The Lead Thread

[timthetoolman]

Since getting my casting stuff a few months ago I have cast over 2000 230g 45, and 2000 127gr 9mm, and several hundred 240gr 44.  A year ago I would have scoffed at all the work that goes into it.  I was happy to pay for jacketed bullets and go straight to finding my "sweet: load.  Nowadays....I am so glad I got into casting and didn't put it off any longer.  I didn't get fancy dies, just the lee TL type for all of my calibers (pistol).  I've been scrounging wheel weights with the help of a buddy.  My dad donated his OLD (over 30 years) Lee pot, and another came by way of a friend in FL.  I'm using Liquid Alox tumble lube.

 

The thing I am trying to figure out now is what to do with all of the pure lead I have.  I have been researching the antimony and tin side of the equation, and for the cost of those items it seems like I am losing alot of the financial advantage of using free lead.  We've had to pay for the wheel weights we've been getting but so far they seem to cast and run well in our firearms.  Any advice on this?  I have over 200 lbs of lead I need to get into ingots and mix up.  Oh, and I can't find a Lee hardness tester in stock anywhere to boot.  We have just been letting the boolits air cool, and havent tried quenching.  Any tips on getting the right hardness?

 

So far no signs of leading, but I plan on doing the chore boy trick, or getting a Lewis Remover if that becomes an issue.  Is leading really that much of an issue for any of you?  I have read recently that some people were casting pure lead and running the rounds at slower velocities???  Could water quenching nearly pure lead get them hard enough?

 

[xd shooter]

As a generla rule of thumb the Marlin microgroove barrels are oversized. The problem that comes with that is trying to get a mould that drops a big enough booilt.

 

For the most part there are none of the common brands of moulds that provide one that is big enough.

 

Look at the ranchdog moulds offered by Lee or look a the group buys on cast boolits.

 

My 45-70 sluggs at .458 & with trying to go to the normal .002 over slug size puts me at .460

 

My .444 slugs at .430 therefore needing a .432.

 

my 30-30 slugs .309

[xd shooter]

Water quenching is something that I havn't looked at in a while ( using clip on WW with no problems)..

 

I do have plenty on the stick on WW ingots that I have been thinking of experimenting with.

If memory serves me correct quenching is helping to harden the Tin &  antimony content, but don't mark my word on that.

 

As far as the old tale of cast boolits not being accurate for any caliber is due to someone not needing to cast boolits.

I have been told aslo that my .444 Marlin & my S&W 41 Mag would not like cast boolits. I guess they havn't actually tried.

[quietmike]

As a generla rule of thumb the Marlin microgroove barrels are oversized. The problem that comes with that is trying to get a mould that drops a big enough booilt.

 

For the most part there are none of the common brands of moulds that provide one that is big enough.

 

Look at the ranchdog moulds offered by Lee or look a the group buys on cast boolits.

 

My 45-70 sluggs at .458 & with trying to go to the normal .002 over slug size puts me at .460

 

My .444 slugs at .430 therefore needing a .432.

 

my 30-30 slugs .309

 

Beagling to the rescue!!!

 

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/MoldMods/BDE.pdf

[jaysouth]

As a generla rule of thumb the Marlin microgroove barrels are oversized. The problem that comes with that is trying to get a mould that drops a big enough booilt.

 

For the most part there are none of the common brands of moulds that provide one that is big enough.

 

Look at the ranchdog moulds offered by Lee or look a the group buys on cast boolits.

 

My 45-70 sluggs at .458 & with trying to go to the normal .002 over slug size puts me at .460

 

My .444 slugs at .430 therefore needing a .432.

 

my 30-30 slugs .309

 

Ranch Dog closed it's doors many months ago and Lee is out of every mold they list.  For what's it's worth, my lee 308-180 drops at .311

[xd shooter]

Other peolpe sell ranch dog, Lee, RCBS, NOE & so & so forth moulds every day used!! I never buy a "new " mould!  I never said Go look for a "new" mould!

Edited April 8, 2013 by xd shooter

[Jamie Jackson]

Moving right along. Break down that pistol and pour some oil down the barrel.



Remember the bullets we cast and air cooled? You didn't lose them did you? Drop one nose first into the chamber.



Gently drive it through.



You should only fell real resistance the first half inch as the rifling engraves upon the bullet. You should be able to lightly peck it on through. What you DON'T want is to pound it. You want it to spin through the barrel as it would if fired. Now measure the bullets major diameter. Add.001-.002 to that and select the appropriate sizer. Many is the time that the figure you get is the as cast diameter. If its on the undersize there is a fix for that. I will address this if there's interest, later as it is a bit involved.








I will answer here, any relevant question on the matter. If I dont know it. We will find it.

 

 

 

I'm bumping this back up as a couple of friends and I have just started casting and powder coating 9mm boolits.

 

Our 6 cavity Lee mold is dumping boolits at .356". Even with powder coating they are coming out at .356"-.357" before sizing.

I initially use a .356" sizing die and found...obviously in hindsight...that the boolits are too small vs bore diameter to stabilize, and some will keyhole.

I now have a .357 sizing die and will try that out.

 

Thanks to Dolomite for putting up with my many questions. :up:

 

 

Caster...or anyone...Is there a fix as Caster mentioned above?

 

I would have thought the powder coating would have given us a .358 or so diameter and therefore a more stable boolit.

 

Any help or ideas are appreciated.

[Jamie Jackson]

btw...this is the mold we are using:

 

http://leeprecision.com/6-cavity-356-125-2r.html

 

 

We are kicking around using this mold for .38's for our 9mm casting...any thoughts?

 

http://leeprecision.com/6-cav-358-125-rf.html

[RED333]

Check out these guys

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=327&osCsid=ttf61qrnc7edkusr1cibf4t2e1

[Hozzie]

DVOR.com has a lot of Lyman things on sale right now, including molds.  I just bought a 147gr 9mm 4 cavity mold and a .358 150 grain SWC 4 cavity mold for about $30 less (total) than on MidwayUSA.  It was also free shipping.  If anyone hasn't signed up before for DVOR, let me know and I will refer you.  Not to be greedy, but I will get a $10 credit for each referred person.  Just send me a PM with your email if you are interested.

 

DVOR is affiliated with OpticsPlanet if I understand it correctly.  Anyway, worth a look as they have a lot of molds and other Lyman stuff on sale.  You can also use the code 10off for $10off of your order I believe.  Of course I forgot to do that when I ordered.

Edited February 15, 2014 by Hozzie

[RED333]

I have a DVOR account as well, get some good deals sometimes.

[Guest nasty]

where do you guys find this much lead?

[Dad03]

Its hard to find decent cheap lead around here unless you know someone in the plumbing, tire changing, etc business. I usally score most of mine on my trips down to FL. I have freinds that dive and always find old cast nets and sinkers on the bottom or in the rocks. Need to flux it a few times but it comes out clean.

[Caster]

where do you guys find this much lead?

If we told you, we'd have to kill you and dispose of your body as flux in the smelting pot.
The smell is pretty stout......

[wileecoyote]

I'm just getting started with casting and in search of lead. From what I read, a 5 gallon bucket full of wheel weights is typically about 1/3 lead and the rest zinc, steel, or junk. So I figured on getting maybe 60+ lbs. of lead from a full bucket after sorting and smelting, thus I planned to pay the provider $30 per bucket based on current scrap prices around $0.50 per lb. for lead. I've visited a few tire shops but they said they have contracts with recycling companies, so I assume they are getting paid for it already. I called a few scrap yards and none of them even answered the phone. Anyone have excess wheel weights or lead they want to sell, or have a tip on sourcing in the Lebanon area?

[kcevans]

I have been casting now for around 8 years and I have to agree with Caster. It is a very rewarding part of the reloading hobby that can save a ton of money, I have my 9mm loads down to $37.00 per thousand. Here are some pictures of my latest creations.

 

[URL=http://s1352.photobucket.com/user/kempevans/media/BressonBlue_zps214042cc.jpg.html][/URL]

 

 

[URL=http://s1352.photobucket.com/user/kempevans/media/GhostGray_zpsc0103231.jpg.html][/URL]

[Caster]

I just bought a 356402 myself! What a wicked lookin thing!!

[Superman]

I'm just getting started with casting and in search of lead. From what I read, a 5 gallon bucket full of wheel weights is typically about 1/3 lead and the rest zinc, steel, or junk. So I figured on getting maybe 60+ lbs. of lead from a full bucket after sorting and smelting, thus I planned to pay the provider $30 per bucket based on current scrap prices around $0.50 per lb. for lead. I've visited a few tire shops but they said they have contracts with recycling companies, so I assume they are getting paid for it already. I called a few scrap yards and none of them even answered the phone. Anyone have excess wheel weights or lead they want to sell, or have a tip on sourcing in the Lebanon area?

I haven't got any that had less than 50% lead after smelting yet, but it all depends on where you get your lead. I know we still use lead weights and atleast one of the tire stores in town still uses lead weights. The dealers and walmart are using zinc or steal, not sure what Gateway tire uses. I have also been seeing some plastic wheel weights lately.

 

Keep asking around, you may find a shop or 2 that will just give you the lead. Hit up the dealerships, I get free lead from 2 dealerships. One of them doesnt hardly do any tires, takes a year to get a full bucket from them, but the other I get a full bucket every 3-4 months or so.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Superman