Which type of lead to source

[Dave11]

Apparently there are quite a few options to chose from when sourcing lead, from 99.9% lead down to 77% lead with the amount and types of additives making up the difference.
I plan to cast 54 caliber bullets to use as hunting ammunition.
My rifle is a TC Hawken style, to date I have been using Great Plains 425 grain which seem to work fine. The issue is they are very difficult to source in my neck of the woods.
Wondering what grade of lead or lead alloy will work best?

Dave

 

[Whitworth]

Go with the purest lead you can get.

 

[deerstalkert]

what whitworth said!
rotometals.com

 

[Rock Home Isle]

You will want to use the purest softest lead you can find. If you don’t have a lead tester, soft lead will scratch with a finger nail…

 

[morehops52]

Rotometals and I found ordering the 1 lb ingots were easier to work with. Pure lead for maxis.
A note on maxis. I found that my 54 GPH shot T/C Maxies very well. When my supply ran out I purchased maxis made from a different brand and while they grouped well they were not as good as the T/C's were. I ended up buying a T/C mold on ebay or the Forum and cast up a life time supply. My last group was 2-1/4" at 100 yds. The point is you may want to try a few brands to see what groups best and then cast a bunch of 'em.

 

[Tasbay]

Minie`s and such pure lead. Round ball anything will work from Pure- Wheel weights. Once used an old Puter bowl.

 

[necchi]

Minie`s and such pure lead. Round ball anything will work from Pure- Wheel weights. Once used an old Puter bowl.

My advice is just the opposite.
Pure lead for patched round ball and a harder alloy for bullets.
The simple logic is common knowledge of patch thickness, ball size and rifling contact/impartation to cause rotation.
Hard leads, don't help round ball.
Bullet projectiles are in direct contact with powder charge,(sans cushion) barrel bore and rifling.
The bullets the O.P. mentions are a harder cast lead then pure.
Folks that I know that cast bullet for ML successfully,, use a basic mix of Lyman #2 with pure at a rate of 5-1 or 5-2, meaning,,
5# of Lyman 2 with 1-2# of pure(with variation) because they need the tin/antimony to fill and harden the actual cast to the mold dimensions.
There's a ton of variables with bullet, what with paper patch and lube an such, but bullets are better off with a harder lead.

 

[david w]

I've used ebay several times and have not been bitten. My latest purchase was for $1.90/lb. shipped. It came in 25 lb. lots.

 

[dave951]

Minies- pure as you can get.

I source my lead from a local scrap yard. X-ray room shielding and old shower pans are about as pure as you're going to find short of Rotometals.

 

[Whughett]

Sources right here in these pages. Browse the for sale forum.
I buy here but I also mine range lead. Any shooting ranges/areas with back stops in you area. ?
Lead hardness is much discussed here. IMO under most normal circumstances if you can load it you can shoot it. With black powder pressures and velocity bore leading is a minimal issue, bullet expansion on game and accuracy, thats the discussion part.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I found 30 lb lots of lead on eBay. I ordered 180 lbs, and to make it sweeter…I shoot mostly .40 calibre.

 

[Captndan]

5# ingots at a plumbing supply store.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

5# ingots at a plumbing supply store.

I remember buying those….

 

[stikshooter]

My advice is just the opposite.
Pure lead for patched round ball and a harder alloy for bullets.
The simple logic is common knowledge of patch thickness, ball size and rifling contact/impartation to cause rotation.
Hard leads, don't help round ball.
Bullet projectiles are in direct contact with powder charge,(sans cushion) barrel bore and rifling.
The bullets the O.P. mentions are a harder cast lead then pure.
Folks that I know that cast bullet for ML successfully,, use a basic mix of Lyman #2 with pure at a rate of 5-1 or 5-2, meaning,,
5# of Lyman 2 with 1-2# of pure(with variation) because they need the tin/antimony to fill and harden the actual cast to the mold dimensions.
There's a ton of variables with bullet, what with paper patch and lube an such, but bullets are better off with a harder lead.

Pure for me and folks that buy mine ! At 12 - 1300 FPS typical speed soft is mandatory in my Renegades for hunting , reliable expansion with large bore rifles works . If the expansion doesn't work ( at yardage wise) the size of the hole does . Just remember the Dura Felt wad over the powder for accuracy /Ed

 

[11Bravo]

5# ingots at a plumbing supply store.

My plumbing supply was the job site, not a plumber but I used their lead pot all time. Carrying a 25# stick of lead home in your gym bag was a hoot, especially when you bump into someone on the train. I still have some 5# ingots from those years and if anyone lives near the coast here is another idea. Go to a beach where they surf cast, my buddy used to use a metal detector at a well known beach looking for rings etc. He did find some jewelry but always came back with sinkers for me, usually 6 oz each.

 

[maillemaker]

It depends on the kind of bullet you will be using. Some people swear by alloy for breech-loading guns, like 1:20 or 1:30 tin:lead alloy.

For any kind of deformable bullet, like a "Minie" (expanding) or "Wilkinson" (compression) bullet, you need dead soft, pure lead. If they are hard they will not deform to take up the rifling and you will get horrible accuracy.

I use any junk lead (wheel weights) for round ball in my smoothbore muskets.

Revolvers can tolerate a bit of hardness but you can damage the loading lever if the loading effort gets too high. I use pure lead.

I'm new to patched round ball guns so I don't know about them. I use pure lead.

I used to use Rotometals for buying pure lead. But then I discovered Sanders Lead in Troy, Alabama is only about 4 hours away so I go there and buy it by the pig at market rates.

 

[Dave11]

Thanks for all the advice

Dave

 

[Brokenbear]

Right here is good stuff, honest fellow member, all melted sheet and pipe lead

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/65-lbs-lead-sold-pending-funds.148616/
I have bought several shipments and all is good ..plus comes in small size to easy add to a pot

Bear

 

[ohio ramrod]

Over the years I have found sources for near pure lead to be, lead pipe or flashing (stay away from seams as they may have tin added.) lead used as shielding , either for underground cable or x ray rooms. Older wheel weights should only be used for smooth bores as they have many impurities that leave the lead harder and size will vary from pure lead cast balls,We used to be able to go into any recycling or junk yard and buy all we wanted. Now many recycling places will not sell lead to the public.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I’ve noticed that as well. Why are these junk yards and recycle centers not selling lead to the public? What change has happened to cause this?