lead for casting

[swiftak]

I have a question for you guys that cast your own bullets. Is the lead in a jacketed bullet the same as the lead used for cast bullets? I have actually picked up cast bullets at the sand pit I shoot at for melting down and casting, but I was wonbering if I could melt down the lead in the jacketed bullets as well.

 

[fireflyfather]

most jacketed bullet lead is very soft. It might be usable for black powder cartridge loads or maybe even muzzle-loading. For handgun applications you'd want to harden it up some with clip-on wheel weights, tin solder, linotype, etc. It is basically unsuitable for cast bullets in full power rifle loads without adding other materials to the alloy and/or water dropping. There is no need for the manufacturers to add tin or antimony to harden up the lead since the jacket prevents leading.

 

[swiftak]

thanks, thats the kind of info I needed.

 

[dardascastbullets]

Hi Swiftak,

The metal that is used for making jacketed bullets is known as 'dead soft' lead. That is, 99.99% pure lead. It needs to be pure in order that the core forming operation runs flawlessly without any die breakage. The lead is forced into a core forming die and there is a small amount of lead that is bled off through bleed holes in the core forming die. Usually this 'bled off' amount is approximately 5 grains. Then the finished core is ejected and prepped for the upsetting operation.

Be wary of the metal that you are picking up. It will be difficult to know if you have all the dirt removed from the metal prior to casting. So do a lot of fluxing continuously. Nothing is worse that seeing dirt inclusions on hand casted bullets!

 

[fireflyfather]

It's even better if you can smelt it once into ingots before you start casting. This gives you another chance to clean crud out of it, and gives the added benefit of getting a more uniform alloy from all the random types of lead you find in the berm/bullet traps at your range. One thing to be away of: If you have any TMJ or similar ammo, make sure you punch a hole in the copper jacket for the lead to escape **before you melt it down**, as the lead will melt long before the copper, and then you have a little grenade in your melting pot. You can them just skim the copper off the top of your molten lead (and resell it to a scrap dealer for $$$). Also, most rimfire ammo is a very soft lead. If you want the real dope on all things cast bullets, try the castboolits website.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

They have forgotten more than anyone else on the planet ever knew about bullet casting, except maybe E.K. & E.H.

 

[fguffey]

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm

F. Guffey