Cast Bullet Alloy

[Jerry Rice]

What are some of your favorite alloys for cast bullets? How many alloy by BNH? Thanks.

 

[Sharps40]

20/1 lead/tin. Rifle and muzzleloder. Velocities to 1800 fps without leading and therefore brinnel is ignored.

 

[jglenn]

1.5% tin, 4% antimony, rest lead

this will give you something in the range of 12 BNH. good for fairly mild pistol bullets..

if you are having problems with this mix not forming perfect bullets then you can move up to 2% tin

bullet lube means a lot as to any leading issues.

 

[EMC45]

I have used clip on wheel weights almost exclusively since around 04. According to my SAECO hardness tester they always come in at Lyman #2 hardness. I have killed deer, paper and plenty of time with them through the years and have always been satisfied. I get good fill out and uniformity. Lube, speed and powder choice goes a long way towards keeping your gun clean and "unleaded".

 

[EMC45]

EMC45, Do you know what the hardness of Lyman #2 is compared to straight wheel weight bullets. If you have been happy with straight wheel weight alloy, that would be good for me. Thanks, Jerry

Lyman #2 is the same hardness, according to all my testing, as wheel weights. The clip on type have tin, antimony and lead composition. The stick on type generally are pretty close to pure lead. That would be good for mz bullets or where you want expansion. They are nice and soft compared to clip on. I have been completely happy with wheel weights for bullets. The soft swaged bullets from Speer, Hornady, etc. are way to soft for anything other than plinking. Push them fast and you'll regret it. Conversely bullets like Oregon Trail claim "push as fast as jacketed without leading" due to their hardness. I find them to be too hard and have experienced leading. The lube is rock hard as well. Ideally you want a bullet soft enough that will obturate into the rifling/bore and a lube that will deposit in the bore upon firing that will prevent leading of the successive shots.

 

[EMC45]

No sweat bud, now go pour a pile!

 

[sewerman68]

I settled on 50/50 ww/plumbing lead years ago because it works in everything I shoot and is easy to consistently reproduce. I can also cast rifle bullets with the same alloy and heat treat them in the oven to make them very hard.

 

[noylj]

Fit and lubricant count for MUCH more than alloy.
If you want one alloy for handguns through full-power rifle, 92/6/2 is hard to beat--harder than it needs to be..
For ALL handguns, wheel weights (and a little Pb/Sn if the straight alloy doesn't flow and fill the mold).
The whole alloy/pressure is based on the MAX hardness for an alloy to obdurate (sp) at a given pressure and does NOT mean that a softer alloy will not work as well or better, just that a harder alloy will not obdurate (sp).
I found back in the mid-'70s that as-cast bullets were more accurate (or just as accurate) as sized bullets and haven't sized a bullet since. You may want to try as-cast and a light tumble-lube with LLA or White Label 45/45/10.
Fit and Lube, Fit and LUbe, Fit and Lube...

 

[Henri311]

I go with straight wheel weights and Powder coat. If I don't PC I mix in pewter to my alloy or Tin/antimony soldier

 

[Jerry Rice]

I went to the range yesterday and shot a box of reloads. Straight wheel weights tumbled lubed with Lee alox. Results were no excessive smoke on outside of spent cases and no leading. My cast bullets have a small lube groove. I tumble lubed two times.