Will WW work for muzzleloaders

[dirt weasel]

I have a TC hawken 45 cal and a green mountain round ball barrel in 5o cal. I have a big supply of processed ww and wonder how they would work for a muzzleloader?

 

[musketman]

They're a little harder and lighter in weight than pure lead but yes, they will work.

Having said that, you will need to flux and skim the molten lead a few times throughout casting because the wheel weights are very dirty and will carry that dirt to the melting pot.

Not sure if you know how to flux lead but just in case you never done it before, take a small pinch of wax (bee's wax, canning wax, candle wax) and drop it into the molten lead (it will smoke like crazy doing this), the smoke can be ignited with a lighter to quickly burn the fumes off. What the wax goes is to bring all the impurities to the surface (dross) which can then be skimmed off with an old spoon. (never eat with that spoon again, lead poisoning could occur) After a few times of fluxing you will see shimmering lead with a few black specks in it, you are now ready to start casting.

You could use half and half, or 75% pure lead and 25% wheel weights to make a projectile thats closer to the pure lead roundball's weight.

I recovered many a spent roundball and recast them again and again, adding wheel weights to the mix as needed.

 

[MikeChapin]

The will work in a rifle but be aware that they will be harder to load. Wheel Weight lead will not deform and grab the patch as easily as pure lead.

Work up your load for WW like you would for pure lead balls. It will be different than for pure lead because the balls are lighter and grip the patching differntly but should give just as good accuracy once you have a load worked up.

There was an article in "Muzzle Blasts" a while back that covered this very subject.

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. dirt weasel,
They work fine in our toys.
Best Wishes

 

[redwing]

They are great in a smooth bore. The big lead eaten smoothies go thru lots of lead. The use of WW can cut your cost way down. :hmm:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

They are great in a smooth bore. The big lead eaten smoothies go thru lots of lead. The use of WW can cut your cost way down. :hmm:

Bingo, for non-hunting I use WW exclusively in the smoothies. I have also used WW in rifles, they are a bit lighter and cast a wee larger than pure lead, (harder to load, may require thinner patching material) otherwise they work fine.





Democracy is the belief that the common man knows what he wants and deserves to get it good and hard.
H.L. Mencken

 

[Tumblernotch]

What these guys say! However, if you ever decide to cast Minies, stick with pure lead. For round ball, especially in smoothbores, WW will do fine.

 

[rebel727]

What these guys say! However, if you ever decide to cast Minies, stick with pure lead. For round ball, especially in smoothbores, WW will do fine.

The stick on weights are almost pure lead. Plenty soft enough for minies. Clip on weights are harder and will cast bigger.

 

[Tumblernotch]

That's true! Forgot about them. Still using clip-ons here.