Bullet alloy, how soft can you go.

["Big Boston"]

I've been casting most of my bullets with COWW (Clip On Wheel Weight) doped with some tin and a pinch of lino, to make it cast easier. It usually comes out at a BHN of just under 15. IMO a bit harder than needed, but it casts nice, evenly weighted bullets and they satay shiny for a few months. 

 

A few months ago i ran out of lead and bought some softer alloy, called Basic Pistol, COWW mixed 2:1 with pure lead with a small amount of tin. The recipe would be 20# of COWW, 10# of pure lead and 0.5# of tin. The BHN was about 11. It doesn't cast as nicely, needs a bit higher temperature and has a BHN of a bit over 10. It shoots OK, no issues, and  other than a bit harder to cast, it works every bit as good as my harder alloy. 

 

I'm wondering if I could get away with an even softer alloy or pure lead. I've never cast pure lead except for slugs, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with cast bullets with pure lead or soft(ish) alloys, BHN from 5 to 8, thereabouts.

 

BB 

[Lunger Dan]

I wish I could find more softer lead....5 is good for cap and ball-which is what I need. I have plenty of stuff from 8 on up.
For cowboy, Ive sent 8 downrange in .45-with no problems or significant leading,but I do powder coat.

 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

All my pistol bullets for (smokeless) Cowboy AND Wild Bunch are cast at 8-10 BNH.  Even for .45 auto loads.  That's all the hardness needed to be pushed down the barrel with up to about 15,000 PSI chamber pressure. 

 

That means it's about half and half COWW and soft lead.  With 1% by weight of tin.   Most difficulties with cast bullet fill out are better corrected with a little more mold temperature, rather than adding tin.   And for cowboy "minute of steel"  accuracy, perfect bullets are not even necessary.

 

Harder alloy than that, and several of my loads with conventional bullet lube would leave a little lead in barrel, especially the 1911 pistol.  Most cast bullet gurus attribute that to a little bit of gas cutting lead off the shank of the bullet because the bullet is too hard for the low pressure to obdurate the bullet diameter to perfectly fit the barrel.

 

good luck, GJ

[Bailey Creek,5759]

I have been using straight Wheel Weights for 45 years.

In 44-40 and 45 acp. No problems, with Leading.

[Sam Sackett]

I use whatever scrap lead I can get. Old plumbing lead, stick on wheel weights, etc. I run the pot at around 725 and pour away. I get occasional rounded driving bands and bases, but they still shoot good enough for our distances. I have even used pure lead sheeting. Most of our loads are light so as to be soft shooting. I think more problems arise from having bullets too hard and getting blow by from them not obdurating  enough to seal in the bore. 
 

Just my two pennies. 
Sm Sackett 

[Painted Mohawk SASS 77785]

I cast & use close enough to pure lead in .45,. 38 ,44-40 ,38-55 ,45-70 & have had no problems.

[BLACKFOOT SASS #11947]

Don't forget that the BULLET SIZE is very importat also.

Blackfoot

["Big Boston"]

13 hours ago, Painted Mohawk SASS 77785 said:

I cast & use close enough to pure lead in .45,. 38 ,44-40 ,38-55 ,45-70 & have had no problems.

 

Do you need a higher casting temperature? Is mold fill out an issue? 

 

I'll give it a try, just didn't want to waste time tying something that doesn't work. 

 

BB

 

Random comments:

 

Powder coating or Hi-Tek coating works well. Almost as effective as a gas check. Lessens the effect of blowby, less gas cutting

 

Obturation: I'm not sure it even is a thing, or if it does exist that it even applies to cowboy ammo. 

 

Some lubes work somewhat better than others, buy with cowboy ammo, smoky old NRA 50/50 will work.

 

Size isn't as important at lower velocities. The window of success is smaller as velocity and pressure increase. If small, a harder bullet works better.

 

An even and round diameter bullet shank works better than a oblong or out of round one, to a degree. 

 

Oversized cylinder throats are not a good thing, undersize is not good either, but undersize can be corrected easier.

 

Overly large chambers, incorrectly sized and unequal cylinder throats do exist, and bore/groove diameters are seldom correct.

 

BB

 

 

[Painted Mohawk SASS 77785]

7 hours ago, "Big Boston" said:

 

Do you need a higher casting temperature? Is mold fill out an issue? 

 

I'll give it a try, just didn't want to waste time tying something that doesn't work. 

 

BB

 

Random comments:

 

Powder coating or Hi-Tek coating works well. Almost as effective as a gas check. Lessens the effect of blowby, less gas cutting

 

Obturation: I'm not sure it even is a thing, or if it does exist that it even applies to cowboy ammo. 

 

Some lubes work somewhat better than others, buy with cowboy ammo, smoky old NRA 50/50 will work.

 

Size isn't as important at lower velocities. The window of success is smaller as velocity and pressure increase. If small, a harder bullet works better.

 

An even and round diameter bullet shank works better than a oblong or out of round one, to a degree. 

 

Oversized cylinder throats are not a good thing, undersize is not good either, but undersize can be corrected easier.

 

Overly large chambers, incorrectly sized and unequal cylinder throats do exist, and bore/groove diameters are seldom correct.

 

BB

 

 

I have a Magma Caster & run the temp  between 690-710..molds fill out evenly & pouring is always consistent..mostly I use pure lead flashing with occasssinal other scrap lead.....I stay away from wheel weights. I do have some 25gram tin ignots that sometimes go in the pot but really as I mentioned I have no worries with basically pure lead. so I stick with that. Initially I did only use for cap n' ball but now use in all my cowboy guns, never had an issue with leading . May not work for others but it does for me.

[Michigan Slim]

I know the Director of Public Works for a small town here. Know him real well in fact.  He gives me lead pipe whenever it is found. Casts nice SASS bullets and round balls as well. Just cast hotter.