and can it be used to mix with wheelweights for harder bullets?

and can it be used to mix with wheelweights for harder bullets?


Josh,
I've been using chilled shot for several years as is. I dont add anything. It air cools to about 12-14 BHN and when water dropped it comes out about 18-23 BHN. as measured on a friends hardness tester from LBT.

Wheel weights in my area are nonexistant as the tire shops all have their own friends that get their WW.Usually commercial fishermen that cast their own weights. Most of my molds are GC but I do have several plain base molds in 45-70(.459); 50-70 (.513). Leading is minimal in all of my loads. the PB molds are dedicated to Black Powder loads.

Hard shot is hard because it is "chilled" ( water quenched) melting it removes the additional hardness, so just chill your wheel wieghts, or oven treat them for additional hardness. Now having said that, most jobs can be acomplished with ww as is. for a better answer, what is it you wish to accomplish.

. for a better answer, what is it you wish to accomplish.


I would like to cast some bullets for 303 brit and 7.62x39. It seeems wheelweights will no be hard enough. There is no lynotype available locally so I thought I may be able to add shot to my alloy for harder results.
I already drop my cast bulets in water to make them harder. Im just afraid straight wheelweights wont be hard enough for rifle velocities.

Josh what velocity are you trying for, some times too hard a bullet will cause leading, and sizing a quenched bullet will cause it to soften. I just use straight ww's for most of my rifle shooting, in 450 marlin 308, 30-30 and 256 win. Just remember, most lead loads will work for low to moderate velocity, it only gets tricky at the high ends , and its really the pressure not the velocity that causes problems. DM

"Chilled shot" is hard onlt partially because of the water quench. Magnum shot contains up to 6% Antimony and 1% Arsenic. It is the alloy that hardens when quenched, you can drop all the lead you want and it won't harden strictly because of the quench unless it has Antimony and Arsenic in the alloy. The wheelweights already have more than 6% Antimony, so adding shot will not increase the percentage.

In either case, straight wheelweight is sufficient, possibly with 1-2% Tin added, for almost any use. Taracorp's Magnum alloy and Lyman #2 are also completely satisfactory for nearly all uses. Someone got this hard bullet thing started several years ago, and now everyone seems to have the idea that the only way to cast bullets is as hard as possible. This just isn't the case.

Magnum shot from West Coast shot is graphite free. It is around 6% antimony with very little (if any?) arsenic. (since its made here in the USA.. arsenic bad)

I alloy it with som 95/5 solder and add scrap lead that I have come across to get to near perfect Lyman #2 alloy.

Keeps the price right at around $1/lb

My findings:

Lyman #2 alloy
Cast and aircooled, then heat treated to 465 F for an hour, then cold water quenched gives me a solid/consistent 20 BHN even 15 days after being treated. That is fairly good for just about any shooting I do.

With gas checks, anything over 18-20BHN is almost wasted, at least for what I do. (454 casull and Ruger level 45lc)

Air cooled, these babies are GREAT for either smokeless or BP. (with appropriate lube)