Wheel Weights or Range Lead for BPC casting?

[Kilgor]

I have been offered all the lead I want from a local indoor shooting range at a really good price ... free!  My question is - should I take up their offer?  

I ask because I am so new to casting that I haven't even got any equipment and reading the various threads on casting it seems I need to cast a pretty soft bullet for use in black powder cartridge loads.   Wheel weights seem to be a good source of lead alloy (according to the good folk here) that cast bullets of the appropriate softness.  Would the recycled range lead be too hard and if it is can I soften it up by adding a quantity of pure lead?

Thanks in advance for the good advice I know you will offer.

[John Traveler]

The rule to operate by is:  The price is right if it is FREE!  By all means, go back and take them up on the offer.

If you turn down the freebies, it may not be offered again.

You can always salvage the lead for trade goods.

BPCR bulets requires relatively soft alloy.  Wheel weights may work, but they are usually too hard unless mixed with pure lead.  Scrap bullets may be too hard too, or they may be usuable.  .22 LR slugs for example, are almost pure lead.  Lead hardened with antimony is usually used in jacketed pistol slugs.

By melting scrap, letting it set undisturbed, and then skimming off the tin-containing dross (impurities), you can get closer and closer to that soft lead alloy you want.  Once you build up your lead ingot collection, you have the basis for trading for stuff you want and need.

[Cuts Crooked]

I've been using WW lead fer black powder catridges for three years now, except for in my BPCR loads, with good results.  (I was State Champion in the FCD catagory in 2003)

If you cut that stuff with pure lead at about 50/50 ratio you will get a very good soft lead that can even be used fer muzzle loaders.

[dancbtmkr]

Are you saying that everything other than lead will settle to the top of an undisturbed pot?  How do I know when I've gotten it out.  I've got lots of lead,  but much if it is very hard,  and is only suitable for Hard Cast bullets for smokeless guns.

Bull Harris

[The Shrink]

Everything but tin and antimony that are alloyed with the lead.  There are other, harmful things, but you don't have to worry about them in range lead.  Just avoid batteries!

Yeah, clean it up, that is melt it and flux it outdoors and not in a bottom pour pot, and the junk will come to the top.  It's all lighter than the lead.

[R J Talley]

Over the last three years I've been shooting and loading for a Sharps reproduction. I've found that a 1/20 tin/lead bullet works the best in my gun. Others have had similar experiences. That's not to say that you should turn down the free lead, by all means take it. You can always trade it later to a smokeless shooter. What you should be using is a mixture of plumbers lead and tin (I get tin from form 50/50 solder).  Running your lead pot hot, as in 800 degrees or more and letting the melt sit for 30 or so minutes will cause separation of the alloy. However, it will be mostly the tin you will be removing and the antimony will remain. This is the wrong direction to be going for BPC. Another possible contaminant in range lead is arsenic. It is used to harden shot and some small calibre bullets. Again, you don't need or want it in bullets used for BPC.  The reason for the insistence on soft lead is pretty complex but boils down to essentiall this: to function best in a BPC round, the bullet needs to be soft enough to upset and swell slightly upon powder ignition. Hard bullets won't really do this. I refused to believe this untill I tried it but after that, I've never gon back.  I sometimes use AA5744 in my 45-90 and when I do, I use wheel weights with excellent results. But that same lead bullet in BP isn't nearly so accurate as its twin cast with 1/20 alloy. The difference is almost two inches at 100 yards.  BTW, with BP you are going to need a different lube as well. There are several good ones but I've found SPG works most consistently.  What you really should do is buy a copy of Mike Venturino and Steve Garbe's BP Cartridge reloading primer. The book is now in it's fourth edition and it is loaded with all of the information (and loads) you will need to be successful. I bought my copy from www.buffaloarms.com but you can also order it direct from Mike and Steve at (307) 587-7621 or SPG,LLC P.O. Box 1625, Cody, WY 82414  I can't begin to tell you how much this book helped me. I now can consistently load ammo that groups under 1.5 inches at 100 yards..about all my old eyes will do with iron sights.