Molding with other metals

JamesIkanov · October 7, 2014, 04:58 PM

Hello! I'm all very new to reloading and such, although I do understand a good bit about cartridges and how they function. I have a very simple question, and I hope I'm not in the wrong place to ask it. The title pretty much says it all, but are there any bullet molds out there that can handle or are designed to work with hotter metals than lead?

Beagle333 · October 7, 2014, 07:48 PM

Not that I'm aware of, unless you count Zinc. I have read of a couple of folks who cast with zinc just to experiment, but I gathered that it's pretty hard stuff and doesn't cast all that well. Some cast cannonballs with it, so they can go get them and shoot them again without recasting.

skizzums · October 8, 2014, 06:35 PM

I think lead is really the only castable metal that wouldn't be too hard for the barrel. Silver and gold would be the only option I know of.

JamesIkanov · October 9, 2014, 04:39 PM

Darn. I was hoping to do some experimentation. Is all of that (copper ammo and such) done using some kind of specialized hardware?

skizzums · October 9, 2014, 10:25 PM

yes, they are turned on a lathe. cant cast copper/brass. even steel your talking incredible temps, and will destroy your barrel unless you have a way to put something soft around it.

Jim Watson · October 9, 2014, 10:31 PM

As Beagle said, there has been some work done with casting zinc.
You get a hard bullet 64% of the weight of the same style in lead and it does not have to be lubricated. It can't be sized in lead bullet sizers, either, so you need a mold made to cast to the desired diameter.

You have to specialize.
Zinc is a contaminant of lead - see all the warnings about sorting out zinc wheel weights or at least melting the lead slowly so your alloy does not get spoiled - and lead is a contaminant for zinc.
So you really need a separate melting pot and separate molds wouldn't hurt.
And they have to be iron molds, too; molten zinc will dissolve aluminum.

skizzums · October 10, 2014, 05:56 AM

I thought zinc was also damaging to barrels. I know people play with for AP type loads, but I thought it was only for use on a barrel you don't care about. I could be wrong, but I know its not soft at all. I'll bet you could drop an undersized zinc bullet and put 3-4 coats of pc and keeps off the barrel though. That might be fun.

Beagle333 · October 10, 2014, 09:07 PM

Lead is still plentiful and relatively cheap (about a buck a pound)......
It won't always be either one.... but for now I'd just stock up on it and worry about other options later when the lead is gone or banned.

October 7, 2014, 04:58 PM	#1
JamesIkanov Junior Member Join Date: October 7, 2014 Posts: 2	Molding with other metals Hello! I'm all very new to reloading and such, although I do understand a good bit about cartridges and how they function. I have a very simple question, and I hope I'm not in the wrong place to ask it. The title pretty much says it all, but are there any bullet molds out there that can handle or are designed to work with hotter metals than lead?

October 7, 2014, 07:48 PM	#2
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Not that I'm aware of, unless you count Zinc. I have read of a couple of folks who cast with zinc just to experiment, but I gathered that it's pretty hard stuff and doesn't cast all that well. Some cast cannonballs with it, so they can go get them and shoot them again without recasting. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

October 8, 2014, 06:35 PM	#3
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	I think lead is really the only castable metal that wouldn't be too hard for the barrel. Silver and gold would be the only option I know of. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

October 9, 2014, 10:25 PM	#5
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	yes, they are turned on a lathe. cant cast copper/brass. even steel your talking incredible temps, and will destroy your barrel unless you have a way to put something soft around it. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

October 10, 2014, 05:56 AM	#7
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	I thought zinc was also damaging to barrels. I know people play with for AP type loads, but I thought it was only for use on a barrel you don't care about. I could be wrong, but I know its not soft at all. I'll bet you could drop an undersized zinc bullet and put 3-4 coats of pc and keeps off the barrel though. That might be fun. __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

October 9, 2014, 04:39 PM	#4
JamesIkanov Junior Member Join Date: October 7, 2014 Posts: 2	Darn. I was hoping to do some experimentation. Is all of that (copper ammo and such) done using some kind of specialized hardware?

October 9, 2014, 10:31 PM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,545	As Beagle said, there has been some work done with casting zinc. You get a hard bullet 64% of the weight of the same style in lead and it does not have to be lubricated. It can't be sized in lead bullet sizers, either, so you need a mold made to cast to the desired diameter. You have to specialize. Zinc is a contaminant of lead - see all the warnings about sorting out zinc wheel weights or at least melting the lead slowly so your alloy does not get spoiled - and lead is a contaminant for zinc. So you really need a separate melting pot and separate molds wouldn't hurt. And they have to be iron molds, too; molten zinc will dissolve aluminum.

October 10, 2014, 09:07 PM	#8
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	Lead is still plentiful and relatively cheap (about a buck a pound)...... It won't always be either one.... but for now I'd just stock up on it and worry about other options later when the lead is gone or banned. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.