How soft can you go?

[marlin35]

The tire shop where I get my wheel weights for casting is about 2:1 stick on wheel weights to clip on wheel weights. I get enough clip ons for my purposes but keep the stick on’s (obviously). So far I’ve been casting straight COWW’s, but how much of the stick on’s could I tolerate in my bullets? I am casting for 45 colt’s going no more than 1050fps.

[foxtrapper]

Going through this myself! 50/50 for your velocities! Even less clip on if you powder coat!

[boatswainsmate]

www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_3_alloySelectionMetallurgy.htm

[marlin35]

Apr 28, 2024 14:17:03 GMT -5 foxtrapper said:

Going through this myself! 50/50 for your velocities! Even less clip on if you powder coat!

Thank you! I will melt down these stick ons and try that out. I do not powder coat as I like the traditional smoky lube.

[marlin35]

Another question, I have dug up these bullets that I’ve cast from pure COWW from the gumbo where I live and unless striking a rock, they do not experience hardly any deformation, just a rounding of the front driving band and nose. For hunting, would bullets cast of 50/50 stick on and clip on, smear when encountering bone? I can always cast hunting bullets from just COWW but looking for yalls experiences with anything softer. I’d prefer to have one alloy for my 45 colts if possible.

[bigbore5]

I've never had any problems with hunting bullets cast 50/50 on deer or even black bear up to 540 pounds.it blunts the nose some showing some expansion in test and the three I have recovered from large animals (big bear for one, hippo for the other two) showed little expansion and drove deep at 1200fps muzzle velocity.

However it's a different story in an hp. They expanded decently but will still drive pretty deep. On lighter game, I will use 30/70 coww/soww plus 1.5% tin, powder coated, gas checked. Really does the deal on ground hogs, coyotes, and Southern Whitetails up to 150ish pounds at 1150-1250fps. Bullet integrity is great.

[marlin35]

Apr 28, 2024 22:24:24 GMT -5 bigbore5 said:

I've never had any problems with hunting bullets cast 50/50 on deer or even black bear up to 540 pounds.it blunts the nose some showing some expansion in test and the three I have recovered from large animals (big bear for one, hippo for the other two) showed little expansion and drove deep at 1200fps muzzle velocity.

However it's a different story in an hp. They expanded decently but will still drive pretty deep. On lighter game, I will use 30/70 coww/soww plus 1.5% tin, powder coated, gas checked. Really does the deal on ground hogs, coyotes, and Southern Whitetails up to 150ish pounds at 1150-1250fps. Bullet integrity is great.

Thank you sir!

[lockhart]

Cast handgun bullets that I used back when I hunted deer, were cast from straight
wheel weights, and mostly just punched a 44 caliber hole through said deer! Killed
em deader than a post, tho!