[svtruth]

Having grown up on The Lone Ranger, I got to thinking about silver for bullets.
It has a density about 92.5% of lead (10.49 to 11.34 g/cc) but is much harder, Mohs 2.5 to lead's 1.5, although Brinnel hardness is 24.5 for silver but 38.3 for lead.
Sounds like it would work, any reloaders care to comment?

[M-Cameron]

well if you plan to shoot silver bullets....i sure hope youve got deep pockets...

the cost of silver is approx. $400/lb

where as the cost of lead is approx. $1.20/lb



also i think youll run into issues with the difference in hardness between the two metals......

[loadedround]

Silver is much too hard to expand properly to seal the barrel's bore resulting in severe flame cutting and rather bore velocity. The Lone Ranger's silver bullet was pure fiction and the original comic book had shown him owning a slilver mine. He was my boyhood hero! :)

[mstrat]

I was watching The Wolfman the other day and was also wondering about the feasibility of it. Just an idle curiosity really.

Good point about expansion.

In case of a werewolf outbreak, it's good to know. :)

[jon86]

A barrel's rifling won't spin a silver bullet like it will a lead bullet, causing your groups to open way up.

[Zombiphobia]

hunting werewolves??:neener:

just kidding, but seriously, what would you really use them for?
If you have money to just throw away precious metal, which by the way, is pretty expensive, even to wealthy people.... go right ahead. Have fun.
I thought *I* was eccentric...

[rcmodel]

The only real way to make them is on a lathe out of a silver bar stock.

Melting temp is way too high to cast them in a conventional bullet mold, and they would come out the wrong size if you somehow did.

Bullet mold cavities are cut to allow for normal shrinkage of lead or lead alloy used to make properly sized bullets when it cools from about 650 °F molten state & shrinks in the mold.

I don't know what the shrinkage on silver would be when it cooled from 1763.20 °F, but you can bet it would be way different then lead.

It always amused me when the Lone Ranger was shown making silver bullets over the campfire with an iron handled bullet mold.

He must have had hands tougher then woodpecker lips to hold that 1800 degree bullet mold bare handed!

rc

[Magoo]

With all the talk of Zombie invasions in here, I think this thread could have some legs. I can't contribute much though, as I'm not very knowledgeable about ghouls, goblins, and such. I once asked a buddy about killing zombies and he launched into a diatribe about the different types of zombies- way too confusing. I figure I'm doomed if the wrong kind of zombies attack, but hopefully werewolves are easier. Do you need good expansion to kill a werewolf, or is silver alone the "magic bullet"? Seems you could fill the tip of a lead hollow point with silver and get both ends met while saving $ on materials.

I sure hope the experts chime in, I've gotta be prepared ;).

P.S. Would a potato gun make a good wooden stake thrower?

[Jim Watson]

It has been done.
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/silver/silverbullets.shtml

It isn't easy and the results are mediocre compared to lead and copper bullets but if you are dealing with lycanthropes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

The site includes a reprint of the definitive silver bullet study 'Lone Ranger, Go Away' from the April 1964 Gun World.

(Magoo, there is even a followon showing a silver nosed bullet.)

[hammerklavier]

Mythbusters did an episode, you can probably find it on youtube. The lead bullet had SIGNIFICANTLY higher penetration. At the end, one of the guys held up a lead bullet and said, "Lone Ranger, I recommend lead bullets!"

[essayons21]

http://www.bulletforge.com/

[owlhoot]

What??? You mean to tell me these Winchester silvertips I've been hoarding...ain't???

[mcmurry]

Try Winchester Silvertips! Probably work just as good and not quite as expensive!

[MightyTygart]

There have been many problems mentioned pertaining to the casting of silver bullets. Killing the Werewolf with a shotgun might be the answer. Producing shot capable of killing the wolf would definitely present a challenge. However, the shot would not have to be as perfect as a cast slug. Correct me if I am wrong.

[MichaelK]

And, please remember, you MUST use 100% pure silver, or the werewolf will be merely transformed into a lawyer!

[Magoo]

Thanks MichealK. That's exactly the kind of technical expertise I was hoping for :).

[Waywatcher]

There have been many problems mentioned pertaining to the casting of silver bullets. Killing the Werewolf with a shotgun might be the answer. Producing shot capable of killing the wolf would definitely present a challenge. However, the shot would not have to be as perfect as a cast slug. Correct me if I am wrong.

This is probably the best solution.

I think any kind of revolver, pistol or rifle you are going to run into pressure and obturation.

The plastic wad in a shotgun will provide the seal to the bore and provide good results. As you mentioned though, we still need to determine what size pellets to use. I have a feeling something at least .30 cal is in order.

A plastic wad could probably also be used effectifely as a sabot for a small wooden stake, but it would need to be weighted with something. I hear gold is effective on vampires.

[yeti]

It seems there are some major drawbacks to using silver, but except for one major drawback, and the possibility it may not be effective on the Loup Garou, I wonder how good a bullet Gold would make?

[Snowdog]

I think gold has more similarities to lead than silver does. I plan on making some 24K gold .575 minie ball from a Lyman #575213 for my Zouave rifle. Oh wait, a single minie ball would cost over $1,500? :o

Kidding, of course. Interesting thread, nonetheless.

[FROGO207]

Just load up a 8 gage shotgun up with a couple silver forks or knives from the silver collection. No casting required, just like using flechettes.

[SSN Vet]

silver bullets are great....

I highly recommend them when my buddies come over to shoot.

Off course, house rules stipulate that everything dug out of the back stop goes to the host ;)

Got to defray the cost of annual maintenance you know

[jon_in_wv]

I looked into this same thing a few months ago when I was kicking around the idea of making some silver bullets. If you look back a few years there was a article done where the author tried to do it also. The bottom line is the melting point of silver is much higher than lead and making silver bullets is probably outside the realm of what we as regular folks can pull off. I racked my head for a while until some smart guy said, "why don't you just silver plate a regular bullet?". I wish I would have thought of that. It would be much easier and more economical to do.

[Hatterasguy]

But will a silver plated bullet be as affective against a vampire/werewolf?

[ReloaderEd]

I researched this more than a few years ago. You cant cast silver in a bullet mold because of the slag it just won't work. Fifty/fifty ag/pb will work though.
A close friend of mine wanted his family crest in pure silver and I wanted one bullet, just one for fun.
Using the lost wax process, I cast several bullets out of the red wax. Also made a mold using the family crest or emblem (which was a Japanese Money bag) and filled it with the red wax.
I took the wax castings to a Jewler who had a centrifuge and he melded the silver and poured it into sand cubes that contained the wax castings. The wax melts away and is replaced by the silver. I believe that is how silver rings are made. Someone might want to correct me on that, however I have two bullets and Mr. Okazoki got his family emblem. The End

[Nom de Forum]

Of the 13 werewolves I've taken on tags over the years the first 10 were with my great grandfather's musket loaded with the remaining pieces of an incomplete family silver set I cut up. Penetration is minimal but sufficient because the killing power is not related to muzzle energy or penetration (the silver causes instant incapacitation from poisoning). Now older, wiser, and proficient I use an old 5mm Sheridan Air Rifle which at five feet will penetrate the thiner hide and hair of the face.

[bigfatdave]

P.S. Would a potato gun make a good wooden stake thrower?
Mine wasn't
It did shoot ice nicely, I molded it in leftover barrel material and used dryer sheets for a nice seal.

If one wanted to make a silver bullet, wouldn't it be just as effective to cast your bullet with some silver in the tip of the mold? (I'm assuming that the nose is down in a mold here).

And everyone knows, you have to use inherited silver for full effectiveness.

[Carter]

inherited silver for full effectiveness

Well, I feel like less of a dork now for knowing that.

[gym]

I have silvertips in 38 and 32, just in case the werwolfs come in sizes

[justgoto]

I have a suspicion... Those that argue against the idea are actual werewolves themselves.

I'll observe their posts during the full moon in an effort to confirm this suspicion. :neener:

[svtruth]

A great thread. The two linked articles were hilarious.

[cmat]

I prefer an alloy of gold and platinum

[mcdonl]

If this were something to do just for fun, you could contact a local plater, ask what silver plating thickness is, buy a mold that much smaller than the ammo you want to load and just have a few plated. They would look cool.

[Owen Sparks]

For what it is worth, the werwolf killing silver bullet story began back in the days of muskets when all bullets were round balls.

[Myles]

12 gauge loaded with silver dimes...

[Idempotent]

Granted, you're going to get a poor seal because of silver's increased hardness over lead. But there are ways around this, such as a gas check, or better yet, a sabot.

I see no reason why a saboted silver bullet round wouldn't work quite effectively.

[longdayjake]

Why don't you just make a conventional hollow point core out of silver and use a cheap copper jacket? Everyone knows that cheap hollowpoints shed their jackets.

[JohnBiltz]

The professionals at Monster Hunter International use a lead hollow point with a silver ball in the hollow point much like a Corbon Powerball. Shotgun rounds silver buckshot and slugs. The government uses a sintered bullet, sintered silver powder encased in polymer matrix but its only sold to the government.

[Werewolf]

Silver Bullets...

We don't need no stinkin' silver bullets.

Really - silver sucks in bullets. It'll ruin your guns, make you sterile, and make yur penis go all limp.

And all that stuff about silver bullets and werewolves? Pure hollywood hype. Don't work. Nope don't work at all.

Silver Bullets! ROFLMAO!

[piece of meat]

hahaha

[jon86]

A plastic wad could probably also be used effectifely as a sabot for a small wooden stake, but it would need to be weighted with something. I hear gold is effective on vampires.


Notsureifserious... :scrutiny:

[fisheye]

I always liked hollow points filled with quicksilver - they aren’t going to sue you. Just kidding!

I never did care for the silvertips - at least not in the 30-30’s and 32’s. I saw too many deer where the bullet went straight through; without expanding. I’ll stick to my Hornady SX’s.

[ChCx2744]

For the price of what you would pay for silver bullets (Even if you cast them yourself), you would be able to purchase x10 (maybe even more) high end, factory-loaded defensive ammo.

[Apuuli]

Like Miss Manners says, "Better silver on the table than money in the bank."

[Vector]

It has been done.
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/silver/silverbullets.shtml

It isn't easy and the results are mediocre compared to lead and copper bullets but if you are dealing with lycanthropes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

The site includes a reprint of the definitive silver bullet study 'Lone Ranger, Go Away' from the April 1964 Gun World.

(Magoo, there is even a followon showing a silver nosed bullet.)
Amazing what information is out there if you know where to find it.

[Jim Watson]

You don't have to know where to find it, you just have to know how to look for it. Try different search terms in Google and be patient looking through the returns. This particular subject comes up pretty regularly what with all the modern fantasy fiction being done now, so a while back, I looked hard for a good discussion.

[Carter]

I think on one of the History Channel's shows about werewolves (think it was last halloween or something) they were talking about some old legend where a guy cast a silver bullet to kill a werewolf. They then went in to if the shot was possible due to the problems with silver. I don't remember the results.

[AJumbo]

If one is using a muzzleloading arm, a silver round ball might not be bad if the patch material is heavy enough. Follow-up shots become a problem, of course.

I am really leaning toward a good scattergun and silver buckshot. Multiple projectiles and wound paths, and massive tissue disruption. Werewolves are vigorous and need a lot of killing.

Stake projectors are, in my mind, off topic. Stakes are no more than an inconvenience for werewolves, and only work on vampires when properly employed; the stake must be held "by a pious hand" as it's being hammered into the vampire's heart (sorry, can't remember my source material for that.)

[InkEd]

Making silver bullets would be relatively easy even for a jeweler with minimum casting skills. ReloaderEd described the process accurately enough. The performance of the silver bullets (as mentioned) wouldn't be as good as plain old lead bullets. They would be nice for display with an old SAA or something though.

In regards to silver-plating the bullet for vampires to save money, I ask why bother wasting the cash. Sunlight, wooden stakes, garlic and holy water will all stop a vampire too. You could use a lousy Super Soaker for CQB. Set-up some tanning bed barricades to secure a perimeter and use (sharpened) wooden bullets. If it was a large scale attack crop dust them with garlic powder. Have a priest bless the water towers and now every fire hydrant in town becomes a holy water machine gun nest. Vampires are nothing compared to zombies.

[InkEd]

Just to further dismiss the toughness of vampires, I realized that my 91 year old Italian aunt has everything need to unleash hell on Dracula in her kitchen.

FWIW if you sit down to a nice dinner you have ALMOST all of it on the table itself! Who's up for invading Transylvania? I think will be back by Saturday for college football.

[RevolvingGarbage]

I think I need to make an Emergency Supernatural Ammunition Supply box. A 50 round box of 148gr wadcutters with crosses dremeled into the faces of the bullets(Anti-Vampire), 20 Federal 125gr Nyclad HP's with the hollow cavity filled with silver(Anti-werewolf), and 100-200 rounds of American Eagle 130gr FMJ(Anti-Zombie). That should keep me well prepared for any absurd supernatural incursion.

[HellBlazer]

I think they did an episode of Mythbusters on this subject. If I remember correctly the silver bullet didn't test as well as lead. It worked but it wasn't that powerful or something. You should try to find that episode & check it out. It was pretty good. I'll see if I can find a link somewhere & post it for you guys. :)

[Weevil]

Why not make a Sabot load with a silver bullet?

[HellBlazer]

Yeah! Here it is! hahaha! Check it out!

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-silver-vs-lead-bullets.html

[benEzra]

I wonder how good a bullet Gold would make?
Gold would make a fantastic bullet material, except for its extreme cost. Pure gold can be as malleable as lead, but is even denser than depleted uranium---about 70% denser than lead. A gold bullet the same profile as a 77-grain .223 OTM could mass 110 grains or so, and would have a pretty remarkable ballistic coefficient for the caliber.

[Dr.Rob]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=153355

Real silver alloyed lead bullets from Oregon Trail.

Wooden training blanks used to be readily available too, and they don't break up at the muzzle without a blank firing device handy.