Indoor range .22lr lead for cast hollow point bullets

[BJung]

I'm casting hollow point bullets various calibers using only indoor range lead that is mostly .22lr lead. The bhn is 10 which is close to 20:1. Will this work initially for accuracy testloads before I start alloying the rest of the lead with tin later?

[Winger Ed.]

.22 rimfire bullets are swaged out of more or less pure Lead and are very soft.

I'd melt & start casting. If you need more fill out, add just enough Tin to get it to flow like ya want
at a temp that is just a little below where you get some frosting.

I'd try to keep the alloy as soft as you can.
More 'goodies' also make it harder, and sort of defeats the purpose of a hollow point.

I've found that tinkering with the powder & charge of it has more influence on accuracy than boolit alloy.

[243winxb]

10 bhn is to soft for me, but then i dont test hardness. All scrap gets linotype added.

Might help to know what cartridge and velocity your going to load for?

[dverna]

I used to get lead from a range that was predominantly from .22’s. I would add one part Linotype to two parts range lead. Worked well for target shooting.

[BJung]

9mm/38, 10mm/40 cal, 45. It is 10bhn and not 8 like pure lead. The hardness is close to 1:20 and I plant to may alloys by separating the same lead and adding enough tin so I have various ratios. Then I'll confirm the accuracy of the load from this initial test plus shoot one in a jugs of water. Do you think the accuracy load from this initial test will be off from the alloyed bullets I will cast? I want to avoid wasting my time powder coating, sizing, and loading these and discovering the bullet is too soft and I have to use my kinetic puller..

[andrew375]

I've just scrounged and converted into ingots about 100 lb of .22 lead, the vast majority of it Eley 40gr. Standard velocity. It is definitely not pure lead. It is harder than 10 bhn, contains a lot of tin, going by how shiny it is and casts really well. So far I've only used it to cast for the mosin with a load that gives just under 2000 fps and they shot fine. I did water quench them from the mould but I can't confirm that the alloy is precipitation hardenable.

[Larry Gibson]

I'm casting hollow point bullets various calibers using only indoor range lead that is mostly .22lr lead. The bhn is 10 which is close to 20:1. Will this work initially for accuracy testloads before I start alloying the rest of the lead with tin later?

Cast some and try them, If that alloy needs to be "harder' will depend on how they hit the feed ramps.

[243winxb]

Soft bullets may skid as they exit tne muzzle. Slump happens also.

I tested soft lead in a 1911 45acp. The bullet nose deformed from hitting the feed ramp & some stuck there, jamming the gun.

This Colt Gold Cup 70 series has never had a feeding problem, till i tried soft lead.
Only tried soft as a test, because some claimed soft worked perfectly. It does not in my gun.

[GregLaROCHE]

From what I’ve been hearing, if you PC your boolits you can get away with softer lead. Have you considered PCing your boolits?

[BJung]

I powder coated the cast bullets today using a tumbler for the first time. Here are some examples.

[BJung]

Thanks for the idea, I will cast a bullet, make a dummy load and see if it will chamber without jamming..

[jsizemore]

I powder coated the cast bullets today using a tumbler for the first time. Here are some examples.

Tumbler sure makes coating easy. Pick'em up with your gloved hand and set them on the tray. Easy. Yours look good.

[FrankJD]

PCing for pistol bullets is the ticket, dumping the just baked hot bullets into ice water will up the BHN factor a significant amount, then Imperial wax and shove thru a Lee sizer.