If I am casting from Standard Wheel weights, is the lead hard enough to not lead up my barrels in 45acp, 38/357 and possablilly 30 carbine?
Sparky
Sparky
bullet casting Question
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heat treat them and they'll work...lube is important and you'll have to experiment with different stuff...some will allow leading more than others. Unfortunatly, the best lubes are softer and it seems not a good idea to leave them loaded up for long or in warm places.
ReloaderFred
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I just cast over 12,000 .38 bullets from straight wheelweights for cowboy action shooting. They work fine, with the right lube and sized to the bore, which means .001" over bore size. If you're going to drive them harder, then you may want to add a little tin and antimony, other wise shoot them as cast in the .38 and .45, but it's too soft for .30 Carbine.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
Sparky,
Depends on bullet design, lube, barrel, load, and several other factors. I have used straight wheel weight alloy since 1964 for H&G bullet designs with no leading problems in .357 Mag revolvers, .45 ACP pistols, and .44 Mag revolvers at velocities up to 1400 fps (measured by Oehler chronograph). My lube of choice is the NRA ALOX formula: 50% ALOX + 50% commercial beeswax. This lube is somewhat soft but I have never had a leading problem in pistols using it.
Good shooting and be safe.
LB
Depends on bullet design, lube, barrel, load, and several other factors. I have used straight wheel weight alloy since 1964 for H&G bullet designs with no leading problems in .357 Mag revolvers, .45 ACP pistols, and .44 Mag revolvers at velocities up to 1400 fps (measured by Oehler chronograph). My lube of choice is the NRA ALOX formula: 50% ALOX + 50% commercial beeswax. This lube is somewhat soft but I have never had a leading problem in pistols using it.
Good shooting and be safe.
LB
ReloaderFred
Member
For these bullets, I used Ballisti-cast blue lube, which is a high temperature lube. I ran them through one of my Star lubri-sizers, which has a heated base. Some will say this lube is too hard, but it works for me and leading isn't a problem. The bullets aren't being pushed hard, which has something to do with it, too.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
I live in the high-desert country of northern Nevada. My reloading "shop" is a dusty 10x12 wooden garden shed which is insulated for the times when I use heat or air-conditioning. The summer temperatures in the shed reach levels where my regular 50/50 alox type lube literally runs off cast bullets which are not yet loaded into cases....well over 110 degrees, since outside air temps will reach that figure sometimes.
HOWEVER: Not long ago, I took a large number of rounds to the range, which had been loaded in 2002 or earlier, and stored in that shed ever since. Total number was around 800 rounds, I believe. Included in the mix was a number of others which had been stored in my shooting van for several years. All of these rounds used the 50/50 alox(Javelina brand) lubricant. EVERY round fired normally, and those I chronographed were still performing just as if they were freshly loaded.
I confess that I didn't know what to expect from all this older ammo, given the heat to which it had been exposed, and I'll also admit to a great feeling of relief in finding that I don't have to worry too much if I leave ammunition for a year or two after loading. Nowadays, in summer I tend to leave the a/c on at low settings to keep the inside temperature around ...oh, maybe ninety degrees or thereabouts. I anticipate no trouble in the future from heat-exposed rounds.
HOWEVER: Not long ago, I took a large number of rounds to the range, which had been loaded in 2002 or earlier, and stored in that shed ever since. Total number was around 800 rounds, I believe. Included in the mix was a number of others which had been stored in my shooting van for several years. All of these rounds used the 50/50 alox(Javelina brand) lubricant. EVERY round fired normally, and those I chronographed were still performing just as if they were freshly loaded.
I confess that I didn't know what to expect from all this older ammo, given the heat to which it had been exposed, and I'll also admit to a great feeling of relief in finding that I don't have to worry too much if I leave ammunition for a year or two after loading. Nowadays, in summer I tend to leave the a/c on at low settings to keep the inside temperature around ...oh, maybe ninety degrees or thereabouts. I anticipate no trouble in the future from heat-exposed rounds.
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