BHN of lead shot
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swampgeek
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Want to say a while back I saw an article about casting and the author had tried #8 chilled shot, with a light tin content. Came to 8BHN. I know true pure lead is 5BHN, want to say wheel weights range but a roughly in the 10-12 BHN range. I dont cast myself but know alot of it has to do with technique as in skimming, fluxing and adding in desirable metals. I have heard wheel weight casting results in harder bullets. Not an expert on all this though...just like to read.
72coupe
Member
Most commercial lead shot is fairly hard. It has some tin and even more antimony. I have used buck shot in my 1849 pocket pistol with the 4 inch barrel. It is hard to seat the bullet 1st because the shot is hard and 2nd because the loading lever is short.
Noz
Member
A lot of the hard shot also contains arsenic.
I had a friend that obtained 3000 lbs of #12 shot from a fishing lure manufacturer that went belly up.
I traded him out of some to melt for bullet lead. The graphite coating on the shot insulated it enough that it was a total bear to ever get to melting temperature. I usually do my initial smelting on a Coleman stove which is adequate for wheel weights, linotype and pure lead.
The shot simply refused to melt. I had to use a propane torch directed into the pot while the burner under the pot was on full high to get any liquid metal at all. When I reach the point where I had about a half a pot full of liquid it became easier to stir the unmelted shot into the liquid lead and get some melting going on. I finally washed the shot with solvent to remove as much of the graphite as possible. That helped.
It was enough of a chore that when he offered more shot free, I didn't take him up on it.
I had a friend that obtained 3000 lbs of #12 shot from a fishing lure manufacturer that went belly up.
I traded him out of some to melt for bullet lead. The graphite coating on the shot insulated it enough that it was a total bear to ever get to melting temperature. I usually do my initial smelting on a Coleman stove which is adequate for wheel weights, linotype and pure lead.
The shot simply refused to melt. I had to use a propane torch directed into the pot while the burner under the pot was on full high to get any liquid metal at all. When I reach the point where I had about a half a pot full of liquid it became easier to stir the unmelted shot into the liquid lead and get some melting going on. I finally washed the shot with solvent to remove as much of the graphite as possible. That helped.
It was enough of a chore that when he offered more shot free, I didn't take him up on it.
birdshot8's
Member
the cheaper shot the fewer alloys in the shot. last time i priced shot it was 49 dollars for 25lbs bag, (walmarts). I did see some that was recycled at 1 buck a pound, but i am sure the recycled shot is going to be high in alloys, ie very hard.
You could buy 8% antimony reclaimed shot from Rotometals a while back. I think it was 25#s shipped in a flat rate box. It smelted down OK but you needed to stir it to get the melt going and flux it before making ingots. Get on their email list and they send out promos on all kinds of alloys.
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