stupid question time... silver bullets?

Willie Lowman · May 6, 2015, 02:22 PM

So I'm talking with a friend of mine about mythical monsters and he asked me "Just how hard would it be to make silver bullets for killing werewolves?"

Now I know next to nothing about metallurgy and casting bullets. I don't think silver would be a good choice for a bullet but I honestly don't know.

So aside from the price, how well would silver work for casting (and shooting)?

Doyle · May 6, 2015, 02:34 PM

Well, silver falls about halfway between lead and copper as far as hardness goes. It casts well (just ask those Spanish conquistadors how easy it was to cast ingots). So, I'd say that aside from the cost there probably isn't any reason it wouldn't work.

FrankenMauser · May 6, 2015, 03:01 PM

Pure silver requires over 1,700 degrees F to melt.

To cast with it, at home, you'd need a mini foundry (not a lead melter) and graphite molds (typical bullet molds can't handle the heat). The 'consumer grade' graphite molds are only good for about one or two dozen uses, and would still be fairly expensive. So... between the cost of silver, the cost of a foundry (and gas to run it), and the cost of a mold that's only good for maybe 20 bullets ...I'd say it isn't a great option.

If what you're looking for is just a small percentage of silver...
...Then using 3% silver solder (with the remainder tin and a trace of copper, generally) will get you there. 3% solder has a melting point below 800 F, and many of bullet casters already use it as their source of tin.

Mike / Tx · May 6, 2015, 04:08 PM

You would be MUCH better off using a blended alloy with a high silver content rather than using pure silver, IF you were really wanting to pour some Werewolf boolits up.

If you want a good read on doing it however here ya go,
Silver Bullets

colbad · May 6, 2015, 11:41 PM

There are actually places on the internet you can buy a silver bullet or two.

chris in va · May 6, 2015, 11:58 PM

Easy...and much cheaper. Nobody has to know.

http://www.winchester.com/Products/c...low-point.aspx

Emerson Biggies · May 7, 2015, 12:41 PM

You can always try the Zombie ammo that has been on the LGS shelves for a long time. Definitely cheaper than silver which is about $16/31.1 grams and guaranteed to garner more attention at the range. Hope you don't run into any wierwolves out there!

twobit · May 7, 2015, 12:46 PM

So do you mean the scenes of the Lone Ranger casting silver bullets over a campfire are just a bunch of hooey? Say it ain't so

Willie Lowman · May 7, 2015, 04:23 PM

See? I learned something today.

Thanks!

4runnerman · May 7, 2015, 08:12 PM

Willie- Heres another one to learn- Silver does not kill werewolfs it only wounds them. Causes them extreame pain not death.

dahermit · May 8, 2015, 04:49 AM

I remember an article many years ago (middle-late sixties), in one of the lessor gun magazines (not Guns & Ammo or Shooting Times), where someone cast a silver bullet and fired it into a sand backstop so they could recover it. As I remember, they recovered the bullet and re-cast it and fired it several times. As I remember, they did it to investigate if, relative to the Lone Ranger, it was possible. I do not remember how they got the heat to melt it.

FrankenMauser · May 8, 2015, 07:24 AM

Quote:

I remember an article many years ago (middle-late sixties), in one of the lessor gun magazines (not Guns & Ammo or Shooting Times), where someone cast a silver bullet and fired it into a sand backstop so they could recover it. As I remember, they recovered the bullet and re-cast it and fired it several times. As I remember, they did it to investigate if, relative to the Lone Ranger, it was possible. I do not remember how they got the heat to melt it.

1964 Gun World?

Article here: http://www.patriciabriggs.com/articles/silver/ranger/
(Part 3 of the link posted by Mike / TX. -Which is worth the read -- I read that article a year or two ago, while wondering about casting with brass.)

gwpercle · May 12, 2015, 06:24 PM

Gun World 1964...those guys were something else, way ahead of Mythbuster's. Lone Ranger and silver bullets...they went through a lot to get that silver bullet.
Another test they did was comparing penetration of a 44 magnum and a arrow! The arrow would penetrate farther than the 44. Always doing something interesting in that magazine.
Thanks for the link, brought back some memories!
Gary

res45 · May 13, 2015, 05:52 AM

These bullets already have silver in them I shot these bullets in my 357 Mag. Ruger BH for years before I started casting. Silver is a good bearing surface metal,I never had any issues with leading as the bullets we sized to .359" back then which is what my Ruger likes.

http://oregontrailbullet.com/

Chuck Dye · May 13, 2015, 07:36 AM

Friends who wanted to ~~play~~ experiment with silver bullets turned them from rods on a lathe (carefully saving the scraps.

) When their bullets and scraps were ready for it, they remelted the silver, cast new rods, and started over. As I recall, they resorted to the lathe because of reports that bullets cast in standard lead bullet molds cool well under lead diameter.

pete2 · May 14, 2015, 09:47 AM

Silver good enough for Lone Ranger, good enough for me. Also good for vampires or is it werewolves? Never can remember.

May 6, 2015, 02:22 PM	#1
Willie Lowman Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Uh-Hi-O Posts: 3,006	stupid question time... silver bullets? So I'm talking with a friend of mine about mythical monsters and he asked me "Just how hard would it be to make silver bullets for killing werewolves?" Now I know next to nothing about metallurgy and casting bullets. I don't think silver would be a good choice for a bullet but I honestly don't know. So aside from the price, how well would silver work for casting (and shooting)? __________________ "9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens

May 6, 2015, 03:01 PM	#3
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Pure silver requires over 1,700 degrees F to melt. To cast with it, at home, you'd need a mini foundry (not a lead melter) and graphite molds (typical bullet molds can't handle the heat). The 'consumer grade' graphite molds are only good for about one or two dozen uses, and would still be fairly expensive. So... between the cost of silver, the cost of a foundry (and gas to run it), and the cost of a mold that's only good for maybe 20 bullets ...I'd say it isn't a great option. If what you're looking for is just a small percentage of silver... ...Then using 3% silver solder (with the remainder tin and a trace of copper, generally) will get you there. 3% solder has a melting point below 800 F, and many of bullet casters already use it as their source of tin. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

May 6, 2015, 04:08 PM	#4
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	You would be MUCH better off using a blended alloy with a high silver content rather than using pure silver, IF you were really wanting to pour some Werewolf boolits up. If you want a good read on doing it however here ya go, Silver Bullets __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

May 7, 2015, 12:46 PM	#8
twobit Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2010 Location: Coyote Creak, SW Texas Posts: 597	So do you mean the scenes of the Lone Ranger casting silver bullets over a campfire are just a bunch of hooey? Say it ain't so __________________ Twobit, Strive to live up to the opinion that your dog has of you.

May 7, 2015, 04:23 PM	#9
Willie Lowman Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Uh-Hi-O Posts: 3,006	See? I learned something today. Thanks! __________________ "9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens

May 6, 2015, 02:34 PM	#2
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Well, silver falls about halfway between lead and copper as far as hardness goes. It casts well (just ask those Spanish conquistadors how easy it was to cast ingots). So, I'd say that aside from the cost there probably isn't any reason it wouldn't work.

May 6, 2015, 11:41 PM	#5
colbad Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2012 Posts: 506	There are actually places on the internet you can buy a silver bullet or two.

May 6, 2015, 11:58 PM	#6
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	Easy...and much cheaper. Nobody has to know. http://www.winchester.com/Products/c...low-point.aspx

May 7, 2015, 12:41 PM	#7
Emerson Biggies Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2014 Posts: 163	You can always try the Zombie ammo that has been on the LGS shelves for a long time. Definitely cheaper than silver which is about $16/31.1 grams and guaranteed to garner more attention at the range. Hope you don't run into any wierwolves out there!

May 7, 2015, 08:12 PM	#10
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	Willie- Heres another one to learn- Silver does not kill werewolfs it only wounds them. Causes them extreame pain not death. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional Last edited by 4runnerman; May 8, 2015 at 12:18 PM.

May 8, 2015, 04:49 AM	#11
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	I remember an article many years ago (middle-late sixties), in one of the lessor gun magazines (not Guns & Ammo or Shooting Times), where someone cast a silver bullet and fired it into a sand backstop so they could recover it. As I remember, they recovered the bullet and re-cast it and fired it several times. As I remember, they did it to investigate if, relative to the Lone Ranger, it was possible. I do not remember how they got the heat to melt it.

May 12, 2015, 06:24 PM	#13
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	Gun World 1964...those guys were something else, way ahead of Mythbuster's. Lone Ranger and silver bullets...they went through a lot to get that silver bullet. Another test they did was comparing penetration of a 44 magnum and a arrow! The arrow would penetrate farther than the 44. Always doing something interesting in that magazine. Thanks for the link, brought back some memories! Gary

May 13, 2015, 05:52 AM	#14
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	These bullets already have silver in them I shot these bullets in my 357 Mag. Ruger BH for years before I started casting. Silver is a good bearing surface metal,I never had any issues with leading as the bullets we sized to .359" back then which is what my Ruger likes. http://oregontrailbullet.com/

May 13, 2015, 07:36 AM	#15
Chuck Dye Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2002 Location: Oregon-The wet side. Posts: 949	Friends who wanted to ~~play~~ experiment with silver bullets turned them from rods on a lathe (carefully saving the scraps.) When their bullets and scraps were ready for it, they remelted the silver, cast new rods, and started over. As I recall, they resorted to the lathe because of reports that bullets cast in standard lead bullet molds cool well under lead diameter. __________________ Gee, I'd love to see your data!

May 14, 2015, 09:47 AM	#16
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	Silver good enough for Lone Ranger, good enough for me. Also good for vampires or is it werewolves? Never can remember.