Lead Free Casting Alloy

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Last Post 12 November 2013

Standard Member

onondaga posted this 19 September 2013

Has anybody tried this new 93%-Bismuth, 7%-tin bullet casting alloy from ROTOMETALS at $19.99 per pound ?

link to new product offering: http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/leadfreebulletalloy.htm>http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/leadfreebulletalloy.htm

Gary

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Standard Member

highstandard40 posted this 19 September 2013

$20 a pound????? Well this will certainly prove to be a viable alternative to lead alloys.

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CBA Member

Ed Harris posted this 19 September 2013

Zamac die casting alloy is lots cheaper than that.

Or set up a separate pot just to use zinc wheelweights.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Standard Member

onondaga posted this 20 September 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=207>Ed Harris

Zamac alloys are mostly zinc ED..Have you cast and shot any Zamac bullets? Zinc alloys usually require significant pressure to cast well.

The Tin content in RotoMetals no lead bullet alloy suggests they have made an honest effort toward flow-ability and mold fill out quality. There are no reviews on this new alloy at RotoMetals yet. I hope there is soon. Roto doesn't even list melting point for this new alloy. All they hint at is that the specific gravity is similar to Lead.

Gary

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CBA Member

Ed Harris posted this 20 September 2013

I experiemented a bit with zinc bullets when I was at NRA. Casting them was a PITA which was hard on the pot and the molds. Once you could get good bullets they shot OK, but are very much lighter.

If your molds don't cast to the right diameter you are pretty much out no luck, as you will break the linkage on your sizer trying to reduce one. Good news is that you don't need to lube them, but if you want to try sizing them, spray the bullets lightly with WD40 and use one of the Lee 7/8-14 push through sizers in a sturdy press.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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jhalcott posted this 20 September 2013

When I worked in the steel mill a friend in the mold shop and I tried some Zinc, zinc alloy bullets. We had a 100 pound ladle to pour from and some molds that were easily replaced (at that time!)if bad things happened. The bullets were about 20% lighter than lead and were almost unsizable with normal equipment. I never liked the accuracy we were getting, as I was into “Sillywets"

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CBA Member

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 20 September 2013

when i wuz a kid, i bot a box of zinc bullets for my 222 ... accuracy was about 3 moa ...i wound up plinking at river turtles at 30 yards ... being a mean little kid ...first and last zinksters..

a solution without a problem ...

ken

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Standard Member

onondaga posted this 20 September 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=40>Ken Campbell, Iowa

Creeping volatile and senseless legislation against Lead is causing pretty widespread concern Ken . That is the “problem” I am curious about a “solution” for.

Gary

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Pigslayer posted this 21 September 2013

Too expensive! I couldn't even prime the pot for $20.00!!

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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bill_clancy posted this 15 October 2013

Being from california...I'd better figure something out!

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onondaga posted this 15 October 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7829>bill_clancy Cali's new law with no lead bullets allowed for hunting would either drive me out of California if I lived there or armed revolution. You have my pity.

Gary

I'm sure my state of NY is not far behind and I'll stand my ground.

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Standard Member

Michael K posted this 15 October 2013

Hunting is one thing, Arizona Game and Fish Dept. is trying to encourage hunters to go lead free. I can see their point, not that I agree with it. Restricting use across the board to include established shooting ranges and competitive events would be, well, going way to far. I have never seen a condor or any other carrion eater feeding at any of my local ranges.

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onondaga posted this 15 October 2013

http://castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=3427>Black and Blue I don't see the point at all. We don't pulverize lead bullets into dust to be breathed in. You can swallow lead bullets and they don't give you lead poisoning.

Picking on cup and core jacketed bullets with their soft lead that splatters into meat is incorrect too and pretty stupid to someone that actually knows how to field dress game. You cut the wound channel out of the meat!

I use Lyman #2 alloy for hunting. The #2 alloy has better expansion than any jacketed bullet and ZERO weight loss because of its malleability and strength that has been proven well over 100 years. Making #2 illegal is ignorant, despicable and the possibility of that in my NY state has me on the verge of armed rebellion. That is how I really feel and I'm upset that California has become so repressively dictatorial. I would help them rebel.

Gary

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Michael K posted this 15 October 2013

Gary,

For what it's worth, I do not hunt with lead free bullets.

I am aware of everything that you mention, you are preaching to the choir. Even folks with gunshot wounds with the slug left inside have no issues.

With birds the concern lays with the gizzard which uses small minute pieces of sand, gravel, what have you to assist in breaking down food, i.e. seeds to allow better digestion and extraction of the nutrients. Birds don't have teeth that's where the gizzard comes into play. The theory is when bits of lead get caught up in the gizzard they can get worn down and lead becomes more apt to find it's way into the body vs. just passing through.

Would you personally recommend anyone here chow down on a sandwich, an apple, drumstick, fries, chips, peanuts, M&M's, or getting a dip/plug of chew, etc. after handling a bunch of bullets or WWs without first giving their hands a good wash?

If not, why?

That's the point.

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Standard Member

apbluebass posted this 16 October 2013

isn't Zinc a dangerous metal to melt? I understand that breathing any vapors can make you extremely ill

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CBA Member

Ed Harris posted this 16 October 2013

apbluebass wrote: isn't Zinc a dangerous metal to melt? I understand that breathing any vapors can make you extremely ill

This is true. Good ventilation is also necessary with lead.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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CBA Member

tturner53 posted this 16 October 2013

That's an understatement. The fumes from burning zinc are serious stuff. Make you sick as heck and knock you on yerass if you don't watch it. I don't know about melting it but cutting galvanized metal with a torch way below in an old scow can kill you.

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CBA Member

LWesthoff posted this 16 October 2013

Black & Blue:

Re your question above: I grew up (along with my 3 cousins who lived on the next hill over) eating a lot of dove and quail harvested with 20 and 410 ga. shotguns, and cottontails obtained with both shotgun and .22 RF. We generally tried to spit out the shot and/or pieces of .22 lead, but we didn't always get 'em all, especially if my Aunt made hassenpfeffer. I'm 86. My oldest cousin was a few months older than I, He died a couple of years ago, but it wasn't from lead poisoning. The other two, a few years younger than I but still hunting dove and quail, ar still going.

Just think; if we hadn't eaten all that lead we might have all lived to a ripe old age!

Wes

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Michael K posted this 16 October 2013

I am sure I have consumed and passed my fair share over the years. It's not the big chunks that get eaten tonight and pooped out tomorrow.

My original intent was just to point what AZGFD is promoting. I have had several conversations with a ornithologist at the U of A, who likes shoot and hunt. I understand his point of view and what the data from his research indicates. Do I agree that lead free is way to go? In my book it's a personal choice akin to driving a Prius or a F250, I am partial to a Dodge Cummins and Sierras when I ain't shootin lead.