Does anyone know what material if any you can obtain and cast or swage pellets and slugs with without having to prep ie take out the zinc or tin or whatever other materials are used in the objects . Like can you cast straight from melting tire weights and boat ballasts I'm not sure what else is in them does anyone know . And any ideas on what other objects for scrap lead I can find use or get to cast and swage my own slugs/ pellets
Casting /swaging with lead materials such as tire weights boat ballasts etc.
- Thread starter Kenzie.Dunn
- Start date
Kenzie,
I can't say about casting, it's probably possible, but with harder lead alloys, might have a tough time chambering them due to the hardness.
As far as swaging is concerned, the lead must be 99% pure, and with VERY small amounts of antimony and bismuth in order to swage properly. DO NOT use wheel weight lead, or bulk lead that you cannot determine the purity/hardness of the lead. If the lead is too hard, you can actually blow up your swaging dies, and be seriously injured. Take it from someone who learned the hard way.
Tom Holland
Field Target Tech
Fieldtargettech.com
I can't say about casting, it's probably possible, but with harder lead alloys, might have a tough time chambering them due to the hardness.
As far as swaging is concerned, the lead must be 99% pure, and with VERY small amounts of antimony and bismuth in order to swage properly. DO NOT use wheel weight lead, or bulk lead that you cannot determine the purity/hardness of the lead. If the lead is too hard, you can actually blow up your swaging dies, and be seriously injured. Take it from someone who learned the hard way.
Tom Holland
Field Target Tech
Fieldtargettech.com
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for pellets i would not use wheel weights ( They are no longer made of lead) plumbers lead is hardly ever available. I would only consider pure lead for pellets and soft lead for slugs. Maybe fishing weights if they still let fisherman use lead.
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There are places like this where lead is available - Pure Lead Nuggets 99.9% - Approximately 1 pound - RotoMetals
Its $3.89 a pound and free shipping on orders over 99 bucks.
This place is a wealth of info for bullet casting.
Its $3.89 a pound and free shipping on orders over 99 bucks.
This place is a wealth of info for bullet casting.
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If you are looking for info about casting try here - Cast bullet reference on lead alloy's, min / max pressure, lube, shrinkage, (lasc.us)
Boy this brings back memories. Haven't cast bullets in years.
Boy this brings back memories. Haven't cast bullets in years.
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Learned how to cast with linotype lead years ago, but that might be hard to find these days. Worked fine for PB pistols, but don't know for airgun ammo.
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Rotometaks is hard to beat, plus a order over 100 dollars ship free, really important with lead.
Swage with pure lead, I cast for airguns with pure or 40-1.
Regards,
Roachcreek
Swage with pure lead, I cast for airguns with pure or 40-1.
Regards,
Roachcreek
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I'd stay away from wheel weights unless you have lots of experience. Wheel weights contain arsenic. Rotometals gets my vote.
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Try you local junk yard pure lead comes in sheets for roofing X-Ray walls ect. $1.00 a pound. Join at castbollits.com. there is al! The knowledge you will ever want to know about casting swage ect
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local scrap metal places also are a source of lead as well. I get mine at $0.85 cents a pound. My last trip i got about 120 lbs of sheet lead.
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