Cast bullets with lead-free solder?

[Cat Whisperer]

Has anyone tried casting bullets from lead-free solder.  It's mostly tin, and is HARD!

[Lloyd Smale]

done it just fooling around but its expensive and the bullets turn out a little on the light side for penetration. Best to keep it for alloying.

[Cat Whisperer]

WOW - what an experience!
 
Smelting was just like lead or lino.  BUT casting was MUCH different.
 
Observations:
 
1. Tin doesn't hardly stick to anything - not to moulds nor to cold ladle!
 
2. Tin doesn't transfer heat very well (compared to lead or lead-tin alloy).  It took a MINUTE or TWO for the alloy to harden on top of the sprue cutter!!!!!  And that was with the ONE cavity Lee .30 cal mould.  The RCBS 35-200 mould took 3 or more minutes for the alloy to harden!
 
3. The 30 cal bullets were the crispest shiney-ist bullets I've ever poured.
 
4. Size was within a thou (on diameter of .30 cal) of those poured earlier.
 
5. Casting was done at about 650, I usually pour bullets at 750.

[Bitterroot Bob]

Yeah, but...
At about $10 per spool of lead-free, those are some seriously expensive bullets! I use it as a source of tin. I just pull off an arm's length and add it whenever I replenish the pot with wheel weights. The 5% antimony content doesn't harden the alloy too much, but the tin is always welcome.

Bitterroot

[Tom W.]

That's kinda like the lead free nickel Babbitt that I have used for years, mixing it with lead or wheel weights.. It makes some seriously hard bullets that will hardly deform, and are mighty hard to stop.

[Cat Whisperer]

I tried some the other day (10).  They printed about the same at 25 yards.
Weight was 135 grains for a normally cast 200 grains of WW/lead 50/50.

[Lead pot]

I walk down the plumbing Isles when I,m in a hard wear store and look at the sale prices of solder.
Last spring I found some one pound rolls of 95/5 (tin/lead) for $3.79.
I took all 27 rolls.

Kurt