Lead for Casting

Sharp Shooter · 07-12-2007, 10:45 PM

My grandpa has some old really big fishing weights. Will these work for casting? Where can I get good casting lead? I am thinking about casting some of my own balls both in 54cal and in 58cal. What else do I need to know?

Thanks

cayugad · 07-12-2007, 10:54 PM

If the old fishing sinkers are pure lead they will work just fine. But are you sure you want to waste them? Lead is getting expensive to purchase. Not only has the price of metal gone sky high but as you are aware, so has shipping been on the increase.

If you have a source for lead, that is the best. Any one you know does roofing? Ask them if they ever come across lead sheeting for valleys and flashing. Also plumbers get lead pipe from time to time still in old houses and when water pipes are torn up. While this is dirty lead, it is able to be cleaned and still used.

So if you have a source for lead, then all you need is the molds, melting pot, ladel, skimmer, bees wax, mold lube, heat source, and make a dump box. Lee makes a nice .530 mold that can get you started. I do not think they make a .570 mold but they do make a .575 mold.

Pioneer2 · 07-12-2007, 11:04 PM

You realize you need pure lead for muzzleloader casting.Lee makes a lead hardness tester.Can you easily scratch the fishing weights with your fingernail?Wheel weights are much harder to mark.I aquired about 300lbs of lead from old pipe wrap at a local hospital that would have cost them afortune to get rid of as it's considered a hazardous waste.Plumbing companies salvage scape lead from old job sites that they upgrade.Try them.Don't mess with old car batteries as these are more dangerous than they are worth.[acid/chemicals etc...........].54 conials Lyman/TC Maxis you get 15 rounds per lb of lead more for a 230gr ball no doubt.I've just got into this myself but it's not too hard to learn.You can start out with a Lee electric pot that holds 10lbs or a simple gas camp stove and casting pot.Lots of fun and cheaper than buying factory projectiles............harold

HEAD0001 · 07-12-2007, 11:45 PM

Pure Lead is not necessary for modern ML's.Pure lead will obturate slightly better than WW at MZ velocities, and some old timer's say the really soft barrel's(old MZ'S) require softer lead. The steel used in modern barrels is easily strong enough to resist barrel erosion. Just shovel up some wheel weight's off your local tire store floor. WW will work just fine in a ML. Tom.

wabi · 07-13-2007, 06:44 AM

Being a plumber I run across some lead in my business. The old cast iron pipe had joints that were caulked with lead to seal them, and lead pipe was often used for toilet flanges. I save it all and use the "thumbnail test" to determine it's suitability - if you can scratch it with your thumbnail (actually a deep scratch, not just a mark on the surface) it's close to pure. When you melt it for casting just heat it well beyond the melting point andany alloys an impurities will separate and float to the top. Skim them off, re-flux and cast.

Pioneer2 · 07-13-2007, 12:34 PM

According to Lyman only pure lead for muzzleloaders.Wheel weights can be usedfor balls [undersized but not generally recommended]............That's what I was told? Harold

cayugad · 07-13-2007, 12:47 PM

To each their own, but I never use wheel weights for muzzleloader projectiles. The old fellow that taught me, used to use wheel weights, but said be sure to scrub the bore with a brush and solventafter each trip to the shooting range,to get the lead out.

I casted today and I could not believe how perfect the things turned out. I weighed 10 .50 caliber roundball and eight of them weighed 178.2 and the other two weighed 178.3. The REAL conicals all weighed between 326.6 and 327.2 which is outstanding. I can't wait to shoot them. I also casted some .530 & .535 ball for the .54 caliber. I suspect my Lyman Trade rifle might like the .535 because when I was shooting it the other day, it seemed to load really easy with a .530 roundball, so we will see if it likes a tighter load.

I casted for six hours and my poor old body is not used to sitting on a hard wood chair for that long, so I decided that was enough for one day. I sure went through a lot of lead today...

whitetaildreamer · 07-13-2007, 01:58 PM

A plumber friend of mine gave me a 15 foot 2 in. soft lead pipe about 10 years ago. A six in piece fills my Lee electric pot. I still have almost half left. The soft lead pipe makes for great casting.

nchawkeye · 07-13-2007, 11:48 PM

I get lead from my dentist...When they x-ray your teeth, that plastic thing they put in your mouth has pure lead inside...He saves his and give it to me free...

eldeguello · 07-14-2007, 06:24 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Sharp Shooter

My grandpa has some old really big fishing weights. Will these work for casting? Where can I get good casting lead? I am thinking about casting some of my own balls both in 54cal and in 58cal. What else do I need to know?Thanks

Some people will argue with me about this, but for general, normal, everyday use, muzzleloader bullets/balls should be cast from pure, soft lead of around 5 on the Brinell hardness scale. Even regular wheelweights, as soft as they are, tend to be too hard. The problem with the harder alloys comes when loading. Harder stuff will result in cut patches, or conicals like a MaxiBall that arehard to start, and almost need to be pounded down onto the powder.

Yes, harder alloys can be used if cast undersize for your bore and shot with thick patches, BUT the patch will not grip the harder balls sufficiently to ensure they spin, and hard projectiles will not swage up (obturate) at ML pressure levels, so accuracy cansuffer. Perhaps up to 50 yards or so, such projectiles will shoot well enough to kill deer.......