Now that I have finished my problem with searching for lead, is it ok to just use pure lead to mold 12ga. 525 gr. Sabot Slugs or do you need to make an alloy of some sort. I have made a few already with just pure lead, I dont see why you couldn't but I just want to be sure weather or not its safe or whatever, so if anyone can tell and an if anyone also has alloy recipes that they use, I wouldn't mind hearing them to try for the future.

Thanks,
Mike

Real pure lead is kind of hard to come by...just wondering what you used to cast yours from "lead".

Real pure lead is kind of hard to come by...just wondering what you used to cast yours from "lead".

Well I got some lead from this guy that works at a plumbing supply warehouse and he said that it was lead so I really cant tell you maybe there is something else in it but I don't think so. I asked him if he had lead and he said yes so i bought a few pounds of it.

Plumbers lead usually is at a 6 or less on the Brinnell hardness scale. It and roof flashing are the 2 most common sources for B-P shooters. Pure lead is rare, impracticle due to expense, and easily replaced by the common stuff available.
Pepe Ray

If what is said is true then would it still be ok to use the lead for casting? They seem to come out fine, I'm gonna go test them out this weekend.

If what is said is true then would it still be ok to use the lead for casting? They seem to come out fine, I'm gonna go test them out this weekend.

OK...it's a pure an nearly anything casters can get their hands on...proablaby not far from what the factory Foster style slugs are swaged out of. Would seem a good place to start.

(Have a something close to 100 pounds of lead pipe...it's soft, probably about as soft as the lead you have, and I use it as "pure").

The BRI slugs (one of the first saboted rounds...later picked up by Winchester, but teh box sitll mentioned BRI) tended to get sideways at some point in penetration and break at the waist (they were shaped like a big air-gun pellet). Were hard enough lead that they'd break rather than just bend or expand. Hard enough to be good car body penetrators, but suspect for game it would have been better in a softer version.

If you're getting good well filled out castings, would certainly give them a try.

Ya that all makes sence. I have been getting some really nice slugs perfectly casted, I remake the ones that look bad, but ya I really only cast them for target practice and not that much for hunting but as long as they seem to work I'm gonna use them and to me the whole expansion thing doesnt really matter because for shooting paper and junk, the hit looks a lot cooler when the bullet goes crazy inside and rips whatever you are shooting completely apart. But ya thanks for the info.