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casting my own bullets

brickmaster1248
Im thinking of trying to learn to cast my own pistol bullets. I have a good access to lead and was wondering what if anything do you add to the lead to make it harder. any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • reloader44mag
    Tin.
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  • CryptoChief
    Depending on the quality of the lead you have access to, you might want to think about acquiring some flux to add to the mix to help remove impurities from your melted lead. It's available from MidwayUSA.

    CC
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  • dcs shooters
    Get the Lyman Cast Bullet Manual. It will tell you all you need to know.
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  • bpost
    go to http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/ It is the site for casting. There is enough reading there to keep you very busy for weeks.
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  • jonk
    Depends on what you are shooting them in and how hard the lead is already. Pure lead?

    One common source is scrap wheelweights. They are a bit messy but the alloy blend in them is just right as is for pistol or low to medium velocity rifle rounds.

    Otherwise, yes, Tin or Antimony are what you want to harden up things and help the lead flow better.

    One possible option if you decided that the lead available to you is too soft is to post on the aforementioned cast boolit forum about a swap- many guys will swap 2:1 wheelweight metal for pure lead, and wheelweight metal is good stuff.
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  • CryptoChief
    I agree with jonk. I've used wheel weights for awhile now for my 44 and 357 mag. It's plenty hard, and once you get the slag out, holds up rather nicely. Again, I would employ the use of flux to help get the dirt out.

    CC
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  • haroldchrismeyer
    Wheel weights are good, as long as you get the real lead ones. Usually they are the ones for steel wheels, or truck wheels. The newer wheel weights are made out of zinc. They can still be used, and work fairly well if mixed with lead, but come out very light compared to the lead bullets.
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  • jonk
    If you use pure zinc, it isn't so much a problem- but a little zinc in solution can throw your mix off so that it doesn't fill out right. I can't say how much is too much but have seen it happen- and it is a valid concern.

    If you drop a zinc weight on the ground it tings. A lead one goes thunk.

    Easy enough to segregate.
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