NerdLord

I hope it was/is blocked, but out here on the left coast (both when you look at a map and politically) the state has defied the federal on numerous occasions ("sanctuary cities, pot, etc) so I expect a decision like that will be treated like a fart in church (excuse my crudeness).
Antimony tends to make alloys hard, my '58 Remington using a howel conversion cylinder calls for 'lead cowboy ammo' but it's hardness is 15 (lead is 7) with 3-5% antimony, I try to keep things cast as close to lead as possible because I don't want to start chewing up the rifling.
I know bismuth is too brittle, tin should make it hold together better, but it starts getting harder as a result, antimony would be harder still...sorry, copper would be way to hard and too high a temp to melt in my small furnace (lee bottom pour IV) plus i've been doing lead in it already I'm afraid anything else would get contaminated but that shouldn't really matter.

The state has a PDF form to get non lead certified, but it's really meant for commercial sellers not private individuals (even though there are boxes to check for just that purpose).

Guess there is no other choice but to get a pound, cast a few and see how it goes at the range, if it works send in the form with all my t's crossed and I's dotted and hope for the best...

Muley Hunter

It's rare the feds will override state laws.

NerdLord

Got a response from CA fish and game, that form I mentioned IS the one to use to get a cert for home castings.
Now I need to find a soft alloy that I can use.
I did some checking,
...newer pennies are copper clad zinc that amounts to 97.5%/2.5% and 2.5 on the moh's scale hardness....
...english pewter, (cheap at thrift stores) is 91% tin, 1-1.5% copper, 7.5-8% antimony...
...Pewter is traditionally composed of 85–99% tin, mixed with copper, antimony, bismuth, and sometimes lead,
...lead gives pewter has a bluish tint...
...Pewter has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C (338–446 °F), depending on the exact mixture of metals...
(quoted from wikipedia)

hunters_life

NerdLord, If that Bismuth Tin mixed Ingot from Roto messes up your rifling, then you shouldn't be shooting that rifle. It would take a much harder alloy to hurt a quality steel barrel under shooting conditions. Solid copper won't hurt a barrel in the least. Even brass, under shooting conditions, won't harm your rifling one ioata. Now if your barrel was Damascus I would be concerned with just about everything other than lead.

jeepkid

This lead-free law is the law that will make me an outlaw. I will not be following it here. And basically everyone I know that don't hunt inside the "condor zone" won't be following it either. The Wardens were even against it.

NerdLord

thanks, this GPR was my first muzzleloader and have been shooting it for 22+ years now and I admit to being a bit paranoid about damaging it but does a copper load as easily as a lead? seems silly to need a mallet for each shot.

although, since I've gotten a GPR in cap version, I was wondering 'do I really need both a cap and flinter?' buyer's remorse, seen the cap for a good price and got it without thinking

Oldtimr

Bismuth tin will fragment, while it works well in shot, I would not consider it for a bullet or ball.

hunters_life

It's not as fragile as some tend to think Oldtimr. The reason most feel it's fragile is because they have experienced that mix with chilled shot. If you chill it, it is very fragile. You let it air cool and it is actually much less fragile.
NerdLord, you must have gotten some copper bullets that were a bit over sized for your barrel. When it comes to copper solids, you will more than likely need to get a sizing die. Not an expensive investment and in all reality a necessary one. Most all barrel makers that I have come across vary in barrel dimensions by as much as .004 difference from each other. Some are even more.

NerdLord

Wasn't there a RB plastic cup (like a shotgun shot cup) out once?
I remember seeing it but haven't been able to find it now.
I was thinking wouldn't the plastic have enough elasticity to mold into the lands but not let the hard ball touch the barrel?
It's shown in the Lyman owners manual for the GPR. how a lead round ball gets slightly deformed where it, the patch and the barrel touch around the equatorial region of the RB.
So, reasonable to think an RB small enough not to come into that close of contact for that to happen would need a thicker, more elastic quality patch (where I remember seeing those cups) could be usable.

or maybe I'm just over thinking the whole thing...

Gm54-120

Yes, Hornady used to sell them for their "hard balls"

Hornady #: 6752

BTW when i mentioned copper it had nothing to do with loading them bare. A light .451 copper bullet might work in a SABOT. Since its a real RB twist you would want to try the 160gr. Anything slower than 1-48 though is probably a waste of time.