BULLET CASTING

[.45gunguy]

I'm new to bullet casting I am using old lead wheel weights. I have heard you should only use the type that mount on the rim an not the stick on kind. The reason I ask is that I have a little of both and I would hate to waste any. I would like to know if is ok to mix them when I melt them done.

[Tim Ault]

The stick on weights are a softer alloy is all just melt them all together unless you want the soft alloy for muzzleloader use .

[.45gunguy]

The stick on weights are a softer alloy is all just melt them all together unless you want the soft alloy for muzzleloader use .

Thanks for the heads up I wasn't sure if it would mess up I'm casting.

[Tim Ault]

Thanks for the heads up I wasn't sure if it would mess up I'm casting.

No it won't hurt a thing . Even if you mix then 1:1 it will make a good all around alloy either air cooled for the lower pressure stuff or water dropped for the higher pressure loadings . What are you casting for Btw ?

[.45gunguy]

No it won't hurt a thing . Even if you mix then 1:1 it will make a good all around alloy either air cooled for the lower pressure stuff or water dropped for the higher pressure loadings . What are you casting for Btw ?

I'm pretty new to all this so I don't know what BTW means. I'm going to cast for 9mm and 45 acp. I'm hoping to get in to IDPA in the near future and this looks like the most cost efficient way to do so.

[hornady]

As Tim said mix away you should not have any trouble with the 45ACP, depending on the load the 9MM might start leading on you, But you can always harden your alloy up later if need be. Lyno-type is a cheap somewhat easy to find source for bringing up the BHN= Brinell Hardness, This is the method most casters use in determining the hardness of their bullet alloy.

You are going to find a large percent of the Wheel weights you get today are Steel or zinc and are basically scrap. I dump WW out on the Garage floor and sort the junk out, you do enough of them and you will be able to pretty much spot them, you can check them with side cutters the zinc or steel will not cut very easy.

Just getting into casting Get a copy of the Lyman cast bullet book. Very good information guide as well as full of cast loads.

(By The Way) can you guess what BTW means. Just giving you a bad time, some of the abbreviations in reloading and casting can get confusing to someone starting out.

[.45gunguy]

As Tim said mix away you should not have any trouble with the 45ACP, depending on the load the 9MM might start leading on you, But you can always harden your alloy up later if need be. Lyno-type is a cheap somewhat easy to find source for bringing up the BHN= Brinell Hardness, This is the method most casters use in determining the hardness of their bullet alloy.

You are going to find a large percent of the Wheel weights you get today are Steel or zinc and are basically scrap. I dump WW out on the Garage floor and sort the junk out, you do enough of them and you will be able to pretty much spot them, you can check them with side cutters the zinc or steel will not cut very easy.

Just getting into casting Get a copy of the Lyman cast bullet book. Very good information guide as well as full of cast loads.

(By The Way) can you guess what BTW means. Just giving you a bad time, some of the abbreviations in reloading and casting can get confusing to someone starting out.

I am going to definitely get that book.I've started separating my wheel weights as I've been getting them but I've but taking out the sticky weights as well as the steel and zinc ones because I was not sure about them. Good to know that I can leave them in. I have a lot to learn before I start casting.

[hornady]

Wheel weights make great bullet alloy for a number of reasons, you get the Lyman cast bullet book and it will explain why. One is WW having trace amounts of arsenic, which allows them to harden over time as well as aid in Heat-treating. Tim mentioned water dropping which I have done and works very well for some guys. I now use what is called the oven method you still drop them in water. But I get a higher BHN and a more consistent hardness with the oven method, Being new too casting I would hold off on either method till you get settled in on casting, Water and molten Lead don’t play well together, just one drop can cause you some real problems.
Casting is very safe if you take some very simple precautions. The Lyman manual will help you there as well.

[Pkspawn]

I watched a couple videos, got the eq and started casting.

I've casted a few hundred bullets.. Only cause I ran out of lead. They have been comparable to the cast bullets i'm buying..

Just another addition to the hobby.

[EandGWZ]

good discussion men.