Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Epiphanies

You want Blondie? I'll get right on that!

Looks good. Too bad though one can't produce an actual alloy formula. Makes duplication difficult for others.

See the link posted earlier for LASC. It has information about basic formulas for WW, Linotype etc. Little bit of calculation will tell you what ratios of what will get you where. The alloy used in the OP was what I call 1.5, or a reasonable wag at hardness that splits the difference between 30:1 and Lyman #2. This illustrates one of the minor differences I have with some of their info. Using a hardness tester I find 30:1 is consistently BHN6, therefore my 1.5 alloy runs in the range of 10.5 - 11 range. This can be achieved with different alloy mixes.

For a bit more in depth look, and copied from the referenced web page:



Alloy "Average" Composition

Wheel Weights, clip-on: 1/2-1% tin, 2-3% antimony, 96-7.25% lead, 1/4% arsenic

Foundry Type: 15% tin, 23% antimony, 62% lead

Wheel Weights, stick-on: Pure lead or nearly so

Scrap range lead: Could be (and is) anything

Linotype: 4% tin, 12% antimony, 84% lead

Plumbers lead: 99%+ pure lead.

Monotype: 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead

Lyman's No. 2: 5% tin, 5% antimony, 90% lead

Easy way to figure this out is to look at the weight/volume of what your melt pot holds in ounces, figure out where you want to go and do the math. My melt pot has a 20 pound capacity.

My version of alloys revolves around Lyman #2 or a facsimile thereof when I'm casting for smokeless powder loads.

1.25 Alloy - 14# 7oz PB; 5# 4oz Wheel Weights; 8oz Tin
1.5 Alloy - 9# 3oz PB; 9# 8oz Wheel Weights, 8oz Tin
1.75 Alloy - 8# 5oz PB; 8# 5oz Wheel Weights; 8 oz Tin
Lyamn #2 - 50/50 PB/Linotype; 6 oz Tin -or- 50/50 Wheel Weights & Linotype The latter is not precise but is functional.

The tin in my recipe is not required, but it doesn't hurt. My reasons for using it are simple. I have the tin and it helps with fill out in the mould.
Wheel Weights are of the clip-on style.
Bores are slugged, bullets sized to groove + .001"

I have used the 1.75 alloy (gas checked) in two .30-30s at velocity in the 2,000+ fps range with good precision w/o leading and with multiple powders.
-Lyman #2 in the .22 K-Hornet (gas checked) in the range of 2,300 -2,500 fps, also w/o leading.with use of Li'l Gun and IMR4227.

load up your least accurate ammo and go hunting.

then when you miss, you can truly say it's the ammo's fault.

But, but, huntin' makes me hungry!