NBC alloy composition?

[TommyD]

Cleaning out my basement, I found several boxes of .45 cal bullets from NBC - National bullet company of eastlake, Ohio.

Does anybody know what their lead alloy composition is?

I never really liked their design, so I have melted them down to salvage the lead.

Normally I cast with wheel weights with 1 - 2% added tin and my casting temp is 800 degrees as measured by an RCBS lead thermometer. I get nice uniformly frosted bullets which are quenched in water and give very good accuracy. They weigh in right around 260 grains, give or take a couple of tenths.

The bullets I cast from the remelted NBC alloy are much more shiny and weigh a couple of grains less than my usual wheel weight bullets. I don't have a hardness tester.

Anybody have a rough idea what alloy NBC used? I have tried to find them on the web, but suspect that they are out of business from postings I have read on other forums.

Tom

[Lloyd Smale]

92-6-2 was is a very popular alloy for alot of comercial casters. If the bullets are lighter then ww id guess thats what you have.

[Graybeard]

Almost all commercial casters use alloy way harder than appropriate for the bullets they make. Dunno if they think that's gonna reduce leading and make them appear better in the eyes of their users or if they just plain don't have a clue. I suspect the latter.

I confess to doing the same but then I have no expectations my linotype bullets are gonna mushroom and generally have a gas check on them anyway as I just kinda prefer mostly GC designs. Still so long as I match bullet diameter to barrel diameter I tend to get no leading regardless of alloy. I just happen to have been given a huge stock of linotype, foundry type and monotype so that's what I use mostly. I have picked up a fair supply of wheel weight alloy also and have some mixed. If I ever get around to casting bullets again I'm gonna try that mixture.

It's too bad I don't live closer to Lloyd I could suppy him with lead and he could supply me with bullets since he actually likes to cast bullets. I kinda used to do it more but can't say I ever really enjoyed it.

[jhalcott]

  I thought the hard alloy was to limit damage due to the shipping hazards. The boxes are tossed onto the truck and then onto the front porch with little regard as to the contents. Same reason for the HARD lubes they use.

[TommyD]

Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen. It is much appreciated. If it is the high antimony content, then perhaps I should reserve this batch for target shooting and use my regular wheel weight + tin for hunting purposes.

My understanding is that high antimony alloys like linotype are brittle in comparison to wheel weights and will sometimes shatter on bones, limiting their ability to penetrate.

Tom

[Casull]

Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen. It is much appreciated. If it is the high antimony content, then perhaps I should reserve this batch for target shooting and use my regular wheel weight + tin for hunting purposes.

My understanding is that high antimony alloys like linotype are brittle in comparison to wheel weights and will sometimes shatter on bones, limiting their ability to penetrate.

All I can say is that I bought 1K NBC 300 grain .45 bullets a few years ago, and that is what I load in my .454 RSRH.  I push them out at about 1,700 fps and they will shoot through a 9 inch live pine.  Last year I took a 4 point buck (about 120 lbs).  He was facing me at 30 yards, and the bullet entered at the base of his neck, broke one shoulder, cut three ribs across the "flats", and lodged in the thickest part of his ham about an inch or so from exiting.  This was about four feet of penetration, four bones broken and except for the nose having a nice crease in it, I could have just about reloaded the bullet.  I haven't weighed the bullet (don't know why), but weight retention looks to be close to 100%.  I don't think they will shatter.

[Lloyd Smale]

even straight linotype bullets will not shatter on game. the only bullets ive seen fracture are water dropped ww bullets. They tend to be on the brittle side. Bill i sure wish you were too as id surely take you up on that. I think the major reason the bullet manufactures use hard alloy is two fold. first its easier to make good bullets. the tin in the harder alloy fills out molds well and makes the bullets look shinny. Probably the biggest reason is that they cast with automatic casting machines that dump bullets into bins and bullets handled like that out of softer alloys tend to get little dents in them and its tough to convince someone thats buying them that it doesnt matter.

[Larry Gibson]

Agree with Lloyd 150%!

Larry Gibson

[TommyD]

Thanks a bunch for this valuable information. I will load some up and see how they do.

Tom

[Graybeard]

My understanding is that high antimony alloys like linotype are brittle in comparison to wheel weights and will sometimes shatter on bones, limiting their ability to penetrate.

You have an incorrect understanding. I've shot linotype, monotype and stereotype metal bullets for years. They do not shatter on bone or anything else I've found so far except steel plate. Even then I once picked up one that almost exactly hit with half the bullet on and half off metal. It sheared that bullet in half like a saw would have.

[TommyD]

That is good to know. There is so much conflicting information on the web, as I am sure you know.
I have avoided this alloy in the past, but I will give it a try if any comes my way. Always happy to learn new things.

Tom

My understanding is that high antimony alloys like linotype are brittle in comparison to wheel weights and will sometimes shatter on bones, limiting their ability to penetrate.

You have an incorrect understanding. I've shot linotype, monotype and stereotype metal bullets for years. They do not shatter on bone or anything else I've found so far except steel plate. Even then I once picked up one that almost exactly hit with half the bullet on and half off metal. It sheared that bullet in half like a saw would have.