Casting Alloy

[calvon]

I have some telephone cable lead that was given to me a long time ago. Since wheelweights are harder to come by than they were, I'm looking to use the cable lead but think it by itself to be too soft. I found a web site that has lead free solder (97% tin 3% copper). Would this work ok as a 'sweetener' for the cable lead? Would the copper have a detrimental effect? I'm thinking of using a no more than a one in thirty tin to lead ratio and this would reduce the copper component to almost trace levels.

I make and shoot pistol bullets only.

[Lloyd Smale]

the copper wont effect the alloy if its used in that ammount. You can add up to about 5 percent of that babbit material and not worry about the copper. As a matter of fact it will actually help harden your lead. You arent going to get all that much hardness though adding tin to pure lead. Even at 20 to one its softer then wws. What i would do with it is mix it with wws half and half and then add about 2 percent tin to the mix. that will give you an alloy that is good for loads to about a 1000 fps and with adding wws you add a trace of arsnic which is needed if you water drop your bullets. Water dropping that alloy will get you up around #2 in hardness which will be good for magnum pistol and rifle loads to about 1500 fps. Bottom line is that wws are cheaper then tin and will do alot more toward hardenig you mix. Even that alloy without adding tin to it is a fairly good alloy but the tin will make it cast a little better.

[Scott T]

Lloyd,

I'm thinking my next batch is going to be 50% soft lead and 50% wheel weights.  Water dropped, they ought to be just right for the .500 at 1200 or so.  Most of my shooting is at about 800-900, but I want to push this new bullet a bit.

[Lloyd Smale]

that will work fine Scott and probably give you about the hardness of air cooled wws.