Wheel weights for bullets

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   I have heard people say they use them, and I have heard people say that they are a bad idea. I would geuss the latter would be true. If for nother reason than posible inbedded dirt may wear the barrel surface.
I have never casted bullets and doubt that I will anytime soon, but one never knows. 
So is wheel weight lead consistant enough in wieght, and is the dirt a problem? I awsome wheel weights are an alloy. Yes?
MM

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Montana Maddnes Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby AKA Scooter Joined: 19 November 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1799	Post Options Post Reply Quote Montana Maddnes Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Wheel weights for bullets Posted: 26 December 2009 at 16:27
	I have heard people say they use them, and I have heard people say that they are a bad idea. I would geuss the latter would be true. If for nother reason than posible inbedded dirt may wear the barrel surface. I have never casted bullets and doubt that I will anytime soon, but one never knows. So is wheel weight lead consistant enough in wieght, and is the dirt a problem? I awsome wheel weights are an alloy. Yes? MM
	Montana Maddness God Bless The U.S.A. On the Highways for Jesus!

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 December 2009 at 20:27
	Casting lead depends upon what you want to do with it. For cloth patched balls, only pure lead works, as the ball actually needs to embed into the fabric patch. I use reactor bricks for this. Wheel weights are fine and have some alloy, but many people ass even more alloy to make it harder. So these are at least a decent starting point. Dirt is no problem. When you melt lead the dirt (alloys, oxides, etc) are lighter and come to the top, and can be scrapped off. When you are melting you can become your own metallurgist. ALWAYS MELT OUTSIDE, LEAD FUMES ARE POISON! Actually, I just put my melting pot on the open porch out side as I need some .438 round balls for the flintlock season. Ad you fire the gun to discharge everyday it eats up balls without even shooting at a deer! Hopefully, our resident lead bullet member will jump in on this thread, he has forgotten more than I know.

d4570 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 27 January 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9961	Post Options Post Reply Quote d4570 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 December 2009 at 20:42
	W W are very hard and need some other lead mixed in,according to a bud that is a casting guru. They have a lot of antimony in them which makes them very toxic and we will not be able to get them much longer,they are a great source for lead for casting. The good thing about W W is you can temper them in your oven, My bud shoots them in his 223 at 2200 fps, thats fast for lead!!!

Ranch 13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 02 June 2004 Location: Guernsey Status: Offline Points: 657	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ranch 13 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 December 2009 at 21:19
	Wheelweights aren't what they used to be. In the bygone days they had a lot higher lead content. Nowdays they contain alot more antimony, and some are even zinc which is worthless to a caster. The older mostly lead ww's worked just fine for 99% of cast bullet needs. They had enough tin and antinmony in them to hold up to the higher velocity yet soft enough they would offer some expansion if used for hunting. As to the dirt and stuff in them, that is pretty easily fluxed out, as it lighter than the lead and will float to the top where it can be skimmed off. I don't use ww's for casting much anymore as they are not plentiful enough around here to be a big enough supply to keep up with the amount of shooting I do. I order most of my alloy from rotometals. Bullet fit to the gun and use a good lube will go a long way towards reducing leading no matter what the alloy used.
	The most expensive bullet there is isn't worth a plug nickel if it don't go where its supposed to.

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 December 2009 at 21:43
	Ranch, Thanks for that Rotometals site. they have nice stuff and lead is about $2 per pound. Free shipping if you buy $100 worth, get a few friends and you got cheap good lead. NO tax, no shipping. http://www.rotometals.com/Lead-Sheet-s/31.htm

Montana Maddnes Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby AKA Scooter Joined: 19 November 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1799	Post Options Post Reply Quote Montana Maddnes Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 December 2009 at 07:24
	Cool thank you gents
	Montana Maddness God Bless The U.S.A. On the Highways for Jesus!

Ranch 13 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 02 June 2004 Location: Guernsey Status: Offline Points: 657	Post Options Post Reply Quote Ranch 13 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 December 2009 at 10:04
	Ubecha Bear. I'm really happy with the business I've done with those folks. Plus if you get on the mailing list or check in regularly they have some really good sales. I think this last week was 10% off. It just seems to me anymore that buying the 20-1 or #2 alloy from them, has been better than messing around trying to smelt wheelweights and fussing with trying to get a workable alloy.
	The most expensive bullet there is isn't worth a plug nickel if it don't go where its supposed to.

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 December 2009 at 16:38
	well, it is a good source for me, as I cast mostly for muzzleloaders. So I'm doing either Minnie or round balls and need pure lead, and wheel weights don't work for that and it takes forever to flux out hard alloy metal. thanks again Ranch

d4570 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 27 January 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9961	Post Options Post Reply Quote d4570 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 27 December 2009 at 23:26
	My dentist gives me all his Lead foil from the X-ray film I have over a 100 pounds of all most pure lead >>> I use it for sinkers and sling shot balls.

deaddog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator AKA The Flying Gun Joined: 23 April 2004 Location: Svalbard Status: Offline Points: 991201	Post Options Post Reply Quote deaddog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 December 2009 at 00:01
	I've been paying $20-25 for a five gallon pails of WW. I have a couple places that give me free WW but they end up being only a gallon a year or so. Lot's of waste involved with smelting. The steel clips the zinc, slag, the valve stems that get mixed in etc. I bet out of a 5 gal pail I get close to a gallon of waste. Because of the hardness I think it works better in rifles. It's anti-intuitive to me but if you shoot a hard bullet slow you will lead a barrel as quick as shooting a soft bullet fast. DD
	Endeavor to persevere.

Gordon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .22 LongRifle Joined: 13 December 2009 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote Gordon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 January 2010 at 22:57
	< =text/>_popupControl(); I dont cast, but my brother in law casts fishing sinkers. We had a bad hail storm here in Montana a couple years back and about a third of the houses in town had to get new roofs put on. I gathered every vent cap I could get my hands on for him. I THINK it is pure lead but may have some other metal in it. (Its SOFT, hence the pure lead thought) Just something that some of you smoke pole shooters might keep an eye open for. Ive heard that many casters use plumbers lead for the basis of their bullet casting.
	-- Life Member: Disabled American Veterans National Rifle Association

Alan R McD Jr Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .22 LongRifle Joined: 15 November 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 15	Post Options Post Reply Quote Alan R McD Jr Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 April 2010 at 16:15
	Wheel weights are a great source of lead for casting all sorts of things from bullets to fishing weights. I melt and pour into ingots (old cornbread mold) and keep each batch labeled - WW or Lead. I use the WW for pistol bullets in .357 (144 gr WC in 38 Spl., 158 gr for 357 Mag., and 185 gr SWC and 250 gr. RNFP for 45 Colt). I cast two weights of 30 cal and one of .323 (8x57). For the rifles I prefer a harder alloy and I use Linotype with a Gas check. I have loaded WW bullets in the rifles before but have had better results with Lino. The last bunch of WW I got was last week and was approx. 35# total. After hand sorting the lead, I got about 15# of lead WW. The rest were steel. I found no Zinc WW in that bunch. All of the new WW in the tire shop where I went were steel. Most other tire shops are doing the same. The only lead WW left are on wheels that are still on the road. 40,000 miles from now there won't be any more. I have been scrounging al the lead I can get my hands on for some time now and I have quite a bit, at least enough to fill my shooting needs for the rest of my life. My next project is to build a decent berm to shoot into so I can at least recover some of what I shoot. Lead WW are a good source of alloy for now but don't build a loading regimen around them because they are on the way out I'm afraid. Alan
	Remember November 2010 Pro-Life Pro-Gun Pro-America Don't settle for less! If you don't believe in shooting abortionists, then don't shoot one. - Ann Coulter

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 April 2010 at 02:24
	In old days many things in the plumbing industry used lead, cause it seals great with a blow torch. I have about 150# of lead sheeting from a built-in show stall (circa 1955), it was the layer under the tile. It is 99% lead.

deaddog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator AKA The Flying Gun Joined: 23 April 2004 Location: Svalbard Status: Offline Points: 991201	Post Options Post Reply Quote deaddog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 April 2010 at 04:20
	I've been looking for junk sail boats. The retractable keels are filled with lead. 600+ pounds in most of them. DD
	Endeavor to persevere.

TCLouis Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .223 Remington Joined: 11 December 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 65	Post Options Post Reply Quote TCLouis Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 August 2010 at 13:42
	The short answer is that wheel weights will work very well for most cast loads that anyone may care to shoot. If one can still get them down the barrel (they will cast larger) of one's trusty smoke stick, they may find complete penetration on a deer if they are used to finding a well flattened round ball just under the skin on the off side. There are sites dedicated to making the silver stream into a cast projectiles and the learned will correct some myths one reads.
	There is Family, Huntin, Fishin, Outdoors, . . . The rest is pretty much frittering ones life away

waksupi Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby aka Keeper of the Old Traditions Joined: 11 June 2003 Status: Offline Points: 2371	Post Options Post Reply Quote waksupi Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 September 2010 at 14:47
	http://castboolits.gunloads.com I've seen enough misinformation presented, you need to go here for the story. I've shot WW round balls for nearly 40 years in muzzle loaders. Work fine for hunting, and I have won a couple world championships with them.
	Shooters Cast Bullet Alumnus http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php?

MtElkHunter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .375 Holland & Holland Magnum Joined: 10 August 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 587	Post Options Post Reply Quote MtElkHunter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 September 2010 at 08:05
	Wheel weights don't work at all. Being the nice guy I am if you just send them all to me I will dispose of them properly.
	SW Montana

Irish Bird Dog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Too many Joined: 01 March 2009 Location: Midwest Status: Offline Points: 5574	Post Options Post Reply Quote Irish Bird Dog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 September 2010 at 12:02
	you ready to absorb the shipping costs?????
	Irish Bird Dog NRA Life/Endowment 2nd Amendment Supporter

Wing master Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator AKA StraightShooter Joined: 10 June 2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8029	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wing master Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 September 2010 at 16:48
	If anyone might be interested, I have a buddy that has a tire shop. About a year ago I traded him a couple of car washes (I work in a car wash) For all the wheel weights I could haul off. I gave them to my father in law and he made me some .45 bullets in trade. I gave him 10 five gallon buckets of wheel weights. I was tired of loading them way before we were done. Anyway, the tire shop guy was in the car wash the other day and asked if I needed any more wheel weights. I said My father in law thought he had a lifetime supply. He said I could have all I wanted to haul. If any of you might be interested, I could fix you up with all the wheel weights you might need for the near future. Just let me know. We can try to work a way out to get them to you. Wing master
	I have always considered myself to be quite the bullshitter, But ocasionally it is nice to sit back and listen to a true professional......So, Carry on.

Irish Bird Dog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Too many Joined: 01 March 2009 Location: Midwest Status: Offline Points: 5574	Post Options Post Reply Quote Irish Bird Dog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 13 September 2010 at 18:04
	.......so, just where in WYOMING are you????????? ....put 'em in the USPS flat rate boxes??????? Under 70lbs ...If it fits it ships........
	Irish Bird Dog NRA Life/Endowment 2nd Amendment Supporter