Lead Shot For Casting Round Balls

[Pioneer flinter]

CAN I USE LEAD SHOTGUN SHOT TO MELT DOWN AND CAST ROUND BALLS

 

[BrownBear]

Sure, but they'll be alloyed slightly making them harder and a slightly different diameter than pure lead. In fact, guys shooting big animals like alloyed balls for less expansion and more penetration. And all you have to do is adjust patch thickness a little to account for the change in ball diameter.

The bigger question is, do you really want to melt down that shot? The stuff is so gosh darned expensive, you're real likely to find folks that are more than happy to swap you pure lead for shot. Heck, you might even come out ahead with more pounds of lead than shot depending on the shot, just cuzz guys with lotsa lead would love to have some good shot. I know if I was anywhere near you I'd happily do a 2 for 1 swap.

Now, you wouldn't happen to be living on an island here in Alaska, would you? If it's the right island, I'd probably buy you lunch to go with a 2:1 swap! :rotf:

Welcome to the forum! :thumbsup:

 

CAN I USE LEAD SHOTGUN SHOT TO MELT DOWN AND CAST ROUND BALLS

Yes, but please stop SHOUTING! :wink:

 

[Stumpkiller]

As BrownnBear said: Shot is harder due to antimony added and may be a workout to load in a rifle. Lead shot goes for $2 a pound. You can buy pure lead from Rotometals for that with shipping included.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

C'mon, Jack. You know most of us old farts around here are deaf in one ear and can't hear out the other.

HH shouting, sure beats me sayin "huh?" :wink:

BTW- WELCOME TO THE FORUM! :thumbsup: GW

 

[Stumpkiller]

Large print for elderly shooters.

 

[BrownBear]

CAN I USE LEAD SHOTGUN SHOT TO MELT DOWN AND CAST ROUND BALLS

As a newcomer, don't let these guys gnawing on each other get under you're hide.

This is a good place with lots of info and good folks, but as a newcomer I'm a little afraid you'll think all of us need to be ignored.

Tain't So!

Now, back to that free lunch we were negotiating.... :grin:

 

[ohio ramrod]

Lead shot has arsenic added to it to help it form uniform shot. It will be harded than pure lead but better than most wheel weights. Myself I would look to trade it for pure lead since shot is so expensive these days. :idunno:

 

[lonehunter]

What size shot do you have?
There are enough smoothbore shooters here that someone may trade you pure lead for your shot.
If #5's or larger send me a PM. :thumbsup:

 

[Linc]

What caliber round balls are you in need of. I'll stand in line and wait my turn. What sized shot and how many pounds do you have? :v

 

[Pioneer flinter]

thank all of you, brown bear I'll have to pass lunch i live in rural n.m. thank you though
the shot i have is #7 1/2 & 9 it was just an idea
i have some old plumbing pipe i am using now
don,t know how long it will last, once the weather
clears up and the mud dries up, i may call the metal scrap yards in albq. and see if they have any thing. as far as yelling i have all ways printed in upper case and i guess it carried over to my keyboard once again thank you, great forum

 

[Pioneer flinter]

right now i have a .36, .45, .50, .54, and a .62
the .62 is a custom hawken replica bueatiful
gun i have yet to shoot i have a lee and lyman mold
the lee cast a .605 and the lyman cast a .597 diam
ball i hope they are not to small, i guess i'll
cross that bridge when i get there. thank you once again

 

[BrownBear]

thank all of you, brown bear I'll have to pass lunch i live in rural n.m. thank you though

I'm with you in spirit, even if too far away for lunch, much less for lead swaps. I grew up down in the boot heel, so we share some roots.

As for your 62 Hawken, it depends on who made the barrel, and therefore actual bore size. Lotta guys actually prefer the smaller ball and thick patches for best accuracy. But some barrels are so small you can't get around them even for ticking because the larger size requires too thin a patch.

Keep us posted!

 

[Greenmtnboy]

CAN I USE LEAD SHOTGUN SHOT TO MELT DOWN AND CAST ROUND BALLS

Yes, but please stop SHOUTING! :wink:

:bull:
No you can't.Jack please stop giving bad advise.
I have tested extensively with hard cast R.B. for full penetration on moose.I have tried shot,wheelweights, and different lead to tin mixes, 30 and 40 to one.
You literally have to Hammer the hard cast balls down your barrel.
Go to Rotometal and buy a few pounds of pure lead it's the best I have found!

 

[David W.]

CAN I USE LEAD SHOTGUN SHOT TO MELT DOWN AND CAST ROUND BALLS

Yes, but please stop SHOUTING! :wink:

:bull:
No you can't.Jack please stop giving bad advise.
I have tested extensively with hard cast R.B. for full penetration on moose.I have tried shot,wheelweights, and different lead to tin mixes, 30 and 40 to one.
You literally have to Hammer the hard cast balls down your barrel.
Go to Rotometal and buy a few pounds of pure lead it's the best I have found!

I agree with pure, soft lead. One of the exceptions is using 000 buck in my .36 caliber rifle. The antimony makes lead somewhat harder, but I have no problem pushing it down the barrel. Shooting squirrel does not require much expansion.

 

[wilded]

I have been shooting Hornady #0 .320 buckshot in my .32 Cherokee for years and it works great. Now Hornady has quit making it. If anybody has any they want to sell please send me a note. ET :idunno:

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I agree with pure, soft lead. One of the exceptions is using 000 buck in my .36 caliber rifle. The antimony makes lead somewhat harder, but I have no problem pushing it down the barrel. Shooting squirrel does not require much expansion.

exactly,
All tho I stopped shooting buck shot out of my Greenmtnbarrels because I couldn't get the hard ball to abturate enough to engage the rifling and accuracy was not good enough for consistent head shoots on bunnies out to 75 yrds.
:thumbsup:

 

[Dphar]

CAN I USE LEAD SHOTGUN SHOT TO MELT DOWN AND CAST ROUND BALLS

They may load a little harder than pure lead but if they load OK accuracy will be excellent.

Dan

 

[Greenmtnboy]

oh that is what I forgote to mention is that accuracy in the lg cal hard cast was half as good.
Ok for close range hunting and heavy loads but 100yrds :hmm:

 

[Dphar]

I agree with pure, soft lead. One of the exceptions is using 000 buck in my .36 caliber rifle. The antimony makes lead somewhat harder, but I have no problem pushing it down the barrel. Shooting squirrel does not require much expansion.

exactly,
All tho I stopped shooting buck shot out of my Greenmtnbarrels because I couldn't get the hard ball to abturate enough to engage the rifling and accuracy was not good enough for consistent head shoots on bunnies out to 75 yrds.
:thumbsup:

If the buckshot would not shoot its likely a fitment problem. But one never knows. Usually accuracy problems are from a too small ball or too thin patch. It might just be that the barrel does not like the diameter. Also a good cast ball will out shoot swaged balls and likely buckshot as well. So it may not the the alloy.

Balls cast from harder alloys, for example, may require a thinner patch than lead balls from the same mould since they cast larger than pure lead. I shoot a .015 linen for WW alloy in my 16 bore rifle and .020 ticking for lead. The accuracy is identical as near as I can tell and if I had to choose I would likely take WW for accuracy.

Dan