# cast rifle bullets, what recipe should i use?



## 08rangerdan (1 Nov 2011)

Casting lead is a significant way to save some money down range, where casting lead pistol is relatively easy and simplistic. I'm now looking into casting lead rifle ammo, particularly a custom load to hopefully accurize a lee enfield .303, my problem is trying to find a lead mixture that will hold up to the velocities I want from this rifle. I don't believe I can get away with gas checked pure lead 180gr for velocities over 1800fps. What kind of balance of tin to lead should I have in my mix to be successful the first try?


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## kkwd (1 Nov 2011)

Look up on Google about using wheel weights to make a alloy that should work fine.


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## 08rangerdan (1 Nov 2011)

Yea those work fine as they are for casting low velocity, but I don't feel their composition is able to handle higher velocities


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## kkwd (1 Nov 2011)

If you just want some cheap range time you don't need velocities that will knock down a moose. If you want that stick to jacketed.


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## Fishbone Jones (1 Nov 2011)

Careful with the wheel weights. Some are zinc. Once you contaminate your lead with it, you might as well throw out the works. You'll never be able to cast with it propely again.

Wheel Weights, clip-on - 1/2-1% tin, 2-3% antimony, 96-7.25% lead, 1/4% arsenic 
Wheel Weights, stick-on - Pure lead or nearly so
Linotype - 4% tin, 12% antimony, 84% lead 
Monotype - 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead 

For Brinell Hardness:

Lead  5   
WW (stick on)   6   
Tin   7   
1 to 40 tin lead   8   
1 to 30 tin lead   9   
1 to 20 tin lead   10   
1 to 10 tin lead   11   
WW (clip on)   12   
Lead Shot*   13   
Lyman # 2   15   
Water quenched WW   18   
Linotype   18 - 19   
Monotype   25 - 27   
Oven heat treated WW   30 - 32   
Antimony   50 

Pressures and velocities.

Plumbers lead, stick on WW   13,000 - (Black Powder Only) 
Wheel weights / clip-on   25,000 - Non-Magnum handgun loads, Rifles to 1,900 fps 
Lyman # 2 (alloy varies in Lyman cast bullet books) 35,000 - Magnum handgun & rifles to 2,000 fps 
Quench-cast WW (dropped from mould into cool water) 48,000 - Magnum handgun & rifles to 2,200 fps 
Oven heat treated WW   55,000 - Jacketed velocities in handguns and rifles with quality bore & balanced load 

There is a ton of info here: http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm as well as other places on the internet.  :google:  Or go buy Lyman's Reloading Manual.


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## 08rangerdan (2 Nov 2011)

Thanks for that specific info, I have dusted off my lyman handbook but I'm not very happy with their data. I'm more interested in mixing my own lead alloy for bullets, or finding some reliable and consistent source for a particular properly mixed affordable alloy. I'm not really a fan of picking up random alloy from numerous sources, and guessing its composition from what it was used from. I'm particularly wondering at this point what composition shotgun shot would be. I can get it cheap enough and its already in a format that is clean and easy to melt, but Im sure its going to be too soft for creating rifle bullets around 2000fps. So I'm wondering how I can calibrate a mix that will work. Is there any data given for composition of particular brands of shot?


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## Fishbone Jones (2 Nov 2011)

Looking at the data, if you water quenched bullets cast from shot, you should be good for over 2,000.


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## 08rangerdan (2 Nov 2011)

Yea but varies again determining if "lead shot" Is either mag. hardness or chilled, just so many variables, there needs to be some kind of system


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## Fishbone Jones (2 Nov 2011)

08rangerdan said:
			
		

> Yea but varies again determining if "lead shot" Is either mag. hardness or chilled, just so many variables, there needs to be some kind of system



I'm not interested enough. I'm out. Google is your friend.


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