Wheel weight lead question

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This is a stretch, but just in case...

I learned empirically that "pure" WW projectiles can shatter at terminal velocities approaching 1200fps, in tough media. Probably unlikely in BP firearms. Unless you stumble upon a grizzly sow and cub in the deep forest...
 
Master Blaster said:
This is a stretch, but just in case...

I learned empirically that "pure" WW projectiles can shatter at terminal velocities approaching 1200fps, in tough media. Probably unlikely in BP firearms. Unless you stumble upon a grizzly sow and cub in the deep forest...
Click to expand...

Pure ignorance.
 
Master Blaster said:
This is a stretch, but just in case...

I learned empirically that "pure" WW projectiles can shatter at terminal velocities approaching 1200fps, in tough media. Probably unlikely in BP firearms. Unless you stumble upon a grizzly sow and cub in the deep forest...
Click to expand...
now i have heard it all! guess i had better go back and check all the animals i have shot these last 50 years. I drove a .45 cal wheel weight bullet through both shoulders of an elk, recovering it under the skin on the off side. other than a slightly bent nose i could have loaded it again.
i have had super hard alloy shatter on steel but you are talking 22-28 Bhn.
 
Master Blaster said:
This is a stretch, but just in case...

I learned empirically that "pure" WW projectiles can shatter at terminal velocities approaching 1200fps, in tough media. Probably unlikely in BP firearms. Unless you stumble upon a grizzly sow and cub in the deep forest...
Click to expand...
Wow ``Can Shatter`` have never had that happen but will bear it in mind. Retrieved a .303 British bullet from just under the skin on the far side of a Red Deer a couple of weeks ago that had shattered. May have to stop using those, though Millions of Deer have been shot with them here. My understanding was if any bullet hits something hard enough it will probably shatter.
 
I have to agree,here to many make the most simple queation ,into rocket science.Afterall the was and is a primitive way to shoot,,back the,,and even now what was the differnce in knowing how hard your darn lead was?and besides what could you do about it ?its like complaining about the gouverment?If something works ,,for you and you like it then,,use it,,I found that the hard lead was a bit sma;;er not bigger when cast,,and at the time i was shootin the gray squirrels who never complained about how hard the lead was,,but!big game and round ball you want the soft stuff wich is all I use ,no wheel weight ,,but in my 57/70s i do use a wheel weight and works very good,,nuff said from me
 
Good to hear this.
I'm very new to traditional muzzleloaders.
I have a mold on the way, and a few hundred pounds of wheel weight ingots that I use for those evil self contained cartridges I sometimes shoot. It's good to know they're fine for round balls.
I do plan to get a Lee Improved Minie mold for my .58 cal.

Question for you casters.
Has anyone used the flat stick on wheel weights? They're darn near pure lead. I know the clip ons are substantially harder, but what about the stick on variety?
 
Arkansas Paul said:
Good to hear this.
I'm very new to traditional muzzleloaders.
I have a mold on the way, and a few hundred pounds of wheel weight ingots that I use for those evil self contained cartridges I sometimes shoot. It's good to know they're fine for round balls.
I do plan to get a Lee Improved Minie mold for my .58 cal.

Question for you casters.
Has anyone used the flat stick on wheel weights? They're darn near pure lead. I know the clip ons are substantially harder, but what about the stick on variety?
Click to expand...
I just have a couple of buckets of mixed wheel weights of all sorts. Toss them in the heating pot, skim off the metal clips and anything else that has not melted and then cast.
For my 50`s I use .490-wheel weight cast round ball and .495 if using soft lead. For my 58`s it`s .562 Wheel weight balls and .570 if soft lead. All with Ticking patch. Generally, all my shooting with the 58`s is with Wheel weight balls, that's target and hunting.

For the Minie you will want soft lead.
 
Arkansas Paul said:
Good to hear this.
I'm very new to traditional muzzleloaders.
I have a mold on the way, and a few hundred pounds of wheel weight ingots that I use for those evil self contained cartridges I sometimes shoot. It's good to know they're fine for round balls.
I do plan to get a Lee Improved Minie mold for my .58 cal.

Question for you casters.
Has anyone used the flat stick on wheel weights? They're darn near pure lead. I know the clip ons are substantially harder, but what about the stick on variety?
Click to expand...
I like the flat stick on weights because they are softer, but I usually end up with the harder ones. 🙁
 
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To bring up several points mentioned earlier. Newer clip on wheel weights mostly come from China and they have a multitude of unknown elements in them, including a lot of zinc some tin some other unknown metals. Melting those for casting one runs the chance of developing "metal fume fever" not something I am willing to chance nowadays.
The second question regarding stick on wheel weights, yes they are a lot softer than clip on weights mostly lead and will cast without the fume problem and about the hardness of Lyman #2 at least that has been my experience with them. For a good source of soft lead is a place that repairs & scraps sail boats. The keels are always pure lead. YMMV
 
not sure what I got into but the last batch of WW I got into I couldn't melt, they just turned into a frothy mess in no way castable. I'll stick to salvaged stuff from the recycle metal buyers, sorties from target berms and gifts from benevolent competitors, and of course prizes...
 
Zinc. No doubt.
If you stay on top of it, you can get the zinc out. It melts at a higher temp than lead. They'll float to the top, so there will be a point when the lead melts and the zinc can simply be skimmed out. I try to sort before smelting but occasionally one makes it in the pot.
If one zinc weight melts, the whole pot is trash. Unless you make cannon balls. I've heard they use zinc for those.
 
A very old man told me, kid and I'm 68, if you want to use wheel weight lead here's what you do..melt down a big batch and pour it in a cardboard tube..peal off the paper..it separates..lead, tin ,zinc..saw on the lines..do the same with pewter...been collecting since last year..gonna try it soon..
 
I'll add that with big WW RBs I use a ball & patch combo that is tight enough it has to be started down bore with a small rubber tire hammer that is carried in my bag. On firing no obturation is needed since the patch is already engraved into the ball.

Also, I haven't had WW shatter on non-metal targets. A modern 3.5" smoothbore nitro handload shooting a .690 WW RB at 2000 fps, drove through a 10" dried pine fire log and buried 1" deep into a second. It flattened the front to 1/2 the ball diameter but didn't break off or crack. I've never recovered a hard ball from a hog.
 
Arkansas Paul said:
Zinc. No doubt.
If you stay on top of it, you can get the zinc out. It melts at a higher temp than lead. They'll float to the top, so there will be a point when the lead melts and the zinc can simply be skimmed out. I try to sort before smelting but occasionally one makes it in the pot.
If one zinc weight melts, the whole pot is trash. Unless you make cannon balls. I've heard they use zinc for those.
Click to expand...
I am not going to risk Metal Fume Fever for some cheap wheel weights. I had a friend die from complications of it. His name was Paw Paw Wilson (Jim). If you don't believe me google him.
Inhaling large amounts of zinc (as zinc dust or fumes from smelting or welding) can cause a specific short-term disease called metal fume fever, which is generally reversible once exposure to zinc ceases. However, very little is known about the long-term effects of breathing zinc dust or fumes.
 
bpd303 said:
I am not going to risk Metal Fume Fever for some cheap wheel weights. I had a friend die from complications of it. His name was Paw Paw Wilson (Jim). If you don't believe me google him.
Inhaling large amounts of zinc (as zinc dust or fumes from smelting or welding) can cause a specific short-term disease called metal fume fever, which is generally reversible once exposure to zinc ceases. However, very little is known about the long-term effects of breathing zinc dust or fumes.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I sort the best I can to get them out before anything goes into the pot.
Every now and then one makes it past my eyes though, but if you pay attention, you scoop them out long before they reach melting temperature.
 

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