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RE: Lead for Casting

All my ML bullets are used with sabots. Wheel weights work great for that, but they don't expand much unless you have a hollow point mold. Everything I have ever read indicates for round balls, maxi or mini balls pure lead is the alloy of choice.

RE: Lead for Casting

To keep it simple and still work the best use your harder lead for bullets in sabots and pure soft lead for all other mz projectiles especially PRB. Lee

RE: Lead for Casting

Quote:

ORIGINAL: HEAD0001

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.

Wheel weights have antimony in them,it makes them hard and brittle.Bullets cast from wheel weights will be brittle.The longer they set up after they are cast the more brittle they become for up to 6 months is what I want to say but I'm not sure anymore about how long but the sooner you shoot them the softer they will be.After a 6 months or so they won't get any harder.There is a book called the Art of Bullet Casting,its several years worth of articles from Handloader Magazine.It can be found at amazon.com.There s not much about muzzle loading but there is a lot about wheel weights and other alloys for casting bullets.I shot hand gun silhouette for a while with wheel weight bullets,the velocityof 44 mag 245gr. bullets isis close to 54 cal round balls out ofmuzzle loaders.They were very brittle.Soft lead tended to flaten out,wheel weights tended to breakup.OK for targets,bad for hunting.Wheel weight roundballs work for practice at the range,but the breakup on bones like shoulder blades.Had one out of a 44 mag breakup on a feral dogs head once at about 30 yards.Killed him again 6 months later with a 308 Norma mag,had a nice scar on his head just above one eye.Lead and tin would work to cast a harder bullet or ball but not wth antimony.You can't get wheel weights hot enough at home with a electric melting pot orpropaneto seperate the antimony and tin from the lead.

RE: Lead for Casting

Who say's WW will not work. I have proof. Tom.

RE: Lead for Casting

Hey HEAD0001, is that a flat base wheel weight, or a hollow base?

RE: Lead for Casting

try using wheel weights with a maxi ball mould. you will need a 4lb. lump hammer to seat the charge after the first shot. that is if your lucky enough to get the first charge down.pure lead is your friend. although not the cheapest route i have melted down boxes of after season clearance round balls and made them into maxi balls and maxi hunters.

RE: Lead for Casting

Ive made round balls out of wheel weights and they didnt work good at all. Its to hard.