Casting Alloy Question...

[Edward429451]

Lyman lists it's bullet weights as used with #2 alloy, got it. Straight WW's give heavier weights, got it.

For hardcast bullets I've been going with WW's with 1 LB rolls of 50/50 solder per 10 LBS WW's (44 Mag)...With this mixture, my bullets have been dropping around 15 to 20 gr heavier than the listed #2 alloy, consistently.

While loading some the other night, I noticed that this batch was about 10gr lighter than I was expecting. It has to be in my mixture, I think. Must've goofed it somehow. Dunno if I got too much tin or not enough though. Could it be the batch of WW's themselves?

Is weighing bullets a reasonably accurate way to judge mixture one way or the other? They shoot good and leading isn't significantly different than usual, minimal actually.

Would dead soft lead be heavier than #2 alloy? WW's? Sometimes I dump in some pieces of old lead drain pipes and kick in some extra tin to compensate. Acceptable practice?

They shoot ok as I said, but I'm curious. This kind of thing bugs me a little so wondered what ye ol experts at THR have to say on the issue.

Thankee.

 

[HSMITH]

Any more than 2% tin is wasted tin. If your bullets are heavier than last time that means your alloy is more lead than before, all of the alloying materials are significantly lighter than lead. Weight in itself is a pretty poor indicator of hardness IMO, as I know of no 'factor' that you can use to figure it out scientifically. Then again some guys bite bullets, some smash them with pliers or a hammer, and some thump them together to get their hardness readings so weighing them can't be all bad. The only sure way to tell is a hardness tester.

When the bullets are the right size for the gun they will be used in the alloy can be very soft and they will shoot fantastic with little or no leading. Most home cast and nearly all commercial bullets are way too hard for the intended purpose. Pure lead with 2% tin is PLENTY hard for most target loads. Wheelweights mixed with 50% pure lead and 1% tin is a little harder will cover nearly all of target shooting and such. Straight wheelweights with 1% tin, great bullets up to magnum velocities. Straight wheelweights with 1% tin dropped from the mold into water makes for some pretty hard bullets, plenty hard for full on magnums. Straight wheel weights with 2% tin and 20% #9 Magnum grade shot dropped into water makes bullets that are hard enough for 454's and other very high pressure rounds and most moderate rifle loads.

 

[Edward429451]

My bullets are lighter than before. Sorry if my rambling muddled it up.

Sounds like I was a little generous with the tin from what you say.

 

[LAH]

I've shot your mixture a bit over the years. I't more tin than really needed. 2% tin is plenty. We offer bullets cast from 1-20 (tin-lead). This is 5% tin. The hardness is appox. 10 BHN. The last w/w I tested were 9. So if you're adding tin to harden, it don't work.

Most of my moulds cast heavy from your mixture also.

 

[woody1]

Edward, IMO you're wasting expensive tin. At 44 mag velocities, I don't think you need anything but wheelweight alloy. Maybe add up to 1% tin if needed to aid mold fillout in smaller calibers. I usually segregate out the "soft" lead, but for mild loads, no reason not to include it with WW also. Regards, Woody

 

[Edward429451]

You know, I think you might be right. Its not like I had a lot of leading before when I used to just cast straight WW's. The lube is the main fouling. I do got a couple loads that are pretty quick though 1400 to 1500 fps. I was loading for power for awhile but have them loads on the books and their good but lately find myself loading lighter searching for faster recovery and even more accuracy, so I probably should cut back on the tin. I get used to doin things a certain way and just go with it.

Thanks guys.

 

[Fatelvis]

Unless you get into tinkering, dont worry about how much your bullets weigh. Dont get too hung up on alloys. Just use wheel weights for low velocity rounds, and add 10% 95/5 solder to WW for high vel rounds(like you`ve done). If it works well, great, its simple, and very repeatable.

 

[lvl1trauma]

If my math is right then 1/4 lb of lead free solder (95% tin) to 25 lbs of ww will give you about and extra 1% tin. I say about because it is only 95% tin instead of 100%. Add that to the 0.04 to 0.05% of most ww and it ain't a bad combo!.

Lvl1trauma