What kind of lead for molding conicals?

[Ethan Grotheer]

Hey all,
Just curious. Planning to buy a group of maxi ball molds and I have a close friend who decided to melt down a ton of wheel weights last Christmas into small cupcake size pieces abd gave it to me for just this thing one. And I have like literally 60# of this stuff so my question is is this suitable lead for molding conicals or are there additives that I'll need melt in with it?

Thanks from a rookie,
Ethan

 

[mooman76]

Pure soft lead for conicals. WW lead can be used for RBs. The stick on WW lead if kept separate is suitable for conicals. It is soft. No additives needed although a tiny bit of tin wouldn't really make it harder but helps the lead flow better for fill out in the moulds.

 

[doggoner]

Korde

Lyman #2 alloy is almost the universal standard for casting lead projectiles. You take 9 pounds of the WW lead and melt one pound of 50/50 solder with it and you will have a mixture that is VERY close to being Lyman #2. WW lack tin and the 50/50 solder adds that to the mix. I've cast with this mix for 20 years or so and have always been pleased with the results, Of course I must put is the disclaimer of YMMV. Good luck with your casting adventures.

doggoner

 

[necchi]

I'm sure your friend had fun and meant well when he melted and cast those ingot, but Mooman is right, you should use pure soft lead.
Your WW lead is already an unknown alloy of possibly several "additives".
There is nothing you can add to it to make it pure soft lead and you can't cook/skim the additives out of it. It's an alloy now, the lead can't be separated without multi million dollar machines running 20 ton batches.
Use your WW lead for ball, there are those out there that will tell you it's probably too hard for that too, but you can use it in a pinch

 

[ohio ramrod]

wheel weights used to be fairly consistant, but not anymore. Hopefully his were older and not too bad.For hollow based mini's I have found that the harder lead tends to "break" off the skirt rather than expand it. :idunno:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Lyman #2 alloy is almost the universal standard for casting lead projectiles.

Yes!....but that's for cartridge guns.....
A muzzleloader conical should be pure lead or as close as possible in hardness.....because you have to engrave the rifling into the bullet.
Unless you are a slug gun shooter or you are sizing or possibly paper patching like Idaho Ron.

If you do want to stiffen up the mix for whatever reason....I have had good luck adding 95/5 solder to the mix......

 

[nkbj]

Some people have found the maxis work for them when cast from wheel weights. My suspicions are that it's just a matter of having absolutely the exactly right diameter for a particular rifle.
And the right coning on the muzzle.
And a really good over powder wad.
And a jimdandy handy plastic mallet.
And luck.

For casting muzzleloader bullets I use soft metal. A batch of lead is made up and I make work what I got. Sometimes more powder and sometimes less. Sometimes I tinker with adding tin but usually to no purpose other than to get the mold to fill out better.
For patched round ball I'm not above using whatever scrap I've got, including the pile of mystery metal that's hard to get to fill out in a complicated shaped bullet mold cavity. A really hot casting temperature can get a smooth round ball from most anything I can melt down. Then I figger out how to get it to shoot. Sometimes hardened ball just up and volunteers to shoot good groups.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Some people have found the maxis work for them when cast from wheel weights. My suspicions are that it's just a matter of having absolutely the exactly right diameter for a particular rifle.
And the right coning on the muzzle.
.

Yep! that what I meant by....

or you are sizing

One thing about this sport is....something always works for somebody... :haha:

 

[Ethan Grotheer]

Oh ok!
See I was just thinking about the alloy issue in the wheel weights after I had posted.

So where is the best source for me to get soft enough lead?

 

[tenngun]

I get mine from turkey foot traders from mo,14 oz at a time, and larger blocks,25lbs at a time from buffalo bullet company out of montana I think.

 

[mzloder]

For my pure lead needs I've been buying it here:
http://rochesterleadworks.com/

 

[fleener]

give it a try and see if you like it or not.

I use a lead/tin mix of 20/1 and as much as 16/1 for my conicals.

Fleener

 

[Spikebuck]

So where is the best source for me to get soft enough lead?

www.rotometals.com

This company has always shipped fast and it's easy ordering online. Many different lead alloys available...and other metals. They have 10%+ off sales quite frequently and free shipping over $99.

Right now, $10.99/5# ingot 99.9% pure lead.

 

[BrownBear]

Lyman #2 alloy is almost the universal standard for casting lead projectiles.

I've used Lyman #2 as my standard for cartridge bullet casting for about a million years and a bazillion bullets. But it only made it into the casting pot once for muzzleloading conicals.

What a bleeping mistake that was!!!!! :rotf:

Couldn't start the TC Maxi or REAL conicals down the bore with a running start and a large hammer. From what I could see, skirted minies didn't expand in the slightest either.

Pure lead. Beginning, middle and end of story unless you're doing paper patch. Then some folks do a very mild alloy. Idaho Ron has it down to a fine science.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I suspect some of the people using hard alloys to make conicals are actually using sabots to shoot them.... :nono:

 

[necchi]

Idaho Ron has it down to a fine science.

:thumbsup:
Absolutely, find his posts and topics,, he's shared a ton of high quality info with us.

 

[Vaino]

If I had 60 lbs of WW lead, I'd use it as is. What can go wrong? So it's a little inconsistent or too hard...so what. After casting a few from the WW lead, mike the dias and then load 'em up, check for "fit" in the bore and shoot. Why waste that much lead....doesn't make any sense?.......Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

If I had 60 lbs of WW lead, I'd use it as is. What can go wrong? So it's a little inconsistent

Almost everything can go wrong.
I have a friend who owns the tire shop where I trade. He is an avid modern bullet caster. Until recent years he always had a ready supply of wheel weights he used for his personal casting. But, these days, he says (and he should know) there are many unknown materials used for making wheel weights. He no longer can use them for his purposes. He now is like the rest of us, having to scrounge for lead, soft or hard.
Bottom line: Based on his experience, wheel weights not reccomended for casting, especially for our ml avocation.

 

[BrownBear]

If I had 60 lbs of WW lead, I'd use it as is. What can go wrong? So it's a little inconsistent or too hard...so what. After casting a few from the WW lead, mike the dias and then load 'em up, check for "fit" in the bore and shoot. Why waste that much lead....doesn't make any sense?.......Fred

I agree with you completely on round balls which are patched, but the question is about conicals which have to fit the bore or expand to do so (minies).

Wheel weights are simply bad juju for conicals. Although it would be great fun to watch you try to seat just one! op:

 

[Kylongrifle]

Pure lead, I get my lead from one of the local scrap yards..they have it separated. I buy roof flashing for about .50 cents a pound. Its dead soft, I just smelt it down and pour my own ingots. Last trip I ended up with about 30 pounds of pure lead ingots for about $15..