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Ratio of pure lead to wheel weights

12K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  gmd3006 
#1 ·
I'm new to casting, and have only cast just over 50 bullets so far with a coleman stove, 5lb melting pot and a new Lee mold. I couldn't wait to try it out while waiting to get better equipment and was very fortunate to have had my very first cast produce 2 great bullets. In all, I had 3 rejects.

My question is about my upcoming smelting session. I have about 100 lbs of wheel weights and 100 lbs of stickons. I was thinking of using half of my lead to smelt a 50/50 ratio (plus a little tin) to make a couple thousand 148gr wadcutters.

My purpose for this batch of lead would be soley for my .38 cal snub, which I understand is considered 'low pressure'. Does this mixture sound reasonable for a .38? I'm a little nervous about doing this and then finding out that I have 100 lbs of ingots that I can't use.

By the way, about how much extra tin should I add to the mix?

Thanks,

Randy
 
#2 ·
Mix it up! with that mix ratio you can still push them 1000 fps with a good lube and bore fit.
Save your tin, should fill out in the mould fine without adding any tin.
Soft bullets work better in moderate loadings too hard bullet of a bullet will lead more than too soft.The reason I say this is the bullet fired hits the forcing cone and starts in the rifling of the barrel the bullet starts expand in size as the pressure is trying to push the bullet because your bullet should couple thousands bigger than you bore and it fills the rifling.Now if the bullet is to hard for the pressures it wont fully bump up in size and strips it's self on the rifling and you get leading.
The ONLY TIME I worry about having a harder alloy than W/W is when I'm strapping a gas check to it's butt!
If you are using t/l mould and Lee alox you will be good to 850 Fps with that mix.
 
#5 ·
Technically, you're not smelting. That term means a chemical reaction that reduces ore to metal. You're melting metals to form alloys.

I use 50:50 lead to wheelweights for .45 & .38 with no problem.

I've melted all my wheelweights to ingots, and stamped them WW with a stamp set I got from Harbor Freight really cheap. I melted my range scrap ( which is nearly pure lead from jktd bullets & .22s ) to make ingots I stamped RS. This premelting is a step that cleans up the source metals to get rid of dirt, steel clips, oxides, etc.

When I refill my pot, I merely add one of each to make my 50:50 on demand. That way, I can change my ratio in the future if I want.

.
 
#6 ·
GMD - good idea about mixing as needed. My first WW ingots from a Lee mold were all much lighter than they should be, but I didn't fill up the cavaties to the very top. Each of them varied quit a bit in weight.

Do you pour to the very top? Do your ingot weights vary enough to worry about the differences when combining.

Thanks - Randy
 
#9 ·
GMD - good idea about mixing as needed. My first WW ingots from a Lee mold were all much lighter than they should be, but I didn't fill up the cavaties to the very top. Each of them varied quit a bit in weight.

Do you pour to the very top? Do your ingot weights vary enough to worry about the differences when combining.

Thanks - Randy
I pour as full as I can so I only have to store 90 when I'd get 100 if I poured them only 90%. They stack more efficiently when poured more fully.

And, like twodot said, the ratio isn't all that touchy to have to get exactly right.

:rolleyes:
 
#7 ·
50/50 WW-Pb is the alloy I use the most. Air cooled, it will come out at 8-10 bhn and is excellent for most pistol and even slower rifle loads. If you water drop or oven heat treat it, it will come out at 18 to 22 Bhn. I just shot a bunch of 30-06 loads with this WD alloy at 2400 fps yesterday. Also shot the same alloy in my 30-30, 311041, with 26.5 grs of 3031, which is only a couple grains shy of max jacketed data.

Mix up your alloy and try some soft, and also water drop a few for comparison tests. Some 38/357's like em soft. Some don't.
 
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