• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

What lead do I have ?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
So far the hardness tester and pencil test require specific items but seem the most accurate, The easiest and cheapest are visual {color and grain structure} , scratch test, drop test (does it thud or tink) and knowing the source
 
If it shoots to the same POI as soft lead, I'd use it. I use cast bismuth round ball for hunting here. I use a .480 mold & a thicker patch. Casts at about 140 grains vs 160 for lead. Same POI out to 50 yards & beyond. Bismuth is hard -- very hard. It will shatter before it will deform. On water jugs, neither lead nor bismuth expanded even a little. The lead just had a slightly flattened face on one side. I figure as long as I'm shooting .45 or bigger, it's pre-expanded. I guess if you're worried about it, save it for the bigger bores.
 
Last edited:
Generally type medal alloys will also cast .003-.004” larger than pure soft lead. That I’m itself can cause a lot of issues in a front stiffer.
 
Have to agree with news print grade linotype.
Way too hard for round ball. Very good to mix with pure lead to make the proper mixture for centerfire fun.
Its worth more than #1 lead, so you should have no problem trading it away, unless you cast for modern, you are set then.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top