Buying bullet alloy??
- Thread starter johnnyjr
- Start date
JonB
Halcyon member
I am happy with 3-3-94
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While I didn't buy from Rotometals, I did buy a large batch of 3-3-94 from a fellow caster who had access to a XRF scanner and blended his batches with a base of range scrap, which was scanned, then he added known solders and Lino and Pure, then scanned again. He included the scanner printouts with the batches that I bought. There was about 0.25% Cu in the mix, due to a large quantity of copper jackets in the range scrap.
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While I didn't buy from Rotometals, I did buy a large batch of 3-3-94 from a fellow caster who had access to a XRF scanner and blended his batches with a base of range scrap, which was scanned, then he added known solders and Lino and Pure, then scanned again. He included the scanner printouts with the batches that I bought. There was about 0.25% Cu in the mix, due to a large quantity of copper jackets in the range scrap.
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Roto metals makes Hard Ball which is real close to my home blend rifle alloy.
I'd say that stuff is as hard as you will need.
Its 2 Sn/6 Sb/92 Pb. It's about 16$ for 5lb.
Then you can always water it down to get a semblance of consistency.
I mix mine with 20/1.
Four pound of Hard Ball to one pound
20 /1.
To make perfect gas checked powder coated bullets for the 450 bushmaster. At 2200 fps.
Definitely agree with fiver on buying pure or soft. It's getting harder to get.
I'd say that stuff is as hard as you will need.
Its 2 Sn/6 Sb/92 Pb. It's about 16$ for 5lb.
Then you can always water it down to get a semblance of consistency.
I mix mine with 20/1.
Four pound of Hard Ball to one pound
20 /1.
To make perfect gas checked powder coated bullets for the 450 bushmaster. At 2200 fps.
Definitely agree with fiver on buying pure or soft. It's getting harder to get.
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Winelover
North Central Arkansas
The least expensive casting metal is pure lead, which I purchase from Roto Metals in 5# bars. To harden it, I use their Lino in 5# bars. Mostly, I mix them 3-1 (pure to lino) and get a alloy that is near to WW alloy. Never found the need to add tin, either. Measures 14-15 BHN after three weeks, air cooled. If you need harder, you can oven heat treat.
With pure and lino, you can mix at other ratios............... 5-1, 4-1, 2-1, 1-1, depending on how hard or soft you require. Or whether or not you want to heat treat. It's my KISS principal.
With pure and lino, you can mix at other ratios............... 5-1, 4-1, 2-1, 1-1, depending on how hard or soft you require. Or whether or not you want to heat treat. It's my KISS principal.
Ian
Notorious member
"Buying bullet alloy". I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. It sounds kind of like "buy loaded ammunition". Of course I laughed when they came out with bottled water "that'll never sell" and here I sit with a bottle of Dasani beside me.
I've been known to cruise interstate off ramps on foot to kill a lunch hour and get out of the shop, the ones with a stop light or sign after a long stretch of freeway behind are littered with weights that shake loose on the road but don't fall off until the vehicles slow to a near stop.
I've been known to cruise interstate off ramps on foot to kill a lunch hour and get out of the shop, the ones with a stop light or sign after a long stretch of freeway behind are littered with weights that shake loose on the road but don't fall off until the vehicles slow to a near stop.
Joshua
Taco Aficionado/Salish Sea Pirate/Part-Time Dragon
If I was you, I’d mix up a 40 pound batch of that mystery scrap. Cast your rifle bullets, powder coat, and then shoot them. If they work in that cartridge then segregate that alloy for that cartridge. 40 pounds of alloy will make fourteen hundred 200 grain bullets.
JonB
Halcyon member
Johnnyjr,
Just to give you an idea of equipment size, in regards to blending a large batch of mystery alloy like Josh suggests, which I do agree with.
I schmelt COWW's in a 4 qt stainless steel soup pot on a vintage Coleman gasoline camp stove. That 4 qt pot which becomes over half full, nearly 3/4 full when the alloy becomes molten, will yield about 35 to 40 lbs of ingots. So it doesn't take any "special" equipment. Now if you want to schmelt 100 lbs, you'll likely want to cut a Propane bottle from a BBQ grill in half, and use that on a Turkey fryer burner.
Just to give you an idea of equipment size, in regards to blending a large batch of mystery alloy like Josh suggests, which I do agree with.
I schmelt COWW's in a 4 qt stainless steel soup pot on a vintage Coleman gasoline camp stove. That 4 qt pot which becomes over half full, nearly 3/4 full when the alloy becomes molten, will yield about 35 to 40 lbs of ingots. So it doesn't take any "special" equipment. Now if you want to schmelt 100 lbs, you'll likely want to cut a Propane bottle from a BBQ grill in half, and use that on a Turkey fryer burner.
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
I prefer my 100 lb crucible and the turkey fryer for that. But there is more then one way to skin a cat.
Heck you could do 4 or 5 lbs at a time on a hot plate, in a small pot. Separate into piles. Then blend the piles of one pound ingots till it is all the same. If you had too. That is the way I did that till 460May gave me a crucible.
Heck I still make my pewter ingots and melt small batches, that way. Thing is with a small heat source you need to start a small puddle, then add a little at a time giving each amount time to melt. Of course protecting yourself from splash back. If you try and melt too much at once you get cottage cheese, after a long wait. You want a complete melt when blending.
Heck you could do 4 or 5 lbs at a time on a hot plate, in a small pot. Separate into piles. Then blend the piles of one pound ingots till it is all the same. If you had too. That is the way I did that till 460May gave me a crucible.
Heck I still make my pewter ingots and melt small batches, that way. Thing is with a small heat source you need to start a small puddle, then add a little at a time giving each amount time to melt. Of course protecting yourself from splash back. If you try and melt too much at once you get cottage cheese, after a long wait. You want a complete melt when blending.
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Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Making lead ingots with a hot plate.
Had some pipe gave to me. I decided to melt it down and clean it up for storage. See if my hot plate got hot enough to melt pure lead. I can add this into another batch, or just make round and maxi ba
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