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Offline S.S.

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Wheel weights
« on: May 30, 2009, 12:47:46 PM »
Are Wheel weights pretty much standard as to hardness and alloy composition?
I have just came into a 5 gallon bucket full from a car dealership and it has been a long
time since I have cast bullets from them. I had a bad experience with them in muzzle loaders
and literally made a smoothbore of a .45 kentucky rifle (I shot it a lot with REAL bullets made from wheel weights) Anyhow, I think they will be fine for .38 / .357... Honest opinion from all, What do you think of using them for bullets.
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Offline Badnews Bob

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2009, 02:04:56 PM »
They are about all I use anymore, Clean it and cast it. Makes great bullets, I use it in .223 7mm .30 cal .38/.357  .38-55 .44 and .45 water dropped if I want them a little harder. I use purest lead I can get in my front stuffers thou. 8)
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Offline jhalcott

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2009, 06:28:21 PM »
 I use wheel weights a lot for hunting It is a regional thing as to hardness. Most companies just melt whatever the get to make WW's. Around here (Md) they run about 12-13 BHN. Iv'e shot them to 2100 fps in several calibers and KNOW I could go faster! I would NEVER use them BARE in a muzzle loader, maybe with a cloth patch. 8 or 10 BHN is about as hard as I'd use in a muzzle loader. What Lube did you use in that MZ L?
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Offline S.S.

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2009, 06:14:31 AM »
Crisco is all I ever used in that Muzzle loader. It was back in the early 80's
and a whole lot more was not available.
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Offline stimpylu32

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2009, 01:29:24 PM »
I would just about kill someone for a 5 gal bucket of WW right now , There are about 5 or 6 guys around here that have gotten to all the car & tire places and are paying $1.70 a pound or more and I flat refuse to pay that much for scrap metal .  :o

stimpy
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Offline Tn Jim

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2009, 08:40:50 AM »
All the cast bullets I make are for handguns, and all are wheel weights only. The ones I have tested range from 11-13 BHN. There is no set formula for WW that I am aware of. Different countries have different standards I think. European WW (Volkswagon, BMW, Benz) seem a little softer, Asian (Toyota, KIA) are a little harder and American range all over the place. Pure lead only in a MZ. They have to be able to obitrate (swell up from firing pressure) to fit the bore.
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Offline offhand35

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2009, 09:22:28 AM »
Here in CT WW are just about impossible to get. The recyclers have gotten to all the tire shops with contracts.  Even though I've known some of the tire shop people for years, they can't break contract and  give me more than a token handful of weights!!!!
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Offline Yankee1

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Re: Wheel weights
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2009, 10:46:27 AM »
Hi
  My molds are supposed to cast a #2 alloy to weigh say a 240 grain bullet.
Well if I want a harder bullet I add more antimony alloy like Linotype.
If I want a softer bullet I add more pure lead.  If bullets come out 2.4 grins. light then they are 1% light or a little harder.  So by monitoring weight I have a guide as to their hard or softness. I use half alox and half beeswax as a lubricant.
In my muzzle loaders I use only pure lead. Some ranges will give away lead if it accumulates too fast. 
                                    Yankee1
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