[BigBlack]

Walking from my office across two parking lots to our local Walmart I picked up two orpahned wheel weights and placed in my pocket thinking the whole time this is at least 4 380 bullets!!

Is there a cure?

:evil:

[Halo]

You sir are a patriot and a scholar. I commend you.

[Mark K. C.]

There still may be hope for you my friend. When you start prying wheel weights off cars as you pass them then I would say you need to get into a good 10 step program.

[ATAShooter]

You know you are really hard core if you pick out and save the shot from the doves you shot this season....:D

[Otto]

I think "environmentalist" sounds better than addict.

[FullEffect1911]

Well that was good for a chuckle. Well done!!! I love recycling.

[Cougfan2]

I've never cast my own bullets, but I have heard that wheel weights by themselves are a little too soft to make good hard cast bullets. I've heard people say they add some tin to make it harder and reduce leading. Anything to this?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

BigBlack,

You're not an addict, you're "green" and are doing the right thing recycling. Now if you can get your wife/girlfriend to pick up the weights they find, you'll be set.

Cougffan2,

It entirely depends on your application. "hard cast" bullets aren't what prevents leading. Correct fit of the bullet to the groove diameter of your barrel is what prevents leading. "Hard Cast" is more advertising hype than it has anything to do with leading, because those who don't cast don't know it's about the fit of the bullet and that no matter how hard the cast lead is, it still isn't hard enough to prevent leading if the bullet doesn't fit the barrel.

If you're shooting at pistol bullet velocities, wheel weights are entirely sufficient by themselves for anything up to .357/M1 carbine. If you need anything more, then your bullet doesn't fit your groove diameter properly and/or isn't lubricated properly.

If you're shooting at rifle velocities, then you will need a gas check in most cases and a harder lube generally, depending on the load/velocities involved and will need to add tin to enable the bullet to handle the higher velocities, but again, if the bullet doesn't fit the groove diameter of the barrel, you're going to get leading.

For most information, google cast boolits. That forum is focused on shooting cast bullets in firearms.

Regards,

Dave

[gloriavoxdei]

I go to our range after every training and pickup up all the bullets that get blown out of the ground. Also good right after it rains and washes down a little more of the berm. Can't mine it so gotta pick 'em up one at at time. I don't even have a smelting setup yet and already have over 100lbs of scrap bullets. I think I have a problem

[BigBlack]

actually with what some of the tire shops value their wheel weights at around here I looked for the popo, felt like I was breaking a law!

[Cougfan2]

Dave Thanks for the schoolin'. :)

[snuffy]

I've never cast my own bullets, but I have heard that wheel weights by themselves are a little too soft to make good hard cast bullets. I've heard people say they add some tin to make it harder and reduce leading. Anything to this?

Tin by itself won't harden lead much, if at all.

Everything Dave said is spot on. Boolit fit is THE most important factor in no leading.

[Kosh75287]

Sometimes, when I melt down and cast wheelweights for .357-speed bullets, they won't always fill out the mold. If I add a little tin to the mix, this problem goes away. I don't know if this hardens the bullets anymore than they are, already, but it makes them more castable, at least for me.

[Griz44]

Tin does very little to harden the lead. It does lower the surface tension a lot, just 2 or 3 percent is enough to make the lead cast smoothly. Alloy hardness is controlled by adding antimony. A little copper (.5%) in the alloy improves ductility. A touch of silver makes them really pretty.

[elkhuntingfool]

OMG I am a Addict


Walking from my office across two parking lots to our local Walmart I picked up two orpahned wheel weights and placed in my pocket thinking the whole time this is at least 4 380 bullets!!

Is there a cure?


I hear you there - I was watching Hamburger Hill the other day and watching all the brass spew around and hit the ground and wondered to myself if there was anyone on the set that scooped that brass up and reloaded it.

Yeah - I'm a freak!

[Afy]

I get dreams of loading an accurate load...

:(:(

So far havent managed one good group with multiple powders, bullet weights and powders

.260: 107/108/120/123/139/140/142 bullets... VV 140/150/160/165/540/560
.300 168/196/200 VV 160/165/560 Tu-5000/8000
.222 RM 50/52/54 VV 133/140/150 Tu 2000/3000

I could cry.... evidently I am doing something fundamentally wrong.

Have tried RCBS/Hornady/Forrestor dies
CCI and Federal primers...

[RustyFN]

BB good job you are well on your way. You know it's getting real bad when you park a mile from where you are going just so you can look for some WW. Then it turns into two miles, then three then well never mind I got to go and look for some weights.
Rusty

[scrat]

Thats the only reason i go shopping with the family is to look at the parking lots. i have my kids bringing me wheel weights too. The big scores are when you find the ones over 2 inches long. otherwise we usually only find the 1 inchers.

[bullseye308]

I was recently at a Budget truck rental lot waiting for someone to rent a truck and found 12 of the big weights in the lot from where the tire change guy fixes the tires in the lot. :)

[Bula]

Big, you've done it now. Once it starts it only gets worse.

[Rottweiler]

BigBlack, welcome to the dark side