I have a bunch of WW's and 10-1 lb bars of 50/50 solder. Should I make #2 alloy 9lbs WW + 1lb bar solder for 30-30 ,303 Brit, 44-40 ,38-55 + 45-70 ? If softer is needed for the 44-40 and 38-55 what is the mixture ? I don't have straight tin or a lot of pure lead.....save that for my BP guns. Will be used for deer + moose mostly.
Bullet hardness for hunting
- Thread starter mbogo3
- Start date
Your alloy will work. A flat nose bullet is recommended for better expansion. The 44-40 I use the the same alloy as regular rifle stuff 16 bhn as I don’t like having multiple alloys. Lyman #2 being 15 bhn.
My black powder bullets are 50/50 wheel weights and flashing.
I'd like to slap a cow moose this fall with either the 38-55 or the 45-70. Maybe even the 44-40 as I have a couple hundred of Jet Bullets 220gr FN.I'd like to know what mold he used as I've de-capped a couple grouse with my 92. For the 38-55 I have the 250grFN LEE and Lyman 375296 GC
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
Idk about .44-40 for moose deer under 100 yards all day. But a .45-70 with a flat point bullet even a really hard one is good to go for hunting. A wide flat meplat will provide some expansion depending on alloy and will help with straight line penetration. Something like a .45 caliber bullet really doesn’t need much if any expansion.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
An option for smaller calibers is a 2 alloy bullet cast something like a round ball or pistol bullet out of softer lead that will give you a soft nose(not into the driving bands). You drop this into the mold and with the mold held tightly shut you hear it up till this part is molten. Then you cool it flat untill it solidifies next your pour in your harder alloy then let it solidify and then bring the mold back up to temp till it’s all molten.
Ammosmith used to have a couple of videos about it.
Ammosmith used to have a couple of videos about it.
Thanks.....As well can GC"s be installed securely without resizing the bullet? I have some .315 + .317 175gr that take GC's I'd like to leave unsized for a generous .303 British.Have Hornady crimp on style copper .30 cal GC's. How does one remove Allox from cast bullets prior to powder coating ? If I knew I was going to PC I would't have done this years ago. Boiling water ? Rubbing alcohol?
saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
IIRC I've used gasoline to strip the alox from bullets, and then a wash with dish soap and dry in the sun. Don't recall how well the pc stuck though, but it must have.
Regarding the gas checks, I've clipped them on the bottom of a bullet without sizing and they worked fine BUT...make sure the bullets aren't too sticky within the die when seating, as they may seat to depth and then pull back out slightly, potentially leaving the gc stuck below the bullet. I do know that I've hammered loads apart such as this, and the bullet comes out, while the gc stays stuck in the case neck.
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
Slug the throat and hone a lee push through die out to size.
Generally cast bullets do not expand well.
Choose large meplate for punching a good hole.
Choose lead alloy for best performance in your rifle.
Maybe choose to cast a hollowpoint
For removing Alox, paint thinner, then Acetone.
People have used crazy glue to attach gas checks
Choose large meplate for punching a good hole.
Choose lead alloy for best performance in your rifle.
Maybe choose to cast a hollowpoint
For removing Alox, paint thinner, then Acetone.
People have used crazy glue to attach gas checks
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
The soft nose cast I explained do expand pretty well. These are our if a lee mold for the .30-30 pure lead nose and harder base fused together.
Another option is willkes driving bands these are caliber sized gas checks with a hole punched out and fit in the drive and part of the mold before you cast.
I would really only worry about expansion with .30 cals or maybe .35 cal. .45-70 and the .44-40(used on appropriate sized game like deer) with a flat meplat will do the job transfer energy and penetrate deeper.
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Yes there are methods. Like adding zinc and then using copper sulfate. This adds elasticity to your alloy and aids in expansion.
Butcherbill
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I’ve used both laquer thinner and liquid automotive wax and grease remover to take liquid alox off cast bullets, I dump them in a glass jar and let them soak for 30-60 min and check them. Once clean I rinse with hot water and a swish of isopropyl.
Only lead bullets I have ever found have been from my 12 ga. Lead rifle bullets normally shoot straight thru.
I use wheel weights and or pure lead. Depending on what they his they can expand pretty good. Through the boiler room, probably not. Into the shoulder probably will.
This bullet was .312" diameter it's now 1.125"
And it's now shorter then its original diameter. (.260" long)
The length and diameter numbers almost switched.
This bullet was .312" diameter it's now 1.125"
And it's now shorter then its original diameter. (.260" long)
The length and diameter numbers almost switched.
I would think that hit a very hard surface, not an animal. Susquatch, maybe.I use wheel weights and or pure lead. Depending on what they his they can expand pretty good. Through the boiler room, probably not. Into the shoulder probably will.
This bullet was .312" diameter it's now 1.125"
And it's now shorter then its original diameter. (.260" long)
The length and diameter numbers almost switched.
My COWW cast have made it through a tree trunk, barely deformed
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
A possible reason for the lack of mushrooming might be more to do with the backstop than the allloy. When a bullet goes through a tree, while there IS a lot of resistance on the nose of the bullet pushing that bullet out of shape, there is also a lot of resistance in the tree to allowing the bullet to upset basically helping the bullet hold its shape against the force of the bullet traveling through the wood. When shooting something more forgiving, like balistic gell of an animal, the median is soft/pliable enough to allow the bullet to expand in width from the force on the nose of the bullet from travelling through the tree. I have recovered pure lead round balls from trees that had little distortion. Consider this, if you drill a hole in a piece of wood and insert an expander how easy would it be to force that hole bigger ( which is what the bullet needs to do to expand). Not so easy.
