What gives with the weight of some newly aquired lead

[Grey Hawk]

I wound up with a half a standard pail (about 75-100 pieces)full of old net weights. They are approx 1.5 inch tall about 1 1/4 wide with a 3/4 inch hole down the middle. By volume and appearance I should be able to get about 5 - .490 rb's BUT! The weight of a store bought rb is approx 177ish. The weights weigh approx 425ish on average. Doing the math by volume vs. by weight I should get only 2 - 3 rb's per weight. Do I have pure lead, they are very soft and the store bought rb's seem much harder. Is pure lead this lite weight. I used my reloading electric digital scale FYI. Regardless it should expand well upon impact. I just wanted to get an opinion as to the significant differance in the weight.

 

[paulvallandigham]

A 3/4" hole removes a lot of lead. I don't doubt that they may be soft. If you can dent the lead with a thumb nail, its probably soft. The only way to really know is to casta a couple of round balls, and then weigh the balls on your scale. IF they come out 175-177 grains, they are pure lead.

The other way to test them is to slowly hammer a piece to flatten it. Pure lead stretches but does not tear very much. Lead with antimony in it is more brittle, and it quickly develops cracks around the edges. That makes Pure lead more " maleable.".

If those weights have tin, antimony,or zinc in them, you won't be able to score them with your thumbnail.

 

[tg]

Typicaly wheel weight lead is harder and lighter than sheet lead and other "lead" items. I have heard differnt opinions about useing wheel weights for rifle use, many do use it for smoothbores, I think if you used a proper patch, that insured that the ball was insulated from the barrel wall, rifling, the harder stuff would not touch the bore. There will likely be some posts comming up with first hand experience, that will provide more than thoughts on this topic.

 

[Bountyhunter]

The thumbnail test is quantitative. The average human fingernail is about 12B, and the nails of a working man may go 14B. Therefore, scratching something with a fingernail tells you that it is LESS THAN 12/14B. Since pure lead is about>>>7B?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Granted, the thumbnail test is a rough test, but what are you realistically going to be able to :hmm: do at a scrapyard? Are you going to take a furnace, or casting equipment, heat some lead up, cast some balls, and then weigh them on a scale at the yard? Whose electricity or propane gas are you going to use?

There are some lead testers that are reasonably portable, and could be taken with you to test lead at the scrapyard. But, I don't know anyone personally who owns one around here. I am not sure the cost is worth the benfit. If you are a commercial caster, then having good testing equipment is part of your business. For the hobbyist, it would fall in the area of luxury spending. With the cost of gasoline being so high at the present time, most working people don't have much money to be buying lead testers.

 

[omarick1948]

Had an old boy show a method he used! He would take a piece of patch material or heavy woven ticking and place it on a piece of lead scrap and laying everything on a hard surface, give it a light tip with a metal hammer. Remove the cloth and if you could easily see the fabric weaving embedded on the lead. The lead was plenty soft for shooting in M/L'rs.....seemed to work for him!

 

[R.M.]

Horner, that seems like a great test. I'll have to remember that one.
Bountyhunter, I believe that pure lead is 5 BHN, for whatever difference it makes. :thumbsup:

 

[pchwcf50110]

i guess i live extravagantly because i have a LBT hardness tester. :wink: it comes in very handy when scrounging lead and lead alloys. you can figure out what is WW, tin/lead, or pure. i never purchase lead/lead alloys because with a little effort i can always seem to scrounge some up.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I work in a feed mill so I am not a rich as say a lawyer :stir:
I own a cabin tree tester. A scrounger can't afford NOT to own a tester. I got HOSED on several lead deals and said NO MORE!
The best test for hardness without a tester is drop the ingot onto the cement. If it rings it is hard. If it thuds it is soft. I agree I can scratch lead that is up to 12 BHN. I don't want that hard of lead. Ron

 

[jtmattison]

Not sure about your volume/weight formula but all you have to do is melt it down and cast some balls. If a .490 ball weighs 177 grains then your lead is pure. Anything significantly lighter and it is not pure.

HD

 

[Grey Hawk]

I like it, KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. Will run somne this weekend and post the results.

Thanks to all

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I work in a feed mill so I am not a rich as say a lawyer :stir:
I own a cabin tree tester. A scrounger can't afford NOT to own a tester. I got HOSED on several lead deals and said NO MORE!
The best test for hardness without a tester is drop the ingot onto the cement. If it rings it is hard. If it thuds it is soft. I agree I can scratch lead that is up to 12 BHN. I don't want that hard of lead. Ron

you are so right
where do I get the best tester for the money?
:hmm:

 

[Idaho Ron]

I like my cabin tree tester a lot. It is very accurate. I was involved in a lead hardness test with a BUNCH of other guys. Mine was right in there with the rest of them and I had only used it a few times at the time of the test. I got hosed so bad on lead I am ashamed to even talk about it. Live and learn. Ron

 

[Grey Hawk]

Ok the news is in, I made 10 RB for test and weighed them on my electronic scale.
Average of the 10 was 171gr...so not pure....HOWEVER it was a .490 Lee Dbl mold.
Each one of the rbs was approx .485 by Micro.

Somebody please splain this to me.

Would that little bit of missing lead bring my average up to a 177ish.

I loaded and shot 3rbp / 50gr of 2f @ 50 yards.

Set em solid in the barrel and smacked my spinner target.

Ok for plinking but I want to figure out whats up with the size.

All comments and opinions welcome OBTW this was my first attempt at running ball, so virgin no more, I celebrated with a sandwich and an apple without washing my hands :barf: ...NOT really

 

[paulvallandigham]

If the mold is casting 5 thousandths undersized, you are going to have balls that weigh less than the target amount. I don't know why the mold is casting .485 instead of .490. Call Lee about this. The usual rule is that alloy balls weigh less, but measure slightly larger.( This is because alloyed lead expands as it cools outside the mold.)

 

[Grey Hawk]

I'll call Monday and see what they say.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have a Lee 459-405-HB mould. I use this bullet in my 45 cal Renegade. This mould is supposed to throw a bullet that is 405 gr. Mine with butter soft 5 BHN lead will not throw heavier than 385 gr. I don't care because this mould throws bullets that are amazingly accurate. Paul is right. Hard lead will be lighter, and bigger in diameter. Soft lead will be heavier and smaller in diameter. Did you ever drop an ingot on cement? Ron

 

[mazo kid]

Most of my Lee moulds will throw undersize balls/bullets, FWIW.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

thanks buddy got one orderd

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I have owned several different throwing nets for shrimp and fish (still have one) the weights seem to be soft lead.