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CASTING


Bailey Creek,5759

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I have been getting Wheel Weights for years for Bullet Casting.

I usually melt the weights in a 20 pound Lyman Pot.

Then i pour the melted lead in a Cup Cake pan, for ingouts . That way when i cast i dont have to mess with the Clips. Also the lead is clean.

Today i was Melting some lead and there is a Bunch on Bullets about half way down the 5 gallon bucket.

There is 38 wadcutters . 

The ones i don't know about is Hollow Basted, weight is 92 Gr, Diam, 0.355 no grease grove. Round tip .

Also flat Bassed Bullet 0.356 Diam, no grease grove Round tip .

Are these made for 38 Colt? Anyone know?

I am not going to melt them down.

 

 

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There are still plenty of lead wheel weights in circulation.

I recently got a five gallon bucket of weights from a local garage for $20.

It was 85%-90% lead with the balance being a mixture of zinc and steel.

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Are your mystery bullets soft or really hard?  If you can make a dent in an edge with your thumbnail they should be usable; just cast them into a shape and caliber you prefer.  Otherwise, collect them and melt them as a separate batch then use the ingots you make from them mixed in with your other lead... just one way to salvage the metal.

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1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

FYI, today wheel weights are made of Zinc.

OLG 

Far from all. A lot of shops around here still use lead. I melt a ton of them. I also work part time for an auto dealership group. Yep, they use lead too.

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2 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

FYI, today wheel weights are made of Zinc.

OLG 

 

Some are, some aren't.

 

I have a former student who is the general manager of a tire store.  He lets me have the used wheel weights for nothing.  I just have to pick them up and carry them to the truck.  I then have to sort through them to sort out the zinc, steel, and lead.  Some have codes stamped on them which are dead givaways for content.  The others  you have to check for content.

 

 

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After chasing around for many buckets of WW’s, sorting them out and scooping off the clips and other junk ... gave it up.  Scrap yards with lead sheeting is more productive,  Just alloy it with tin or the WW’s in a 20 lb pot, flux, scrap off the dross and cast away making bullets

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John Boy you maybe correct. I have been shooting Wheel Weights for 45 yrs. No reason to quite now.

I have a 2 inch old speaker magnet that i put a steel handle on.When the lead melts and the clips are on top.

Hold the magnet close to them , pops them rite out of there.

Take your ladle skim off the junk flux , poar in a cup cake pan. let cool 

I have about a ton of wheel weights i have collected over the years. 

Cast in the Winter shoot in the Summer.

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I have cast since 1990 and never a wheel weight.

I get some lead free from work, buy decor and window weights on Craigslist for $.50/#, and pick up lead at the range a couple of times a year for free.

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Long ago, some folks used hollow based bullets for very light 38 loads.  Most dies back then only went to .355 for 92 grains but with the hollow base, they expanded nicely for 38's.  They often used liquid wax to lube them.

 

The solid based were probably for 380 or 9mm but could be used for 38's will a slight lose in accuracy.

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Marauder thank you. I was wondering if ther were for 38 Colt.

I know sometimes the Bores were over sized. And they used Hollow based Bullets.

41 cal, Colts. I thought i read they used Hollow Bases on some 38s.

Don't know how the conversation , was changet to casting.

Think i will keep the Bullets and experiment with then. 

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