a pound of 50/50 solder and one has 792 ounces of stuff and 8 ounces of Sn, and that is close enough to be called 1%.