50-50 Foundry/Lead Mix

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  • Last Post 03 March 2009
Pbbbfischer posted this 01 March 2009

Good Morning to all:

Thanks in advance for all the help. I am new to casting and mainly started just to keep my cost down. I was looking to cast for 38/357 and 45 but, after reading all the interesting stuff here I may at some point move over to shooting CB in some of the CMP rifle shoots that I participate in.

All this leads me to this question:

I have access to more much Foundry type than Pure lead or Lino. (My father was a printer and I can kick myself now for all the Lino and foundry we took to the recyclers years ago) For a start I was thinking of starting with a 50/50 mix if lead and foundry. Which if I calculate it right would make something like 7.5/11.5/81 at 17-18 BHN. I know for a lot of you that may sound like wasting a lot of precious tin and antimony. Maybe when I become more experienced I will try to separate some of these alloys and become a little particular with my mix. At this point I would like to cast a bullet and shoot it and still have my gun in one piece and have as little lead in the bore as possible.

What do you all think of this mix as a start? Most of the factory made cast bullets I have tested have been about 16-20 BHN. I am looking to tumble lube at first and maybe also pan lube some BAC that has been raved about on this forum.

Ant suggestions for a first timer, Pbbb

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runfiverun posted this 01 March 2009

i think it will be too hard and cause leading. for 38 45acp 45 colt all you need is a bhn of about 10 or so.

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454PB posted this 01 March 2009

I have a bunch of monotype, which has less antimony or tin than foundry type. I mix it 50/50 with pure lead and the result is about BHN 20 and casts beautifully. I use this for rifle bullets and paper punching, it's too hard for meat shooting. If I had your foundry type and was looking for a BHN of 15 or above, I think I'd try 1 part foundry type to 2 parts pure lead.

There are a lot of casters that would gladly trade you pure lead for foundry type two-to-one.

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cityboy posted this 01 March 2009

A mix of 2 parts lead to one part foundry type sounds about right. I would make up a small batch and try it first to see if it is OK. Also, I have read foundry type has copper for increased hardness, and this can be a problem in bottom pour pots.

Jim

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Pbbbfischer posted this 01 March 2009

Thanks, When the weather gets nicer later this week I will try to mix some up and report back. Does a bullet that is too hard cause leading? I will have to inventory what I have and see about posting a trade of some kind.  How hard would it be to separate the tin and antimony out?  Pbbb

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CB posted this 02 March 2009

There is an alloy calculator excel spreadsheet here on the forum that may help you figure out what to mix. You could use that as a tool to get you close.

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/viewtopic.php?id=3338&forumid=57

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Pbbbfischer posted this 02 March 2009

Thanks Jeff,

That calculator has a lot of good info. It should help. I know this is a question that could have an answer so long we could bring down the internetwith a debate that has been hashed out before, but what about Runfiverun's statement of “hard bullets causing leading” and can I separate out the tin and antimony? Pbbb

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CB posted this 02 March 2009

Once the tin and antimony are blended with lead they are one and cant be put but into separate elements by any method I know of..

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Pbbbfischer posted this 02 March 2009

Can they be separated from the lead together tin/anti, since they have a different melting point??????

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RicinYakima posted this 03 March 2009

Tlry thinking about this from a different point of view. These are like sugar in water, or alcohol in water, solutions. Melting point don't mean anything, but how much they desolve into solution. Ric

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CB posted this 03 March 2009

Nope The alloy will have a different melting point all together. Once the alloy is an eutectic alloy you can't separate it back into base elements.

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Pbbbfischer posted this 03 March 2009

Thanks,

I think that I am understanding a lot more now. I was also thinking that bullets needed to be a lot harder than what they actually have to be, to prevent leading. Pbbb

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