what to use instead of lead balls

[Tom A Hawk]

or even if they asked you to swear you were complying? are you going to compound your misdemeanor, with a Felony?

Serious?? A felony over a damned lead ball?

 

[deerstalkert]

no Tom, the felony would occur when asked if it was a compliant non lead load and one responded yes, when in fact it was lead.
500.00 fine for using lead. 15k/5years for lying to a cop. and Calif F&G wouldn't bat an eye charging you.

 

[deerstalkert]

i was standing on the bank of a lake in LA county, talking to some friends.
Two copchick F&G's came up and were going to cite me for not having my fishing license displayed on my back. were barking orders to my back. Ordering me to show them some ID.
when i turned around both had their hands on their weapons. they turned a little green when they saw the gold badge on my belt.
But, i seriously thought they were going to draw on me, for not having my License displayed on my back!
lost what little respect i had for that agency that day.

one of the many reasons i live in the woods of Idaho!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

i have a chance to go black bear hunting but can,t use lead balls in california what and where do i get a non lead ball???

Rotometal 281 alloy, which is 58% bismuth and 42% tin. You need to get some and cast it, to see where the sights send it. ALL bismuth tends to be brittle, so might shatter upon impact and thus not get the best results. This alloy seeks to cure that...

281 Alloy

LD

 

[deerstalkert]

LD, any idea of the bn hardness?
couldn't see if it was on the web page?
think i will order some for bore lap and mold making.
cast to .50 balls would be 40+- balls for $18+ if it cast 177g balls. hmmm

 

[Tom A Hawk]

no Tom, the felony would occur when asked if it was a compliant non lead load and one responded yes, when in fact it was lead.
500.00 fine for using lead. 15k/5years for lying to a cop. and Calif F&G wouldn't bat an eye charging you.

Thanks. Excellent incentive to not live there. No wonder folks are flocking to Texas.

 

[.36Rooster]

Can you pull a bismuth ball? I would be reluctant to stuff anything down my bore that i cannot pull out, including steel...here's an idea though...how about some modern sabots? Don't they make non-toxic saboted conicals? Throw away the plastic sabot and use a patch..or just use the sabot.

Just remember, our guns are designed for lead and soft materials only...other metals could damage your rifling...i am not sure how much using a patch or sabot mitigates this factor when using other metals...just a thought..

 

[deerstalkert]

i escaped close to 30 years ago and it has only gotten worse! a buddy/family member that joined the department just as i left has his 30 in now.
the shiiiii ah stuff he tells me about is both sickening and frightening.
Yet people in general just go about their lives. amazing species, human kind.
getting back to Jim menckens problem, Jim, if you can't find any commercial nontoxic balls if that is what you want to hunt with, i will cast some alloy balls for you.
But, i read the legislation on the toxic and non toxic ammo in CA. and it appears that to comply, the ammo/balls have to be certified via a fee program they use to bleed manufactures. there is a list of certified manufactures. there is lots of sleeze speak in the law and not sure if balls cast by me and imported by you would be compliant! made my hair stand up reading CA. law again. impossible to decipher in 1982 and still impossible to understand. except for the exemptions for LEO's and other gov't agents.

 

[JamesT]

What is going on here????? I can't help you man but really? This is in the U.S.??

 

[jim mencken]

deerstalkert, i understand .moved here 2 1/2 yrs ago from south fla on my daugthers wishes after my wife passed big mistake . at my age didn't think i would do much hunting thanks for the info tomboboutdoors has balls that will work.need to pack my possibles and move back to america

 

[deerstalkert]

sorry if i went a little berserk earlier, just today is an anniversary of sorts. got a old man worked up about the man he used to be, in a place he used to love. born and raised over the mountains to the west of you. spent many years up and down the length and breadth of California.
i grieve for what it has become.
I am grateful that you can even still hunt black bear there. I talked myself hoarse when the initiative was floated to ban Cougar hunting.
enjoy your time with your daughter and best of luck getting a bear.
PS used to be lots of Black Bear around Kennedy Meadows.

 

[pilot]

What is going on here????? I can't help you man but really? This is in the U.S.??

No, it's in California.

 

[Woody Morgan]

sorry if i went a little berserk earlier, just today is an anniversary of sorts. got a old man worked up about the man he used to be, in a place he used to love. born and raised over the mountains to the west of you. spent many years up and down the length and breadth of California.
i grieve for what it has become.
I am grateful that you can even still hunt black bear there. I talked myself hoarse when the initiative was floated to ban Cougar hunting.
enjoy your time with your daughter and best of luck getting a bear.
PS used to be lots of Black Bear around Kennedy Meadows.

Still are. More black bear all over than folk realize.

wm

 

[wojciste]

i have a chance to go black bear hunting but can,t use lead balls in california what and where do i get a non lead ball???

Having lived in CA...my suggestion is to move.

 

[JamesT]

i have a chance to go black bear hunting but can,t use lead balls in california what and where do i get a non lead ball???

So have you figured it out? Id like to hear your way around using lead. Sounds like a real headache all around but I'm glad people are least hunting still. What are the restrictions on bear hunting like?

 

[mushka]

I was born in California but left in 62 for good. It used to be in the U S but now it's a foreign country.

 

[Griz44Mag]

50 cal 1/48 twist

I have .490 and .495 molds both, and I have CA certified material in stock.
Let me know if I can help you. I can have them in the mail tommorrow.

 

[Griz44Mag]

LD, any idea of the bn hardness?
couldn't see if it was on the web page?
think i will order some for bore lap and mold making.
cast to .50 balls would be 40+- balls for $18+ if it cast 177g balls. hmmm

The BH is 19. I have tested several of the ones I cast a few months ago and the alloy report from ROTO confirms it.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...bullet-alloy-legal-in-lead-ban-states.137615/

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

i have a chance to go black bear hunting but can,t use lead balls in california what and where do i get a non lead ball???

This is a question related to your issue for others that may chime in. Would a lead free solder be doable in casting your own? Would it be too light in weight?
Larry

 

[Griz44Mag]

The .495 balls weigh in at 151gr
I have a pound and a half of material left which will make ~70 balls
I have shot these from my 50 cal Dixie with 75gr 3F and a .010 patch - minute of deer at 75 yards.