Does wheel weight lead weigh about the same as pure lead? I have about 40 lbs of whl wt lead that I haven't been able to use because I shoot revolvers. I have now purchased a CVA Bobcat and have ordered a .490 Lee mould from Cabelas. I will be able to shoot the whl wt because of the patching but was wondering if it weighed 178 grains or so.
Wheel Weight and Pure Lead Density
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gmww
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Wheel weights are lighter. Also, I don't recomend there use in your Muzzle loader as a replacement for pure lead. They are too hard. Not sure how they would work in a black power revolver.
I have used them in Sabots with good results.
I have used them in Sabots with good results.
They are a combination of tin, lead, and a little antinmy.
It makes it harder and a little "chewy" eaiser to cast, which is what they want when you cast the wheelweights. I use them to cast my own centerfire pistol bullets with good success. I cn make them almost as hard as a jacketed bullet with the addition of linatype.
DON'T US THEM IN A MUZZELOADER.
It's too hard and will cause you big time trouble.
They will not engrave to the lands and groves well. Maybe getting stuck halfway down the barrle and they will also raise the pressure in the rifle, because of the hardness.
I suppose you could melt them and scoop off the tim :hmm:
but I wouldn't take the chance
It makes it harder and a little "chewy" eaiser to cast, which is what they want when you cast the wheelweights. I use them to cast my own centerfire pistol bullets with good success. I cn make them almost as hard as a jacketed bullet with the addition of linatype.
DON'T US THEM IN A MUZZELOADER.
It's too hard and will cause you big time trouble.
They will not engrave to the lands and groves well. Maybe getting stuck halfway down the barrle and they will also raise the pressure in the rifle, because of the hardness.
I suppose you could melt them and scoop off the tim :hmm:
but I wouldn't take the chance
Nope. You have to get it much hotter to seperate out the tin than a "normal" electric furnace or burner plate can handle. I forget exactly the temperature, but it is like 40% more than the lead melts at (just under 700º). Now, if you have the equipment to spin it while it's melted for a few hours you can do it centrifically.
Wouldn't that be nice?
I save wheel weights just in case. They're better than shaping rocks to fit the bore.
Guest
I am going against the flow here.
You are talking about a Bobcat, right?? Not a percision chunk gun or bench rifle.
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Cast them up and shoot them up!!! You are not going to wear out your barrel using 45 pounds of wheel weights. In fact, I'll bet you are hunting for more of it before you use up what you have!!!
There is a layer of cloth between the ball and the bore. Play around with a slightly thinner patch than you might normally use in order to avoid loading difficulties and become the terror of the tin can shooters at your range.
If they cast on the light side it will only be one or two grains, not enough to worry over. You are casting all of them from the same metal, right?? You are worried about consistancy from shot to shot during a 45 pound run of metal (1300-1400 balls), not making radical weight changes in the middle of a target match!!!
I have a couple of guns that have been living on a steady diet of wheel weight metal for twenty years. They still have all their lands and grooves and still shoot well.
You are talking about a Bobcat, right?? Not a percision chunk gun or bench rifle.
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Cast them up and shoot them up!!! You are not going to wear out your barrel using 45 pounds of wheel weights. In fact, I'll bet you are hunting for more of it before you use up what you have!!!
There is a layer of cloth between the ball and the bore. Play around with a slightly thinner patch than you might normally use in order to avoid loading difficulties and become the terror of the tin can shooters at your range.
If they cast on the light side it will only be one or two grains, not enough to worry over. You are casting all of them from the same metal, right?? You are worried about consistancy from shot to shot during a 45 pound run of metal (1300-1400 balls), not making radical weight changes in the middle of a target match!!!
I have a couple of guns that have been living on a steady diet of wheel weight metal for twenty years. They still have all their lands and grooves and still shoot well.
I understand not using it in a revolver since the soft lead has to grip the lands but it was my understanding that the patch is what contacts the lands in a rifle thus the hardness does not matter. Am I wrong? You cannot separate the tin - tried it - does not work.
I am still curious about the weight. I guess I will find a scale. I work in manufacturing. I also have access to a Rockwell Hardness Tester.
Thanks for the reponses.
I am still curious about the weight. I guess I will find a scale. I work in manufacturing. I also have access to a Rockwell Hardness Tester.
Thanks for the reponses.
Guest
:thumbsup: Take a piece of pure lead pipe. cut a chunk. Take a piece of unknown lead. construct a sharp point on a piece of steel rod, make your guage with a piece of aluminum having a bar and upright with a pointer at the back . set the pointon zero in the back . add 2lb to the point over the lead, give it twenty min to penetrate the lead ,mark the guage to show how deep it penetrats the soft lead . then take the suspect lead and start at zero again and see how deep the point penetrates the new piece. less penetration means harder lead, Bob
bpollock_sr
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wheel weight metal works just fine in a smoothbore maybe you should get one so you can use em up
Guest
:hmm: Mister spook, I dont believe in ghosts. Your dad is 10 years older than I am so probably would not know of him, Napoleon is just outside Jackson. Merry Christmas. Bob
You can cast a few balls from the wheel weights and a few from pure lead. If you don't have access to pure lead, you can use fishing sinkers or a handful of swaged balls for this, you probably won't need more than ten.
Any way cast as many as you want from both materials and then caculate the average weight per ball.
The problem with wheel weights in revolvers in my opinion would not be from the rifling, but from the chamber mouths when you load. You have to push the ball into the chamber with enough force to shave the lead to squeeze it into an undersized (compared to the ball) opening.
It's a good idea to weigh the balls from a new mold anyway when you start casting with it because all of my molds are a couple grains over what they are said to be.
I think you will be fine casting with wheel weights for PRBs, but I would never consider them for roundballs for revolvers or for any kind of conical.
Any way cast as many as you want from both materials and then caculate the average weight per ball.
The problem with wheel weights in revolvers in my opinion would not be from the rifling, but from the chamber mouths when you load. You have to push the ball into the chamber with enough force to shave the lead to squeeze it into an undersized (compared to the ball) opening.
It's a good idea to weigh the balls from a new mold anyway when you start casting with it because all of my molds are a couple grains over what they are said to be.
I think you will be fine casting with wheel weights for PRBs, but I would never consider them for roundballs for revolvers or for any kind of conical.
gmww
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Make life easy on yourself. A .490 RB is 177 grns. if it is pure lead. A .495 RB is 182 grns. if its pure lead. I believe Hornady offers a Hardcast RB with a sabot. It would be something like a .40 cal in a sabot if your shooting a .50 cal. gun.
I can tell you from experience that fishing sinkers are not all the same. You don't want to rely of them as a pure lead source. I checked them out at my local sporting goods here in Wa. only to find out that the ones there were NOT pure lead. The supplier at my local store was using wheel weights to cast with. He was also using wheel weights to cast down riggers and anchors. At least with the factory made RB's you know your getting soft lead.
I can tell you from experience that fishing sinkers are not all the same. You don't want to rely of them as a pure lead source. I checked them out at my local sporting goods here in Wa. only to find out that the ones there were NOT pure lead. The supplier at my local store was using wheel weights to cast with. He was also using wheel weights to cast down riggers and anchors. At least with the factory made RB's you know your getting soft lead.
You are right about the cylinders. I tried it once with a .454 I cast from wheel weight. It was nearly impossible to seat that ball. If there was any chance at all to get it to work, you would have to use a .451. I have pure lead for my revolvers. I bought it from a plumber's supply. I have about 600 RBs cast in .454 and about 10 lbs more of pure lead.
I'm at work today and am going back to QC to see if they have a scale that will weigh grains. I still haven't received an answer to my original question in this post. What is the weight of a .490 ball cast with wheel weight lead?
If I can figure it out myself, I will post it here.
I'm at work today and am going back to QC to see if they have a scale that will weigh grains. I still haven't received an answer to my original question in this post. What is the weight of a .490 ball cast with wheel weight lead?
If I can figure it out myself, I will post it here.
mothernatureson
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I used a lot of wheelweights in my rifles and revolvers. They worked fine, but seem to cast just a bit oversize, and weigh but just a couple of grains lighter (50 cal) than pure lead. I now have an ample supply of pure lead. The wheel weights are perfect for casting lead bullets for centerfire rifle. Plenty hard and free bullets make shooting the old 30-30 cheap. Good luck!
mothernatureson
mothernatureson
Try this site:
Cast Bullet Notes
It may not answer all your questions, but there is a lot of good info there and links that might be useful.
:thumbsup:
Cast Bullet Notes
It may not answer all your questions, but there is a lot of good info there and links that might be useful.
:thumbsup:
I got an answer on the weight. I went to QC this morning and weighed a .454 ball from Hornaday. It was 138.9 grains. I weighed a .454 that I cast from wheel weight and it weighed 135.8 grains. I will weight a .490 when my mould comes in.
