RepackboxLoad DataMidSouth Shooters SupplyLee Precision
Titan ReloadingRotoMetals2WidenersInline Fabrication
Reloading Everything
Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: Zink bullets any one?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    nekshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    swmissouri
    Posts
    3,116

    Zink bullets any one?

    The post here about the sks off poa loosened some old ideas and thoughts I had in the past. My thoughts were I have a old Lee small pot that is very used and a Lee mold for the sks bullet. What if I were to start melting this stash of zinc wheel weights in this old pot and mill off the mold till it gives a flat bottom bullet. Strictly for target shooting. I wonder how that would work and what fps it would yield? I bet you could shoot concrete bullets down these military barrels and not hurt any thing! JUST thinking, don’t flame me for thinking!! But some of my thinking yielded some interesting results. Us retirees tend to wonder off the beaten sometimes
    Look twice, shoot once.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    nekshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    swmissouri
    Posts
    3,116
    Sink ya dummy!!
    Look twice, shoot once.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    nekshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    swmissouri
    Posts
    3,116
    Quote Originally Posted by nekshot View Post
    Sink ya dummy!!
    This auto spell gotta go! It’s ZINC
    Look twice, shoot once.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master VariableRecall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Tempe, AZ
    Posts
    763
    One word of caution regarding using Zinc with one of those Lee lead melters is that they really arent' designed for Zinc. They have a great deal of aluminum used for its structure, and considering how close thin the steel pot is for those Lee models, I wouldn't reccomend it. If you were using a cast iron pot and a turkey burner, perhaps that would be more appropriate, but I wold look for another way to melt your zinc outside of using a Lee pot. They are fantastic for lead and a great value, but not really designed for any other metal.

  5. #5
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Just outside Gun Barrel City, Texas
    Posts
    9,484
    Until you get into chrome lined bores like a M16 or M14,
    the older GI barrels will trash out pretty much the same as a Remington or Winchester one will.


    There is lots of guys already casting with Zinc.
    It is the future of boolit casting. Zinc boolits weigh about 60% what lead ones do from the same mold.
    You can get them up and around jacketed speeds with no lube or powder coating too.
    I'd encourage watching several of the youtube videos on it.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    4,613
    I melt and have cast things out of Zinc WW.
    I use an iron pot on the gas burner on my barbeque for heat.
    Now as to casting Boolits out of Zinc.
    The Zinc has to be much hotter than lead has to be.
    Plus your mold has to be heated way hotter than when using for lead.
    Then when you pour the Zinc into the mold , it takes longer for it to cool down and harden.
    Now
    The big problem.
    If you let the Zinc cool down too much ,the cutter has problems cutting off the sprue.
    If you hit the cutter just right when it has cooled just enough , you will still have Zinc soft in the center of the sprue, and it will smear Zinc over the top of your mold.
    It can be cast into Boolits.
    But it takes a lot of practice.
    And it is best , because of the extra heat , to use an iron mold not Aluminium.
    And the Zinc will stick instantly to a brass mold.
    I have also cast Zinc into a mold with the cutter removed so I could mold a stem onto the butt of the Boolit using a piece of aluminium tubing held on by a plate made to replace the cutter plate.
    Those slugs with the shank were used with polishing compound to Lap out molds to a larger diameter.
    Like from .312 to .316
    Or .308 to .310 for use in my SKS
    Last edited by LAGS; 12-16-2022 at 04:05 PM.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

    imashooter2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    7,899
    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    Until you get into chrome lined bores like a M16 or M14,
    the older GI barrels will trash out pretty much the same as a Remington or Winchester one will.


    There is lots of guys already casting with Zinc.
    It is the future of boolit casting. Zinc boolits weigh about 60% what lead ones do from the same mold.
    You can get them up and around jacketed speeds with no lube or powder coating too.
    I'd encourage watching several of the youtube videos on it.
    Lot’s of guys casting with zinc and poisoning the last common lead source.

    I’m glad I have stores to last me. A shame for future generations.
    ”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

    My Straight Shooters thread:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-shooter

    The Pewter Pictures and Hallmarks thread:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-hallmarks

  8. #8
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Just outside Gun Barrel City, Texas
    Posts
    9,484
    Quote Originally Posted by imashooter2 View Post
    I’m glad I have stores to last me. A shame for future generations.
    Me too, I am down to my last ton or so.
    But have faith, the kids will do OK.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Switzerland of Ohio
    Posts
    6,314
    Search <kirksite bullets> Also ZAMAK metal.

    I seem to remember a fad for them in the 1950s.
    Cognitive Dissident

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
    nekshot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    swmissouri
    Posts
    3,116
    Thanks fella’s for the feed back. I had some contamination from zink a few times and got it all clean with high heat. Interesting about chrome bores as the sks has chrome. Some time I would like to build a ak47 and that would be chrome also. I do lament also for the future shooters and lead but hopefully this nations good folks grab pitch forks as pres ob—- said could happen from his flock. I am gonna try zink knowing now that it has been done.
    Look twice, shoot once.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master


    Soundguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    N Central Florida
    Posts
    2,833
    Many open up the sprue hole and yes.. cut them just as they solidify. also.. not mentioned or i didn't see it.. zinc bullets are DARN hard to size...

  12. #12
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Just outside Gun Barrel City, Texas
    Posts
    9,484
    Quote Originally Posted by nekshot View Post
    . Interesting about chrome bores as the sks has chrome.

    For throat erosion and normal wear and tear, the Chrome liner last several times longer than a plain one,
    but may not be quite as accurate. For example, as I recall, a National Match M1A doesn't have lined barrel.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Apr 2022
    Location
    SW Washington
    Posts
    142
    The directions for Lee melters, says do not use for Zinc.
    Elvis Ammo did a you tube video, showing the failure of a lee pot with Zinc. Might be worth a look?

  14. #14
    Boolit Master


    Bloodman14's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Lebanon, Mo.
    Posts
    1,320
    When I melt down zink wheelweights, I use a small cast iron pot on a stove top in the garage. Replaced with a new stove for her, I use the old one for melting lead, making lube, heating molds when casting and melting zinks.
    Lead Forever!


    The 2nd amendment was never intended to allow private citizens to 'keep and bear arms.' If it had, there would have been wording such as 'the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. -Ken Konecki, July 27, 1992

    John Galt was here.

    "Politics is the art of postponing an answer until it is no longer relevant". (From the movie 'Red Tails')

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
    poppy42's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    1,542
    Quote Originally Posted by Ajax111 View Post
    The directions for Lee melters, says do not use for Zinc.
    Elvis Ammo did a you tube video, showing the failure of a lee pot with Zinc. Might be worth a look?
    +1 on this! Using a Lee pot is not a good idea!
    Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    brisbane ,qld,australia
    Posts
    2,126
    Theoretically,you should be able to swage zinc bullets .....youll need industrial sized machines ,but the process can be done cold.......zinc wire of quite large diameter is extruded ,same process as aluminium extrusion.

  17. #17
    Moderator


    Minerat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Jefferson County, CO
    Posts
    9,545
    Quote Originally Posted by nekshot View Post
    This auto spell gotta go! It’s ZINC
    I fixed it for you.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

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