Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting wheel weight alloy

I use WW metal for all my rifle and pistol bullets. Sometimes I do add a little tin but otherwise straight WW. Never had any trouble.

"I've been told that casting wheel weights alone isn't the way to go. i've done it and haven't noticed any problems, "

Wheel weights are largely lead with a good bit of antimony to make it hard. It's well mixed in the molten alloy but antimony hardens - crystalizes out - at a higher temp than the lead so it seperates during cooling unless we add some tin. The finished WW bullets can look great and be quite hard to a thumb nail but the mixture is like sand mixed in cheese, meaning the hard antimony seperates and is held in a matrix of soft lead. When fired, the exposed lead tends to rub off on the bore.

The addition of a small amount of tin (2% to 3%, by weight) to the lead/antimony alloy holds all three metals in solution during cooling so there is no soft lead between hard crystals of antimony, meaning we get much better bullets if we add a small amount of tin to wheel weights. And that's no web myth.

Good information boomtube. I've no trouble with wheel weights up to this point. I do however think WW alloy is not all the same. I've had what Lyman called WW alloy mixed by a foundry & it tested 9-10 BHN. The WW alloy I was getting from Michigan was 13-14 BHN. My current is coming from North Dakota & it's closer to 11 so go figure.

The Lyman Manual listed WW alloy as 95.5 lead, 4 antimony, & 0.5 tin. Casting this 1/2% tin mix has worked great in my sixguns. If the sixguns measurement are as they should be, it's not choked at the barrel thread/frame junction, & the barrel is smooth, 1200 fps can be reached with good lube.

But in the real world 900-1000 fps is plenty for 9 BHN of the WW mix I used. I shipped Mr. Preace a bunch of these soft bullets & that's 'bout what he found.

I do agree with you that the tin is the glue that holds everything together. Standard casting alloy uses 2% tin & that seems to be plenty with 92% lead & 6% antimony. Bullets cast from this mix will air cool to 15 BHN & will hold together like bubble gum pretty much regardless into which they are fired.

Blammer, those hollow points are great!!!
what moulds do you use? and what temp do you cast at?

NOE is the mould maker and I cast when the lead melts.

I don't track temp, just cast. When they come out right just keep on keepin on.

Love your style.

Would you be willing to sell some of these?

I cast bullets for my 9mm, 38Spl, 405 Winchester, 45 Colt and 45-70 all from wheel weights. I have mostly Lee molds, but I do have a couple Lymans. They all get tumble lubed. I size NONE of them. They all shoot bug holes.

The 45-70 gets water quenched. They are real hard, and I have zero problems with leading. Not a real hi-tech sort of process, but it works well for me. Less time at the bench = more time at the range.

Interesting thread. Thanks.

The comments about adding a bit of tin to wheel weight alloy have me thinking-I've got several pounds of plumber's solder which is either 40/60 or 50/50. I think I've got some of each. Sounds like it would be a good idea to add some to the WW's when smelting them down into ingots. What say the leadheads here?

I add tin only if the mold is giving me boolit with less then good fillout! That being said some of my mold I know need just a little tin to make them happy! Clint

The original Lyman #2 alloy was 9lbs of wheel weights to 1 bl 50-50 solder.
Wheel weights have changed alot in the last few years, they're using more tin and antimony,and other stuff that is making ww alloy a good bit harder than it used to be. If you have a good source for wheelweights snap it up, because there's probably nothing better for handgun bullets and even some rifle rounds especially those wearing the little copper diaper on their butt....

Watch it now.

Whazzit gonna do Lyn?? lol

I think that would be a good idea about on pound of your solder to about 10 or 12lbs of your ww alloy.

tin is much more than Cavity fill out, tin give the lead the "toughness" to hold together but expand as needed with out shattering.

sorry, I can't sell any.

Go change a diaper.

I bought 50 pounds of tin in Lyman ingots at the small estate auction of a guy who was a bullet caster. I suspected it was tin by its yellowish cast and took a chance on it- getting it for scrap lead prices. I put the kids in one of our college labs to work assaying it and by golly it all turned out to be nearly pure tin! (And no, I'm not selling any! )

not for sale? ok ? the hard way then, we'll just wait you out and buy it your auction.

Kind of like Tommy Chong following the Doberman around with a baggie?

I guess I shouldn't be selfish. It's probably more than I'll use in the rest of my life. If I part with any I'll let y'all know first.