# Casting Slugs



## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

Anybody here pour their own bullets? I'm just about to start pouring my own and could use some info as in do's and don'ts. Being an old plumber I'm pretty well versed in the basics of hot lead. That said I know you gotta make em a bit harded when you launch the stuff out a barrel. Anyway I've got some molds for my Cap-n-Ball revolver and I know you use streight lead for that. I picked up about 40 lbs of wheel weight material I'm planning on using for target loads for my 45ACP and my 38 special. I have a 230 grain RN Lee tumble lube mold for the 45 and a 158 grain SWC tumble lube mold for the 38. Properly lubed it is my understanding that the wheel weight material should be plenty hard enough for target loads in both pistols. Is this good or am I full of it?


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## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Richard Lee's "Modern Handloading" is well worth reading. There are a couple of chapters dealing with casting your own, as well as a lot of load data for cast lead bullets. He also goes into a bit of depth talking about matching the lead hardness to the chamber pressures generated by the load. He's also VERY fond of his company's products. :mrgreen:

Zinc has been replacing lead in wheel weights for the past 5 or 10 years and will make whatever you're casting turn out like crap. Zinc is harder than lead and is usually shinier. Where you can scratch lead with a finger nail, you won't scratch the zinc. Another test is to try and write on some clean paper with the wheel weight. Lead will draw a line but zinc won't. The wheel weight zinc alloy used to be primarily zinc with some aluminum and copper added (a lot harder), but is now usually pretty pure zinc (High Grade). In any case, if you think it looks suspicious, don't put it in your melt pot. A little zinc will ruin a LOT of lead! It will become harder than either metal by its self and won't fill the mold well. It will also have a frosted appearance after cast - similar to pure lead that was cast too hot. 

But the short answer is that you should be ok with lead wheel weight alloy as a starting point. If you get too much leading in the barrel, you might need to make the bullets harder (dropping them into water from the mold will do this) or try a different lube.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

The wheel weight material worked out to a buck a pound shipped. I ordered some hard ball casting material from Midway and a little over 7 lbs was pretty pricey. I really hope the wheel weight stuff works out cause it will make a bunch of bullets for really cheap. I've also come by about 30 lbs of pure lead from work. I'm gonna start with the pure lead and cast up some bullets and ball for my front loader first just to get the hang of things. My real focus is the 45ACP and I'll be real bummed if the wheel weight material is tainted with zinc. I do have and have read Mr. Lee's latest addition but thanks for the tip. I guess the bottom line is that I hate to clean lead out of guns.....IT SUCKS! So I'm trying not to do something stupid like loading up pure lead in front of W296 in my 357.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

I went buy the local tire and oil changer were my company gets our service done and asked if they had any old wheel weights. He's says sure, come on back and take all you want! I could have had a whole 35 gallon drum of the stuff if I could have figured out how to move it! A five gallon bucket full was more than a hand full to get loaded on the back of my pickup and should keep me for awhile. Looking through them I can see a fair amount are shiney and I'm figureing those are the evil zinc mothers I want to avoid. All them dark and crusty ones are the good stuff....right??


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## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Color is a good quick indicator, but the relative hardness (or softness) is a better test. Lead is a lot softer than zinc. 

I used to be the Lab/QC manager for a zinc alloyer, so I can spot lead a mile away. Lead is as bad for zinc casting as zinc is for lead casting.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

kev74
Thanks for the info. If I'm reading the metal right zinc has a brighter and slicker finish. Most all wheel weights are compounded with tin, anitmony, and some of the newer ones zinc. The compounding as I understand, leaving out the zinc, makes them perfect for lower volosity hand gun bullets. I think I can see the diffrence but I'll have to spend some time in my bucket of new treasure to see if I can really see it.
I think Lee makes a cheap hardnest tester. I'll have to check in to it.


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

I don't know if there are any Electronic Product manufacturing operations in your part of Colorado or not but many of them use a LOT of lead in the form of Solder. It is normaly an alloy of tin, lead, antimony and possibly very small amounts of other metals.

Just how suitable it would be for bullets I can not say but it is a possible source.

Their systems have to be drained and refilled with fresh from time to time because circuit board and or component elements abrade off and contaminate it. 

A few years back the company I was with had an operation in Broomfield but I believe it closed.

Another location I worked at had 1000 pounds of the stuff stolen and found it used as ballast in a sail boat. That gives you some idea of the quantities that might be available in a moderate size plant.

Good luck.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

A guy over on the Ruger Forum turned me on to this Forum and It has answered a bunch of questions that will help me get started. Lots of good info. It will help me get through my first bucket of weights with some confidence.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php


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