New to bullet making. I have an original 1873 Trapdoor Springfield rifle that I reload with black powder. I was given about 150 .459 405 grain bullets that shot quite well; however I have run out now. I bought a Lee .459 hollow base bullet mold. Im having trouble finding any lead to melting. I have access to wheel weights but don't know how to remove the steel parts. So I was wondering if bird shot can be melted down as a easy to find source. Sorry I guess thats a double question.
Bird shot melting for bullets
- Thread starter Eric Manhattan
- Start date
WW are to hard for your gun.
Wear out your barrel over time. Plus you want the bullets to expand and bump up to fit your grooves. Leading is lots of time caused by gas cutting around your undersized bullets.
You want lead. If u think u need some tin and u want to spend money then you can ad that as well.
The steel clips float out when wheel weights are melted. Many (most?) wheel weights these days are not lead.
You could melt down lead shot, keeping in mind that it is not usually 100% lead - it is likely alloyed with antimony and other metals to make it harder.
You could melt down lead shot, keeping in mind that it is not usually 100% lead - it is likely alloyed with antimony and other metals to make it harder.
Eric Manhatten: If you're able to melt the wheel weights, the steel clips will detach as the lead liquifies. Then, simply skim them off the top of your melting pot, with the rest of the dross. No need to try to pry them off, prior to melting.
You could cast bullets from bird shot. But, depending on it's hardness(Most modern "extra hard" lead bird shot contains antimony in it's composition, which does produce a fairly hard alloy, when melted), you'd have a difficult time getting any sort of meaningful expansion of either the bullet skirt, or bullet itself. But, if .459" bullets do fit the rifling well, that may not be an issue. Treat them like they were solid base.
Wheel weight lead, though not as soft as pure lead ( but softer than bird shot), makes a reasonably good bullet for hunting. Though again, expansion won't be as dramatic as with a pure lead bullet. But, if wheel weight lead is available, it is a better option than bird shot.
Hope this helps
Al
You could cast bullets from bird shot. But, depending on it's hardness(Most modern "extra hard" lead bird shot contains antimony in it's composition, which does produce a fairly hard alloy, when melted), you'd have a difficult time getting any sort of meaningful expansion of either the bullet skirt, or bullet itself. But, if .459" bullets do fit the rifling well, that may not be an issue. Treat them like they were solid base.
Wheel weight lead, though not as soft as pure lead ( but softer than bird shot), makes a reasonably good bullet for hunting. Though again, expansion won't be as dramatic as with a pure lead bullet. But, if wheel weight lead is available, it is a better option than bird shot.
Hope this helps
Al
Last edited:
Thanks James I sort of thought that might happen. I work in an auto shop so I can have all the old wheel weights I can carry at one time.
MosinMan13
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thornbury Ontario
Dont quote me on this but look into it at your will, downrigger weights/Cannonball weights for fishing, almost all of them I’ve found so far are somewhere between soft lead and or pure lead (or reading close enough) and there’s usually a fair amount to them. Check your local marketplace, anywhere that sells fishing gear, flea markets. Definitely check them first but that’s just something I’ve had good luck with on dry spells with lead.
That was what I was thinking. I can't seem to find any bullet lead locally. I have seen it but I should imagine the shipping costs would be horrendous.
That's great advice. I had wondered If sinkers as we used to call them could be used as a substitute.
I get my softest lead from roofer buddies. Back in the day lead sheets were used around 2.5-3" pipes for some reason. Another source is tool makers. They use soft lead to measure something. Can't remember what it was but I get pails of thin soft trimmings
Sail boat keels is another great source
Sail boat keels is another great source
MosinMan13
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thornbury Ontario
Does anyone know about automotive bodywork lead? I would assume it’s soft as they rasp and file it after? I see bars come up all the time
MosinMan13: The stuff you're referring to is called body solder. Composition is about 70% lead and 30% tin. So, no reason why it couldn't be used to cast bullets. I have no firsthand experince with this alloy, myself. So really can't comment further. But, others who have, say it works just fine for bullets.
Al
Al
Local scrap yards usually have several 100 pounds of lead around and the cost per pound can be negotiated with them to a certain extent. I would urge caution when purchasing things like ingots though. You may end up with lead sourced from lead/acid batteries and you most certainly do not want this garbage.
I would tend to leave the bird shot for birds or clays.
I would tend to leave the bird shot for birds or clays.
- Location
- South Southern Ontario
I used to cast bullets and used wheel weights because I had a free source but most newer weights are zinc, if you drop it on concrete it will make a higher pitched tinny sound if that makes sense. And the lead ones made a dull thud.
Old shot contains arsenic. I don't want to breath that for bullet making.
Just use wheel weights and be done with it. Lead wheel weights have rounded corners. Steel and zinc are square cornered. Lead you can scratch, zinc and steel you can't.
Just use wheel weights and be done with it. Lead wheel weights have rounded corners. Steel and zinc are square cornered. Lead you can scratch, zinc and steel you can't.
Zinc is also lighter than lead and melts at a higher temperature. If you inadvertently drop one into the pot with the lead weights, you can fish it out when it bobs to the surface. A single zinc weight can ruin the castability of a pot of lead. Learned that the hard way
