Extra Hard Lead Shot?

[Rató:rats]

Hi guys
Picked up 25lbs of #6 today. The label reads Extra Hard. Will this be safe in my .62 Colerain barrel? What does extra hard denote?
All help appreciated.

 

[megasupermagnum]

Yes it is safe. I'm not familiar with Hummason, but it is likely a 6% antimony shot like many other "magnum" hard shots like Lawrence.

 

[Eutycus]

6% antimony? That's about "wheel-weight" hard isn't it? Or is it tin they use for hardness?

 

[megasupermagnum]

6% antimony? That's about "wheel-weight" hard isn't it? Or is it tin they use for hardness?

Clip on wheel weights can, and have varied, but in general they are considered 2.5% or 3% Antimony, and a tiny bit of tin, maybe 0.5%. Both tin and antimony add hardness to a lead alloy, but antimony adds far more hardness per amount. For example, 16-1 alloy is 16 parts lead, 1 part tin. That comes out to be 6% tin, and is about 11 BHN for hardness. Compare that to hardball alloy which is 6% antimony and 2% tin, for a BHN of 16.

 

[Rató:rats]

Yes it is safe. I'm not familiar with Hummason, but it is likely a 6% antimony shot like many other "magnum" hard shots like Lawrence.

Awesome, thanks. I was worried. Hummason is a small reloading supplies importer and manufacturer here in southern Ontario.

 

[NorthFork]

Yes it's safe. Has a higher antimony content. Usually patterns better due to less deformation and penetrates game a touch better due to once again less deformation. Just don't shoot steel (actually soft iron) shot and hevishot/tungsten without a shot cup. Any lead shot including copper or nickel plated shot and bismuth is safe without a shot cup.

 

[Sidney Smith]

As was said to me once hard lead shot is still orders of magnitude softer than the steel of the guns barrel. You should be fine.