why pure lead?

[pcrum]

Just a curiosity really,
I've always been told that you should NEVER use anything except pure lead in a ML. Why is this? i can see how if you were using mini's or something like that that actually rides the bore or needs to expand in it, but why is it bad for a patched ball? since it doesn't actually touch the bore, other than possibly being harder to load, why would it matter? So far I've only ever used pure lead, but as it's getting harder and more expensive to find, I'm wondering what the issue is?
Thanks!
Pat

 

[TFoley]

Pure lead is the softest, densest and most expansive commonly available metal. :hmm:

And it works. If it was good enough for the Romans to use in slingshots 2000 years ago, it's good enough for me. :wink:

tac

 

[boar]

When not using pure lead they tend to be a bit larger, as they don't shrink down. Dilly

 

[Birddog6]

Because pure lead is solft enough it can conform to the rifling & also the rifling will press the patch threads into the lead, making it grip the ball, so to speak. Hard lead may work, but you will not be able to get the patch to grip or get thr rifling to grip the ball as well as it would soft lead.

Heck it is possibly you could shoot allot of things from them besides pure lead. (And I am NOT recommending anyone to do this) However, getting them to shoot correctly & getting bullet stabilization is the issue.

Roundball has been shooting rubber or plastic balls from his ML's and they shoot remarkably well at 25 yards & light charges. After that the accuracy is completely gone.

:thumbsup:

 

[Swampman]

In a smooth bore it doesn't really matter.

 

[omarick1948]

Also, generally heavier round balls with pure lead!..... :thumbsup:

 

[reddogge]

The pure lead ball will show patching weave marks in it if recovered undamaged and I believe it may obturate (sp?) some, flattening out minutely and swelling slightly to enable the patch to grab it better spinning out of the barrel at rifle velocity. A harder ball would not do that and accuracy may suffer.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Just a curiosity really,
I've always been told that you should NEVER use anything except pure lead in a ML. Why is this? i can see how if you were using mini's or something like that that actually rides the bore or needs to expand in it, but why is it bad for a patched ball? since it doesn't actually touch the bore, other than possibly being harder to load, why would it matter? So far I've only ever used pure lead, but as it's getting harder and more expensive to find, I'm wondering what the issue is?
Thanks!
Pat

Send a PM to roundball...you will get some facts AND alternitives.
As I see it its ease of loading mostly as it will conform to the riffelings the EASYIST but less then pure lead works just fine too IE : wheelweights, dental lead, plumbers lead, etc. Just play with sizeing and proceed slowly / cautiously.

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. pcrum,
We have used "wheel weight" lead for over 35 years, with excellent results.
Best Wishes

 

[Swampman]

The biggest problem I've found in rifles is that anything other than pure lead is hard to load.

 

[MikeChapin]

In Muzzle Blasts the Bevel Brothers did some trials with wheelwieght lead. They found that wheelweight lead will shoot well out of a muzzleloader. They have a tendendy to load tighter because the balls are a little larger and don't compress into the patch. They shoot a little different so you will have to find a good load that probably will be different than that with soft lead.

Mark is right about smoothbores. There is no rifling to grip and all the patch is for is a gasket. Many smoothie shooters I know use wheelweight lead. It's cheap and works well in their guns.

 

[ResearchPress]

I've always been told that you should NEVER use anything except pure lead in a ML.

As with all such generalisation they may be true for some of the time but not all the time!

Observations have already been made about smooth bores. Cylindrical bullets commonly used in long range shooting are another exception; I use an alloy of 30:1 lead:tin to provide a harder bullet. In the 19th century alloys of antimony:tin:lead were also used.

David

 

[Mad Professor]

Another reason is that hunting loads will expand better and deliver the power inside the animal rather than a pass through with less damage.

 

[Stony]

Simple, gold is really expensive :shocked2:

 

[roundball]

Pure soft lead is certainly most traditional and expands the best on game compared to a lead alloy, but beyond that virtually anything can be used in a muzzleloader and work fine.

Harder projectiles are not intrinsically harder to load...for example, .560"-.570" solid glass PRMs (patched round marbles) load fine in my .58cal Flintlock...hard as concrete and give outstanding accuracy.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

Pure or not, It doesnt make no difference to me. I actually use lead from those modern conicals called Powerbelts and the balls i mold out of that lead expands a heck of a lot better than what you buy at the store.

Mainly shoot wheel weight lead out of my .54 GPR and accuracy is excellent.

The lead from those Stick A weight, Wheel weights is a lot softer than the normal wheel weights.

Use whats available.

 

[matt.degraffenriedgmail.com]

I am pretty new at Muzzleloading, but here's what I have learned so far.

I can buy about 50-60 pounds of lead from a local tire shop. I buy my tires there and they'll sell a bucket to me for about $15. My brother struck up a deal with another shop to bring in a case of soda and he leaves a bucket there for them to fill up with used wheel weights. Just ask around.

I then seperate all the clip on wheel weights from the stick on weights. I learned the "hard" way when I caste some conical Lee "REAL" bullets from my first batch of wheel weight lead. At first they loaded okay, but the clip-on alloy hardens over time. Don't ask why, I'm no metalurgest, but it does. After a couple weeks I found it way to difficult to seat the bullet when loading it. I thought maybe I should carry around a hammer in my possibles bag. :hmm: I did a little reading on the web and learned some valuable information about lead alloys, that has come in real handy.

When I bring the lead home, I melt it outside first to clean it up, because it smells like the drag strip (burning rubber and asphault), and pour bars from the clip on weights for my round balls and make a seperate batch of bars from the softer stick-on weights to cast my conical bullets. I just mark my soft lead bars with a hammer mark and later remelt them for casting bullets. Loading those conicals now is much easier. :grin:

Anyhow, I have just as much fun casting bullets as I do shooting them. My children always come and help out and we have a great time together. Plus, I figure I am shooting pennies out of the barrel instead of dimes. I still have a box of store bought round balls when I bought my rifle kit, but I just like shooting something I made myself.

As for accuracy, I can place a 2" group at 50 yards with my homemade wheel weight round balls with my .50 cal Traditions Hawkens.

 

[pcrum]

Thanks for all the great replies guys!
This Forum is great!
:thumbsup:
Pat

 

[Rancocas]

I have a 5 gallon bucket full of lead. It is a mixture of wheel weights, plumber's lead, old fishing sinkers, spent bullets picked out of the dirt - whatever.
I just throw a handful of it in my pot and melt it down, scraping off the scum as it forms. I have no idea what the alloy percentage is, or how hard it is. I don't care. It works fine for me.

 

[brubincam]

-----ME TOO-----I even shot balls made from solder ingots -worked just fine useing in shooting matches-----