I have gotten so many opinions on this and need some straight answers. I have 45 lbs of new #4 extra hard shot and 100lbs of new pure lead. Will the shot be too hard by itself for casting 38,357, 44 and 45 Colt handgun bullets? Can it be added to the lead and what percentage of each?
I have no other use for the shot. According to the chart here it would make fairly hard bullets by itself.
What size pot are you using? Shot is hard to melt, but if you could get everything into one pound units it would be easier to work with. If your pot was 20 lbs. You could start out with 15 pure lead and one pound of shot. Then check to see what bn you get.
The plan is to smelt into one pounders first.
That's a good way start; flux the shot good because of the graphite.
Magnum shot is usually 3 to 4% antimony. Cutting it in half with pure lead should give you a pretty good alloy for the cartridges you mention.
Rick
Would that be close to clip on wheel weight for hardness?Originally Posted by RickinTN
To be sure of what you will end up with, do a small batch and test it for hardness, as was mentioned. If it turns out too hard or too soft, it will be a lot more work and propane (or whatever your heat source is) to get it to what you want. If you don’t have access to a tester, consider using the lead pencil test. You can find out about it, if you don’t already know, by searching the forum.
The clip-on wheel weights I've had analyzed over the last 10 years or so have been about 2 1/2% antimony so it wouldn't take equal parts to get there, just a little pure with the shot. Might be best to have BNE test each for content before mixing to remove the mystery.
Good Luck,
Rick
Well we still have lots of snow here so it will be awhile before I get outside to do this. I would think a little tin will need to be added? Right now only thing I cast is for 45/70 trapdoor and that’s with 20 to 1 lead/tin.
Trying to in find the recipe for making Lyman #2 with chilled shot. Used it probably 30 years ago when someone gave me a bunch of shot.
That #4 shot is worth way more to a shotgunner than as alloy.
If it was #6 or more or if it wasn’t banned for waterfowl then yes it would be around here.
I would sell the #4 shot and buy what I needed. You should get about $40/bag for it.
Don Verna
Chilled shot has no tin and about 2% antimony, so whatever it is will have to be tin-rich.
From what I found the shot I have is 5 to 6 percent antimony. So adding a couple percent of tin should be close.
This post is timely, a friend just gave me a 25 lb bag of 8 or 9 shot. I have a shotgun loader, but have never used it. not sure if i need to keep the shot or make 9mm/38 bullets with it.
I would have no issue selling 8 or 9 shot here but there is no interest in #4 lead shot so into the pot it will be going once things warm up.
I just had a guy asking if I had any 4 shot yesterday. I think he can get wheel weights. I told him I would help him cast some but I'll see what he can get maybe a swap could be in order.
Shot contains arsenic to make it clump into, well, shot. It can be used in small quantities bit otherwise doesn't cast well, that's my personal experience. Sell it or trade it. Folks are paying $50-80 a bag now.
It may be where you are at but it’s not where I’m at. Can’t give it away. If some doesn’t cast well then I’ll just use it for shooting bags.
Posting Permissions
| BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
| BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
| BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
| C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
| HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
| LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
| GC | Gas Check |
Reply With Quote