Wheel weights for 50 caliber balls?

[Robert]

Are wheel weights OK if the bullets are patched?  I cant see what difference it would make.  Is there something I am missing?

[Orygun Mark]

I have used them with good results. I have also shot Maxies made of WW's with no problem. They don't expand as much as lead but will go thru a Blacktail deer length wise.   Orygun

[Lloyd Smale]

I concure with mark. I prefer 30-1 but have shoot alot of ww too.

[Robert]

I just wanted to make sure there wasnt something I was missing. Happy New Year.

[Plainsman]

Because I've always been told and read that anything harder SHOULD NOT BE USED with a ml.

I even have about 100 lbs of pure lead set aside for the smokepole while I have about 750# of WW for centerfires.

[deerhunter]

I tried WW alloy for my .56 renegade, and the balls came out oversized, I could hardly ram them down on top of the powder.  Then I tried pure lead from old pipes, and they were ok.  I would guess if you used the WW alloy they dont shrink like pure lead does so you would need to use a thinner patch.  Everything I have read though says use pure lead.

I would save the WW for your centerfires.

[Leftoverdj]

Turner Kirkland of Dixie Gun Works. who ought know if anyone would, said that wheelweights gave slightly inferior accuracy but worked fine.

My guess is that a great deal would depend on the fit of your ball and patch to your particular bore.

[yella hammer]

tried ww for 50 cal

They drop too large from my .490

[Sheriff Bart]

For really fine accuracy in a M/L you need pure soft lead.  The lead has to take the imprint of the patch to get a good grip on the rifling.  Wheel weight lead is hard enough that if you do get them to grab the patch you deform the nose when you POUND them into the gun.  If you use PURE lead and have a good gun you should shoot just as good a group as your eyes will hold.  I have severl targets with 5 shots under 2" at 100 yds, from cross sticks.  If you are willing to shoot 4-6" groups at 100 try the wheel weights.

[Bob/FLA]

Sheriff Bart has hit the nail on the head....the patch must imprint on the ball.  If you shoot a smoothbore as I do, you can use WW.

[GrizzLeeBear]

I have tried some RB cast from WW's in my .50 cal. GPR.  They were difficult to pound down the bore when starting as they cast larger and are harder.  But the most important thing was that they didn't shoot worth a damn.  You will be much happier if you stick to soft lead RBs.
On the other hand I have heard that many shooters of smoothbore guns can get just as good accuracy with WW's as they do with soft lead.  They might have to adjust thier patch thickness because of the different size they cast to, but since the ball doesn't have to conform to rifling when loaded or fired, they seam to shoot fine.  The big advantage for them is that it is usually easier to find sources of cheap WWs.