Bullet alloys for casting.

Most .45 ACP bullets I've come across for cast lead recommend Lyman #2 alloy, which is essentially 90/5/5 lead/tin/antimony. Quick and dirty way of doing this is essentially 9 lbs wheel weights to 1 lbs 50/50 lead/tin solder. Because I'm lazy, and the plumbing shop in town is selling 1 lbs of solder for over $30, I would be doing just wheel weights.
 
As far as I know useing 5% tin in 45ACP alloy is wasting the resource.
On the other hand adding up to 2% of tin will make the lead bullets more precise and a bit harder/tougher.
45ACP is low pressure cartridge and w-w plus 2% tin is plenty hard enough for most aplications.
Adding 1lb 50/50 solder to 9lbs of w-w will newer create Lyman #2 alloy b/c I doubt that w-w have much more than 3% antimony.
Popular 92%lead-6%antimony-2%tin comercial hardball alloy strikes nice ballance for shooting all pistol cartridges magnum included and most rifle cartridges as well especially so with GC.
 
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lyman #2 is super expensive though, like 5$ a pound. + shipping.
at that price, without shipping, it,s more economical to just buy plated bullets so there is no point to cast your own bullets.

If casting costs equal or more, why cast I guess, unless you totally enjoy it or something.
 
"...the various metals involved..." Nothing like toxic metals from batteries to put, um, lead in your pencil.
"...the plumbing shop in town..." Find the wholesaler who supplies them.
"...lyman #2 is super expensive..." The guys are talking about making their own.
 
I would just try straight ww to start. If you find the mold doesn't fill out properly even after the mold is warmef up ,then you need to add tim to make it fill out. But most 45 bullets are short and fat and fill out fine with just ww and no extra tin needed. Tin becomes more important when you start making hollow point and hollow base bullets, and long skinny bullets. Most mold filling problems are caused by plugged vents and too low mold temperature.
 
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For target velocities, straight wheelweights are normally plenty hard enough. In fact if the bullets are too hard they will not obturate (expand) in the bore due to the low velocity and will give poor accuracy. I use straight WW for all my handgun target bullets and when combined with Lee liquid Alox lube I get minimal to zero leading.

Just make sure to remove all zinc wheelweights before smelting them into ingots. Zinc is bad news for bullet casting alloys. :(
 
Just remember the 45 ACP is both a low velocity and low pressure round. Straight WW alloy would be plenty hard for that application. In fact you can cut the WW alloy 3 part WW to 1 part pure lead and would be just fine. Good bullet to bore fit is more important in this application.
 
will start casting as soon as that lee melter is back in stock.... got 300 pounds of lead ingots to start.
(and still buying more).
Such a blast to smelt WW into ingots isnt it.

With a 3M™ Organic Vapor Respirator, you don't even smell the horrible smell of paint and oil burning
Last batch I did without, I felt sick all day, even if I was outdoor and not breathing fumes.
With the respirator, it doesnt smell anything, you are not breathing fumes, it's the best thing in the world.
No need to get a cancer because you enjoy smelting...
 
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