Wheel weights

[Grandpa Ron]

Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s when my muzzleloading buddies and I were the starting out, we all cast our own lead rifle balls. In those days the cheapest source for lead was wheel weights. They were free for the asking. :grin: We cast and shot thousands of them. Eventually were told that wheel weight would not work in muzzleloaders because they contain tin and antimony and were too hard.

It seems the hard wheel weights would not grip the patch properly, they would not upset (swell) into the rifling when fired and they were too hard to load. So I purchased those high dollar lead balls that were sure to improve my accuracy and I when out of my way to get only pure lead for casting. Now I have balls that maybe loaded a smidgeon easier, were gripping the patch properly and I assume are upsetting properly when fired. However they have not improved my score, one wit.

About the mid 80’s Speer and Hornady swaged balls were readily available but why would I spend 10 cents a shot for my .54 cal. rifle when wheel weight were free? Well the answer was easy, the number of corner gas stations doing tire work was diminishing and the country as a whole was developing a paranoia about lead.

Recently I was given a new batch of wheel weight. so I figured “why not”. I cast about 50 of them and they are hard. I do not know the hardness but you can place a lead ball against a wheel weight ball and crush them in a vice. You will put a ¼ inch dimple in the lead and not even mark the wheel weight ball. The .526 cal. lead balls average 7 grains heavier. They both measure .526 when cast. There is a lot more tin in the dross when you flux the mixture. Since I am shooting a smoothie, I do not have to worry about gripping the rifling and patch so I will give them a try.

Still, I am wondering if anybody knows the lead content of modern made wheel weights or has the lead phobia reduce it to a minimum.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Modern made wheel weights can be anything. As more companies become concerned about toxic components, lead is being used less and less.A simple test is to check your wheel weights for hardness before you melt them not after. :idunno:

 

[pondoro]

I walk for excercise and collected wheel weights for years but the last few years I've been finding weights that are a strange grey color. I leave them. Pretty sure they're not lead.

 

[bpd303]

Wheel weights work fine with a patch. They won't work so well for hollow base minies or revolvers which pretty much require soft lead.

 

[MSW]

lead lead lead !!!

oh, the environment!!!

what about the children??!!

you got it one: we're getting paranoid about lead.

this makes it harder to get, so I re-use mine ... if you put sand in a plastic kitty litter container, you can pout out the lead and sand over a coarse screen and re- melt the lead. (you can re- use the sand, too, of course)

I am given to understand that 'new' wheel weights have lots of zinc in them. that's probably bad for the environment, too ... oh, the children!!

 

[Ken Cormier]

I used to drive truck for a truck tire retread shop year's ago. When they had real wheel weights. Used to bring home 5 gal buckets full of them. Had 100's of lds of them only made rb for my smoothbore. I mixed it 4lbs wheel weights 1lb roofing lead. No reason or formula just thought it MIGHT help could not tell any difference in the wheel wts or roofing lead. The only thing I did notice was it was cheap to shoot. :2

 

[AZbpBurner]

I've seen an increasing amount of zinc wheelweights lately. If they're too hard to scratch with a fingernail, they're likely lead. Best way to wreck your lead/wheelweight mixture in the pot is by adding zinc.

Whether smoothbore or patched rifle, it shouldn't matter much what the ball is made of, unless you are hunting and want the ball to flatten when hitting meat.

I've heard of "gripping" the patch, but it sounds like fairytale terminology. As soon as the ball leaves the barrel, the grip is gone and so should be the patch.

You were casting wheelweights, yet mention the spendy swaged balls. Why not just cast your own soft lead balls instead?

The only place soft lead balls are mandatory is when loading and firing cap and ball revolvers, where you're pressing an oversized ball into the chamber.

 

[Len Graves]

I tried melting some of those grey looking wheel weights ( I think they are stick on for mag type wheels) and I think they are some kind of plastic impregnated with some metal . They smoke and melt into almost nothing. Stink like heck. Won't do that again!

 

[Stumpkiller]

In a smoothbore wheel weight lead is fine. If you can get it in the muzzle and down it will come back out; no problem. No rifling to worry about conforming to.

I used in in my Bess for many years.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I tried melting some of those grey looking wheel weights ( I think they are stick on for mag type wheels) and I think they are some kind of plastic impregnated with some metal . They smoke and melt into almost nothing. Stink like heck. Won't do that again!

I've seen the soft lead and also some sintered iron stick-on wheelweights, but the grey ones are new to me - they're coming up with all kinds of casting unfreindly metals lately.

For the REAL lead stick-on weights, I put them sticky side up on an electric hotpate and warm them up. The foam backing and much of the adhesive peels off, so they have only a little residue left and smoke a lot less when you put them into the casting pot.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

In my smoothie I think the hard balls will work okay. I may have to use a thinner patch.

In my rifle I do not know. :idunno: Fortunately I do have a supply of soft lead.

:hmm: “In the future I can see the use of some tin/zinc/antimony mixture being cast it a 1500 degree melting pot to get eco-friendly balls. :youcrazy: They may be are hard enough to require a sabot like the in-line jacketed bullets.” Boy there is a dream that will make you jerk bolt upright in the bed. :shocked2:

Take care

 

[robert reed]

I just ordered 30 lbs from zipmetals. Prices will only go up. Get it while you can! Scrap yards won't even sell it here. Here is the link: http://www.zipmetals.com/Certified-Pure-Lead-Bullet-Casting-Alloy-Ingot-999-Pure_p_155.html

ff Get your cannon fuse too, before it is all gone. Went to a gun show on Saturday. No black powder, caps or lead allowed in the building.

 

[Idaho Ron]

This company offers free shipping. I have used them for years.
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/55_lbs._of_lead.htm

 

[hanshi]

I have a couple hundred pounds, maybe more, of WW that I acquired decades ago when I use to cast pistol bullets. They shoot just fine in my .40 rifle but I mainly use them for my smoothbore.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Gentlemen, Lead and lead like metals abound they are everywhere....if it melts you can probalbly make a ball from it. Lead, tin, solder, pewter, siver, etc....

 

[19 16 6]

In my rifle I do not know. :idunno:

For you I dunno, but for me I cast some balls from melted down lead acid motor vehicle batteries. These things are a bit harder than the plumbers roofing soft lead jobs & I can't get them to shoot as tight groups as the soft lead.
I shoot a 54 & the balls are .535. I think that making some more at .530 & using a thick stretch denim patch may be my answer. That is on my to do list.
O.

 

[nkbj]

Making do is half the fun.

 

[RedFeather]

I think this was discussed here a while back, but there appears to be two types of weights. The old style, long crescent shaped weights are now some kind of alloy. Those short, folded crimp on weights are more lead. Seem to recall that melting the new alloy weights can sort of contaminate your pot due to the non-lead metals in them. Worth a search before you try some.

BTW, while waiting at a tire shop years ago I asked about maybe getting cast off weights? They already had regulars with dry wall buckets come by every week or so. I doubt things have changed.

 

[FishDFly]

"Since I am shooting a smoothie"

What is a smoothie? Do you get a smoothie with a lattie?

If you read the instructions from Lee, they say to use 100% pure lead. Guess a mold maker does not know anything.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I have about 500lbs of WW. I water it down with pure to make 30:1 (2:1 wwure)for my paper patched 45/70.

Shot some out of the flinter to see how it worked.
I have no deviation in preference that Ive noticed.

I do have about 2000 pure lead balls made, so I dont have to use the 30:1 any time soon.

I use the WW water dropped for 45 ACP, 30 cal, and 45/70 non paper patched