Bullet alloy question

[DLS]

I may have some extra antimony after I use up all my pure lead, especially since I'm now shooting for a 75/25 ratio. I'll let you know in the next few days.

I have a stock of pure tin as well, and can put it into the mix if it helps the antimony go into solution ... but I was hoping just to keep it simple and just have PB/Sb alloy. That will make it easer to get the exact Pb/Sn/Sb mix I want when it comes time to actually start casting bullets. Or I could just shoot straight toward a particular alloy (say #2 or hardball) and call it good.

I'm going to see if I can easily get the antimony mix to work first.

On a side note: I'm wondering if something like #2 and powder coating would hold up in a moderate rifle load.

 

[Crohnos01]

Crohnos ... what do you have for a melting set up? I have a Lee 10# bottom pour that for years I did everything in. I now use a camp stove and 8inch cast iron fry pan for allowing and cleaning metal. The stove is slow to melt, so I use a weed burner to accelerate the melt when I'm in a hurry. I'd love to have a turkey fryer type of burner. If I did I would cut the bottom off an old propane tank to make a decent sized crucible and then could really clean and alloy large batches at once.

Currently I am using an old white gas camp stove. However, that was a stop gap until I get my hands on my old plumbers propane furnace that I used back in the 80's. It has been living at my Dad's place in Eastern WA for the last 30 years and is coming home in a week or so. I am also using a 8" cast iron fry pan I picked up at a gun show for a few bucks. I have thought about a turkey fryer burner as well, but back in the day, the aforementioned plumber's furnace kicked bubblegum when it came to heating up and melting lead. I could go from cold lead to melted ready to pour in about 5 minutes or less as I recall.

 

[DLS]

A plumbers furnace is absolutely the best solution ... I have not seen one around forever though. I'm sure there are a ton in the backs of sheds and barns ... it's just getting them to surface is hard to do.