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Old June 1, 2012, 02:24 PM   #1
Lead Express
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Casting bullets with lead shot

Has anyone ever tried casting bullets using lead shot? I found a decent deal in my area for 50lbs/$45.00.

Antimony content is 6%/94% lead.
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Old June 1, 2012, 02:37 PM   #2
Jim Watson
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A friend got hundreds of pounds of shot at a going out of business sale and cast bullets off of it for years. He did add tin to the mix, though.
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Old June 1, 2012, 02:48 PM   #3
243winxb
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Cast bullets were oven heat treated/water cooled. Not my standard load of W296, but a good target loading. The cast bullet drops from the mould at 250grs + For air cooled bullets, add 2% Tin.
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Old June 1, 2012, 05:11 PM   #4
Lead Express
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Awesome, thanks guys!!!
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Old June 1, 2012, 07:51 PM   #5
Mike / Tx
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Quote:
I could do this when I was a kid...
Hey now, don't be slackin up on us now.

I keep telling myself I'm getting better with age, ya know like wine.

Course my wife tells it another way entirely.
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Old June 2, 2012, 11:08 AM   #6
10 Spot Terminator
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+1 on adding some tin to the hard shot. 3% should do nicely and give you good cavity fill on your casts and leave you with an alloy just a tad harder than wheel weight lead as you will have slightly higher antimony content. You will get handgun boolits that will handle magnum handgun loads and also good for moderate rifle loads.

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Old June 4, 2012, 08:51 PM   #7
David Wile
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Hey Lead Express,

The price of lead shot is very high these days and has been for several years. If you do not load shotshells, I would think you would be better off if you sold the shot and bought wheel weights. If I lived near you, I would be very happy to trade you my hard alloy for your shot pound for pound. Check to see if someone in your area wants to trade hard alloy for your shot.

Best wishes,
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Old June 4, 2012, 09:16 PM   #8
steve4102
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I'm sorry, but lead shot is so expensive these days I think melting it down into lead bullets is a kin to buying a Whole Beef Tenderloin (filet) and grinding it up into hamburger.
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Old June 4, 2012, 09:27 PM   #9
oneounceload
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Especially if that is new magnum shot like West Coast - most 25# bags are selling foe 35 to 45 per bag - you'd make more selling it to a target shotgun shooter and buying lead ingots from someone
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