Author Topic: Making bullets from lead shot (Read 656 times)

targetguy · « **on:** January 19, 2005, 12:43:57 PM »

Hi

I just got 45 pounds of lead shot #6 for free. I have about 100 pounds of pure lead allready. Can I mix these 2 and make good bullets? Or can I mix the lead and the shot with wheel weights to make bullets. I am shooting them in a 9mm and a 45 acp no more than 900 fps.

Thanks

Lead pot · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2005, 01:29:02 PM »

You bet, lead shot is good to use with anything.
Kurt.

38-55 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2005, 02:22:43 AM »

Make sure you melt lead shot in a well ventilated area. Lead shot usually has some arsenic in it, bad stuff.

Doc Killpatient · « **Reply #3 on:** January 20, 2005, 03:22:38 AM »

Quick question. How does the hardness of lead shot compare to that of wheel weights? Can you use just lead shot out of the bag and be ok? Thanks.

Doc

Kingfish · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2005, 12:27:18 PM »

I've got some magnum shotgun shot that says it's 6% antimony on the bag it came in. I'm not sure about regular shotgun shot but I don't think ww's have that much antimony in them.

Bill

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2005, 03:04:47 PM »

Chilled #6 would be pretty close to WW. Magnum or premium is a good bit harder. That trace of arsenic is no more dangerous than the lead in the quantities involved, but it is needed if you were waterquenching or heat treating.

Half and half shot and lead oughta work fine for what you are doing, but it might need some tin for better fillout. I find it easier to just add tin as a matter of routine than to make ingots and find out later that I needed to add tin. One pound of lead free solder or two pounds of 50/50 should be enough for 100 pounds of alloy. I use about twice that, but I work at a lot higher velocities than you are.