Tutorial on melting and casting lead ball and bullets

[bones92]

I looked around, but I don't see any tutorials on casting lead ball and bullets.  I've gleaned some information over the years, but there are some areas where my understanding is fuzzy.

What I do know:

1. Pure lead is best for PRB, as it is softer than alloyed lead and conforms to rifling.
1a. Some here have said that a bit of alloy in small caliber (i.e. 32 to 40 caliber) can be used with good results
2.  Alloys in lead help make harder bullets that are ideal in high-pressure rifles.
3.  Lead melts at 621F
4.  Alloys may raise the melting temperature
5. Parafin or beeswax can act as a flux for molten lead.  Not entirely sure what fluxing does, but I think it has to do with helping aggregate impurities at the surface so they can be skimmed away.
6. NEVER let water contact molten lead!

What I don't know:

7. How do you know if lead is pure or not?  I know pure lead is very soft, but short of buying a hardness testing kit, how can I know?
8. Can one purify lead, removing some of the alloys (tin, antimony)?
9. What's the best way to heat the mould?  I've read some will cast 6 or 8 balls, and just dump those balls into the recycle pan for melting.  I think the idea is that these first balls will heat the mould up sufficiently to make better quality balls after the first half dozen.
9.  What's the best way to process wheel weights?  They often have steel tabs that have to be separated out, right?

If someone has a good online tutorial link, I'd be much obliged. 

[WadePatton]

Most of us have lead hardness testers on the end of our thumbs. If you can mark it with your thumbnail, then it's likely soft enough.  Try it on various lead samples.  Buy some "99.9%" certified if you want a reference sample if you like.  I do have a pal with a hardness tester, but I've never felt the need to take samples over for testing. I should as I'm going to give him all the alloyed stuff.

I'll mail you an alloyed and heat treated bullet made for high pressures if you cannot find "hard" lead for reference.

Once alloyed, it's alloyed. You can dilute the alloy by adding soft lead, if you have plenty of lead.  But if you have plenty, just use the soft stuff.  No simple "un-alloying" Pb as I understand it.

Heat the mould by keeping it near the pot, some dip a corner, and then by casting.  Then it will reach full-temp as you cast.  Eventually it gets too hot.  You'll see.  It's one of those things that becomes rather obvious when you actually put your paws to doing it.

Just set up and cast 50 or so JUST to see how it goes, re-melt every single one of them.  Your next 50 will be MUCH better.  Eye protection and ventilation aren't to be skimped on.

I hate messing with wheel weights, especially these days with all the junk metal they are using.  I have pounds and pounds already cleaned, but I may never use them.   THE BEST WAY to deal with wheel weights is to let other folks mess with 'em or buy the metal pre-cleaned.  Soft lead still appear reasonable to me on the open market (Ebay), I don't think cleaning WW material is good use of my time.  And yes I can get them for free.

ALSO, I try to catch most of MY target shots such that I have a stump or a backstop I can mine for soft-PRB-only lead. Should I ever run out of soft lead, I can mine mine own.  

[smylee grouch]

You will learn by doing. Wear gloves,long sleeves,long pants,glasses, etc.

[Daryl]

You may be able to reduce the antimony content of hardened lead slightly, by skimming off the floating dross before fluxing.  Fluxing before skimming will re amalgamate all of the additives.  If you skim, then let it harden 0 then remelt and skim, doing this several times will soften the alloy- slightly, but not much.  I tried this many years ago and the resulting balls were still quite hard, too hard for tight loads with thick patches.

In order to use harder lead for hunting, per-se', reducing the size of the ball to .010" to .015" smaller (smaller diameter moulds) than the bore will make loading easier.  For example, I am now using 15 borer balls in my 14 bore rifle. That is, the hard balls from the 15 bore mould come out at .677" in diameter whereas that mould casts .675" in pure lead.  These both shoot very well with a .030" to .035" denim patch. Normally, I use a .682" pure lead ball with that patch.

I use a fairly large steel pot for 'processing' WW's. The clips float to the surface & after fluxing, are easily skimmed off with a large spoon.

I put a can behind the lead pot, to sit the handles of the mould on for support. The blocks sit on the side of the pot to heat while the lead is melting. By the time the lead is molten and fluxed the mould is at the proper heat for casting.

If using aluminum blocks, I will sometimes dip a corner or leading edge into the molten lead to heat the mould as-in when switching to a different mould or ball size.




Balls from a Tanner mould, prior to trimming with wire strippers.

[longcruise]

As far as wheel weights go, just toss them into the melting pot.  Once they melt the steel tabs literally float to the top.  Since the melting pot has a handle and a pour spout it's easy to pour the lead into the ingot mold (a muffin pan).  I've never used WW for round balls but have heard of it being done.

[bones92]

I have a Lyman .490 round ball mould.   Daryl, it sounds like I may be able to use lead a bit harder than pure in this mold.  The Hornady .490s that I shoot currently load pretty easily with the patches I'm using. 

If my conversion skills are correct, I'm estimating about 39 balls of .490" from each pound of lead.  Sound about right?

[Daryl]

39 to 40.

If using hard lead in a .45- there is a .433" mould available. If using hard lead in .50's a .490" might work, but a .480 to .485" mould would be better.  

Just remember, the smaller the bore, the higher the pressures you are working with.  The higher the pressures generated behind the ball, the tighter the combination must be to prevent blow-by or burning the patches. The tighter the combination, the greater the difficulty in loading.

The higher pressure is the reason for the cutt-off at about .54 cal, for usable paper ctgs.  

[OldMtnMan]

A bit of contradiction from #1 and #9.

[WadePatton]

As far as wheel weights go, just toss them into the melting pot.  Once they melt the steel tabs literally float to the top.  Since the melting pot has a handle and a pour spout it's easy to pour the lead into the ingot mold (a muffin pan).  I've never used WW for round balls but have heard of it being done.

I don't know the melting point of those garbage zinc WW, but you don't want to melt them in your lead. I remove them first.  They're pretty obvious and becoming all too common.

And I'd never put them into my bottom pour pot again, too dirty and methinks this worsened the leakage/clogging issues.  I'll pre-clean in a separate pot (cast iron over coals) from now on.

[Maven]

bones92, This may help you calculate RB weight:  http://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/roundball.htm?v1=.495&v2=2876.1  Also, I always use a [casting] thermometer when I make  "pure" Pb RB's or elongated bullets (wheelwrights + 1% Sn) for my CF rifles & pistols.  Tel True (sic) is one such brand of thermometer.

[smylee grouch]

If you don"t have a scale you can find lead round ball weights by taking dia. x dia. xdia. x 1503 and come up with a close figure. So a .490 x.490 x.490 x1503 should be around 178  + or - a grain or two.

[Scota4570]

Yes, one zinc weight will ruin to whole pot of lead.  It will all need to be thrown away.  Anything that touched the zinc contaminated lead will have to be completely cleaned.  Even trace mounts of zinc will turn the melt into the consistency of oatmeal.  The whole batch is ruined and can not be saved. 

Last time I was at the metal recycler they has a lot of lead.  Cable sheathing and roofing lead, all good stuff.  I am in California.  Back east, lead pipe is also good.  Got any friends in Flint Michigan?   

[Daryl]

Years ago, I printed off the Chart from The Los Angeles Silhouette Club showing ball diameter & weight, from 1 bore at 1,671" and 7000gr. down to 180 bore at .296" and 38.9gr.

Specific gravity of lead taken as 11.34

I just tried to find it and it's no longer on their site - or I just couldn't find it there.

round ball weights & diameters in pure lead.

42 bore = .481" and 166.7gr.
41 bore = .484" and 170.7gr.
40 bore = .488" and 175.0gr.
39 bore = .493" and 179.5gr.
38 bore = .497" and 184.2gr.
37 bore = .501" and 189.2gr.
36 bore = .506" and 194.4gr.
35 bore = .511" and 200.0gr.

[Daryl]

Further about zinc weights - they are usually visually NOT LEAD - at least the ones I saw were obviously zinc and not lead weights. Bright- shiny kinda slippery and obviously much harder than the lead ones. They are also considerably lighter for a given size. I didn't notice, but was told they also have a "Z" on them.

Mixing them with lead can absolutely ruin your pot as well.

[WadePatton]

Years ago, I printed off the Chart from The Los Angeles Silhouette Club showing ball diameter & weight...

Oh dang.  I referenced that chart a bunch.  I didn't see it last time I went looking but I forgot exactly where it was (lost bookmarks).  Was a good one. I'll save images and also print it, if found again.

[bones92]

This is good to know.  I knew wheel weights were often alloyed, but I was not aware that zinc will ruin a lead pot.

I'm almost leaning toward avoiding wheel weights altogether and just buying or recycling pure lead.

[OldMtnMan]

How many .530 balls in a pound?

[WadePatton]

How many .530 balls in a pound?

Could has told you quicker if the chart was yet up.  I'm presently hunting a second-best chart. 

oh and also: 31

[snapper]

I just got done casting around 35 lbs of bullets today.

I usually dont cast round balls, mostly conicals for target work and a few for hunting.

My casting has gotten fairly good and the following I think has helped my casting.

1.  a good pot that will hold the temperature evenly.  I use a Waage

2.  holding the full lade on top of the mold for 6 seconds.  I think the head pressure helps fill out the mold.

3.  I use pure lead, and add the amount of tin that I want, depending on what rifle it is for.

4.  I cast at 650 F

5.  I use a hot plate to pre heat my mold.  My molds are all steel and take longer to heat up than aluminium.

6.  I use a spray release on the inside of my mold, on the top of the mold and on both sides of the sprue plate

fleener

[bones92]

By the way, I thought I'd throw this out there...

If anyone is casting .446 bullets (i.e. for the .43 Mauser), please let me know.  I'd be interested in buying some from you.

[bones92]

Is it possible to inadvertently weld the ladle to the mould if you hold the spout of the nipple against the mould too long and the lead hardens up?

[snapper]

it can stick but you should not have a problem.

If your lead, mold and ladle are all hot, it is not likely that your ladle will stick to the mold.  You would have to hold it a long time.

Like I said, I hold for a six second count and it does not stick.

Fleener

[Daryl]

Is it possible to inadvertently weld the ladle to the mould if you hold the spout of the nipple against the mould too long and the lead hardens up?

Yes - if the lead isn't hot enough, or you fall asleep while holding the ladle on top of the mould's sprue plate.

[Smoketown]

Is it possible to inadvertently weld the ladle to the mould if you hold the spout of the nipple against the mould too long and the lead hardens up?

Yes - if the lead isn't hot enough, or you fall asleep while holding the ladle on top of the mould's sprue plate.

Actually, NO ...

You cannot weld it but, you can sure as heck SOLDER it ...   

Cheers,
Smoketown

[JBJ]

An old Dixie Gun Woks catalog from 2006 shows a table on page 637 that gives diameter (inches), weight in grans and balls per pound. The table spans diameters from .200 to .920 in .020 increments. I don't know if the catalog is copyrighted so am hesitant to scan and insert the table. Perhaps their new catalog includes the same collection of tables, data and other odds and ends as the older editions. Hope that this helps a bit.
J.B.