I want to cast some lead bullets for my 44mag and my 45acp, and I have alot of pure lead. Can I use pure lead? or do I have to make it harder and if so how can I do this. I realize using wheel weights is the easier way to go but I have lots of lead. I have cast shotgun slugs with pure lead but they are in a sabot, so I don't think it matters.
casting lead bullets
- Thread starter mac100
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- Eastern Ont.
Pickup a roll of solder that has a high tin content, and mix some of that into your molten lead.
A roll will go a long way.
Dont over heat the lead mixture.
You only need to stiffin them up a bit, they dont have to be too hard.
Easiest way to lube is to tumble lube with Lee liquid alox.
800 or so FPS should be no probs with leading.
A roll will go a long way.
Dont over heat the lead mixture.
You only need to stiffin them up a bit, they dont have to be too hard.
Easiest way to lube is to tumble lube with Lee liquid alox.
800 or so FPS should be no probs with leading.
you can buy those rolls at home depot or plumbing supply stores.
have a look at the tin antimony ratio. i know there are some with something like %95 antimony.
the higher the antimony % the less of it you will need in your mix and you can also water drop your bullets which will also give them a higher BHN(harder bullet).
if you need any liquid alox i do currently have a sale on it as well
Solder on a roll is extremly expensive it can run about 30 dollars a 1/2 lb and its mostly lead free now...
The question is how fast do you plan of driving those bullets and what kind of lube do you plan on using...
A misconeption among casters is harder bullets are better.
Pure lead might be ok in the 45 acp if you keep the load light in the 600-700fps mark.
The question is how fast do you plan of driving those bullets and what kind of lube do you plan on using...
A misconeption among casters is harder bullets are better.
Pure lead might be ok in the 45 acp if you keep the load light in the 600-700fps mark.
Get some harder lead and mix it 50/50 with your pure lead and you will be good for lower velocity stuff, wheelweights would be okay but Linotype is best. The solder mentioned earlier is great stuff and helps with the flow of lead while casting, but won't harden your mix up enough for full power loads in the .44 Mag. If you can't find hard lead like Linotype, you can drop bullets with antimony(from Wheel weights) directly into cold water to "quench" and increase hardness. Just don't let water splash into mold or your melt, or you may get a visit from the tinsel fairy.
I've been casting pure lead for years ( muzzleloaders ) and cap and ball revolver. No reason why you can't use it, velocity will be low enough anyway. Don't overheat the lead and stir it often to let the slag rise to surface and scrape it off. Hint, drop a small piece of wax in molton lead, it might flare up for a sec or 2 or might not. Stir in and the wax picks up the crap at the bottom. 1st 1 or 2 castings are to heat up mold, just put them back in pot. Lee has inexpensive electric pots, I've been using mine for years now. Course for cartridge's you probably need gas seals, not for the muzzleloaders. Good luck
Hardness of the lead places second in importance to properly sized bullets. If you research this on many quality casting forums, many will tell you it is better to size to .001 larger than barrel size. This ensures a tight seal which will prevent gases from escaping between the bullet and barrel wall.
Gas checks are always a good idea for faster velocities, although some shooters swear by Lee Alox lube. There is also a debate as to how fast you can push out wheel weight based bullets out of the barrel. Some will say to keep it below 1000 fps, others will say no problem up to 2000 fps, as long as they are sized .001 bigger,water quenched, and properly lubed.
Do you own research and trial and error
Gas checks are always a good idea for faster velocities, although some shooters swear by Lee Alox lube. There is also a debate as to how fast you can push out wheel weight based bullets out of the barrel. Some will say to keep it below 1000 fps, others will say no problem up to 2000 fps, as long as they are sized .001 bigger,water quenched, and properly lubed.
Do you own research and trial and error
Join this forum: http://castboolits.gunloads.com. Lots of folks there will guide you along.
You will get leading using pure lead in .45acp. Wheelweights are still plentiful and the alloy is about perfect for cast bullets. Tin will increase the hardness of the bullets slightly but is used more to aid in mold fill out and is expensive. Antimony is the hardening agent in bullet alloy. Provided your alloy has some antimony in it water quenching will harden your bullets significantly if you are concerned your lead is to soft. Hard bullet are not required in the .45acp.
I find I get the best mold fill out casting hot. Bullets for the .45acp should be sized .452 or .001 over bore size. As others have mentioned this allows for a solid seal. Leading is caused by gas cutting. That said the use of proper lube is important. I have had some sucess with Lee tumble lube but prefer a soft lube applied at the time of bullet sizing.
Gas checks are certainly not required for the .45acp cartridge and you will find few if any molds for this cartridge that require a gas check.
Take Care
Bob
You will get leading using pure lead in .45acp. Wheelweights are still plentiful and the alloy is about perfect for cast bullets. Tin will increase the hardness of the bullets slightly but is used more to aid in mold fill out and is expensive. Antimony is the hardening agent in bullet alloy. Provided your alloy has some antimony in it water quenching will harden your bullets significantly if you are concerned your lead is to soft. Hard bullet are not required in the .45acp.
I find I get the best mold fill out casting hot. Bullets for the .45acp should be sized .452 or .001 over bore size. As others have mentioned this allows for a solid seal. Leading is caused by gas cutting. That said the use of proper lube is important. I have had some sucess with Lee tumble lube but prefer a soft lube applied at the time of bullet sizing.
Gas checks are certainly not required for the .45acp cartridge and you will find few if any molds for this cartridge that require a gas check.
Take Care
Bob
easyrider604
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Or you can try Ebay. I got 40# lino from the US last year. Shipping was expensive but you can mix pure lead and lino in 3:1 ratio and have a sufficiently hard alloy for .45 ACP at 19,000 psi/cup after waterquenching.
Actually, pressure is what causes the bullet to upset, not velocity. A fast powder may push the bullet to 750 but the pressure at around 19,000 psi (or cup). Whereas a slower powder may push the bullet to 850 fps at the same 19,000 cup or psi pressure.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Linotype-Lead-1...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b0d7576c
