Custom bullet making

T

Tim Singleton

Member
Can you guys who make their own tell a difference between pure lead and lead with a small percent antimony
Does one or the other shoot better?
 
Makes a big difference in sizing and barrel leading. It also makes a real big difference in penetration tests. When i was shooting lots of cast bullets i used linotype mixes and checked penetration on phone books. Once they got to the right point of sizing good and not leading i noted how far they went thru.
 
call Charlie Hood.
Charlie and Cheryl make the best cores.
Bart has the best jackets.
But, then I am one guy.
Small stuff. get what I can.
 
George I met Joel last year at Holton for the Nationals. I think, he hung out with the Canucks. Don't remember pony tail.
 
Don't really know...

But....if you make bullets for sale, you better use the purest lead you can find. Jef Fowler had a BIG problem with some lead once. Of course, he bought it as lead, very little antimony, but it was something else altogether. A six inch group at 200 yards was small with those bullets. He did a lot of testing to save what he could and the final drop dead answer was - the lead.

Looked the same, weighed the same, acted the same - wouldn't shoot straight.....
 
Wilbur said:
But....if you make bullets for sale, you better use the purest lead you can find. Jef Fowler had a BIG problem with some lead once. Of course, he bought it as lead, very little antimony, but it was something else altogether. A six inch group at 200 yards was small with those bullets. He did a lot of testing to save what he could and the final drop dead answer was - the lead.

Looked the same, weighed the same, acted the same - wouldn't shoot straight.....
Click to expand...

Man, that's the truth..... Seen it with >5% Antimony.... ALL OVER THE PAPER...!!!
My only guess is the lead is too "slippery" in the jacket an spins to hell an back...... All over the paper..!

cale
 
geo.ulrich said:
Cale, So all the people that are using Hoods cores bullets are all over the paper? .5 % is good 1% is better..
Click to expand...

I agree within this range (in red) is as good as it gets; if Charlie Hood would make it, 1% would cover ALL of my needs. For my own use (in BR tournaments), and for certain HUNTING applications, I have made EXCELLENT bullets, with alloys up to 3% antimony and 1% tin. :p RG
 
Lead antimony

geo.ulrich said:
Cale, So all the people that are using Hoods cores bullets are all over the paper? .5 % is good 1% is better..
Click to expand...

Not at all George,

As Wilbur mentioned.... I too have see wild "performance" from high Antimony lead cores, at least 5% and the tin levels..?? I don't know... But they Core squirted "heavy" both on the handle and final core weight, or at least more erratic weights.
This questionable lead wire came from a good source but I assumed it was pure... Wrong..! An the reel on the bottom said 5% antimony. Regardless... Since I do not "prep" my cores as some do to form a rougher texture, to act as grip/friction between the
core and jacket wall.... The higher Antimony level lead cores may be better served with a rougher texture surface to bond better..?

Pure lead or a .5% to 1% antimony level should be hard to discern... In any case, the cores perform at this ratio without
the need for core surface prep (Mine is simple... Lubed cores get thoroughly rinsed in Lacquer Thinner, till they are DRY)...
Least, what I've seen.

cale
 
Cale, I'm pretty sure you had .5% at 5% you would break die unless bleed holes were quite a bit larger. The lead that Wilbur spoke about that Jeff Fowler had got was bad there has been quite a bit over the years from same co. including this yr.. but it all was pure without antimony pretty sure I can tell where it came from...which at that point its a supplier issue not an alloy issue.. George also sent a pm
 
caroby said:
Regardless... Since I do not "prep" my cores as some do to form a rougher texture, to act as grip/friction between the
core and jacket wall.... The higher Antimony level lead cores may be better served with a rougher texture surface to bond better..?

cale
Click to expand...

Just picking up on your 'texture and etching' comment there Cale. I've also often read the term 'oxidation' thrown in and around the 'etching' step after core swaging and before core seating.

Has anyone found anything definitive in terms of oxidation and/or etching for projectile accuracy?

Personally I've had a few etched pure lead cores pop out again when seated in a long boat-tail seating die, without quite enough punch force. No great issue just part of the learning curve, jacket internals were acetone squeaky clean as well. The popped cores though were as smooth as a swaged core straight out of the bleed die. No indication of bonding whatsoever.

I've always been dubious of etching for bonding purposes, but persist in that it gives cores a very consistent surface finish. I certainly found it difficult to keep an un-etched core perfectly smooth when trying to clean them of swaging lube. For me, the etching process delivers a more consistent surface finish for the batch, which should translate into more consistent seating pressures.

As soon as I read oxidation and lead in the sentence, I think lead oxide and lathe dead centre lubricant. Oxidation of the cores just seemed counter-intuitive for any bonding process from what I can understand anyway?

I've had some 0.5% on order for a few weeks, so I'll have a chance to see if can make a better bullet soon enough.
 
geo.ulrich said:
Cale, I'm pretty sure you had .5% at 5% you would break die unless bleed holes were quite a bit larger. The lead that Wilbur spoke about that Jeff Fowler had got was bad there has been quite a bit over the years from same co. including this yr.. but it all was pure without antimony pretty sure I can tell where it came from...which at that point its a supplier issue not an alloy issue.. George also sent a pm
Click to expand...

George, how'd ya get so smart?? One would believe you actually, "do this stuff"!! :p:cool: ;)RG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top