SwanShot
36 Cal.
I have been busting em trying to get this right. We are talking about 58 cal Minies. I have two molds. The 500 grn Lee aluminum, and the 530 grn Lyman steel.
I have been trying lots of different tempts for mold and melt, using pure lead, and got nowhere near a consistent weight. Variation was around 10grns.
Today I tried adding tin to the mix at about 4%. That has helped with more consistent weights, but the very best I can get is a variation of around 5 grns, with the odd one still outside that range.
I am using a lee bottom pour 10 lb pot, but have also tried using a dipper from a cast iron pot on a camp stove, for even worse results. I have melted all the lead I have (about 40 lbs) in the cast iron pot, and fluxed it with both sawdust and wax, then ingoted it to use in the lee pot, at which I added the tin in the form of 50/50 solder, the only way I could get tin. And yes I fluxed again with sawdust after I added the tin/ solder.
I have fluxed with wax, and I have fluxed with sawdust, and with with charcoal. I have fluxed the same melt with all of the above.
So tell me straight, is 5 to 7 grns the best I'm ever gonna do??
I've been told that I cannot harden my alloy because I won't get the skirt expansion if I do. This is a 1853 3 band Euro arms Enfield repro.
C'mon guys, I need help here.
Using the 5 grn weight variation I'm getting 3 inch groups at 50 yrds off a bench, if we ignore the odd flyers.
I have been trying lots of different tempts for mold and melt, using pure lead, and got nowhere near a consistent weight. Variation was around 10grns.
Today I tried adding tin to the mix at about 4%. That has helped with more consistent weights, but the very best I can get is a variation of around 5 grns, with the odd one still outside that range.
I am using a lee bottom pour 10 lb pot, but have also tried using a dipper from a cast iron pot on a camp stove, for even worse results. I have melted all the lead I have (about 40 lbs) in the cast iron pot, and fluxed it with both sawdust and wax, then ingoted it to use in the lee pot, at which I added the tin in the form of 50/50 solder, the only way I could get tin. And yes I fluxed again with sawdust after I added the tin/ solder.
I have fluxed with wax, and I have fluxed with sawdust, and with with charcoal. I have fluxed the same melt with all of the above.
So tell me straight, is 5 to 7 grns the best I'm ever gonna do??
I've been told that I cannot harden my alloy because I won't get the skirt expansion if I do. This is a 1853 3 band Euro arms Enfield repro.
C'mon guys, I need help here.
Using the 5 grn weight variation I'm getting 3 inch groups at 50 yrds off a bench, if we ignore the odd flyers.