Buying Foundry Certified Bullet Lead Alloy

[Rugerfanboy]

Where do you guys purchase/buy your foundry certified lead alloy for casting bullets...??? I already have two companies that I buy foundry certified lead alloy from. But, I'm always looking for other places to buy from. Post where you buy from regardless if your experience has been positive or negative. Thanks in advance.

Note: I'm not talking about wheel weights, range scrap lead, dental x-ray lead, roof flashing lead or plumbers lead (old lead pipes). Below is an example of some of the certified lead alloy that I buy for some of my loads.

USA foundry certified bullet alloy has a brinell hardness (BHN) of 16 and is comprised of 92% lead, 6% antimony and 2% tin.

[Jdl447]

Zip Metals and Roto Metals

[Rugerfanboy]

Zip Metals and Roto Metals

I've used Roto Metals before in the post...but never used Zip Metals thou. Right now, I use Acme Bullets Casting Lead Alloy cause I can get it $2.38 per lb shipped (utilizing a coupon code).

http://www.acmebullet.com/Acme-Bullet-A ... let%20lead

http://www.rotometals.com/hardball-bull ... d-92-lead/

[Jdl447]

Just got my order yesterday haha.
Thanks for the code.

[Rugerfanboy]

Just got my order yesterday haha.
Thanks for the code.

Glad to help.

[Jdl447]

Some C358-158-SWC with Acme hard ball

[Rugerfanboy]

357 Magnum 158gr SWC Powder Coated with Mirror-Red using Acme Hard Ball Lead Alloy. I size mine after I cast them and then I powder coat them. After I'm done powder coating them, I then re-size again cause the PC adds about .002" to the cast bullet size. They end up being .359" for the outer diameter when I'm done. I don't use gas checks....cause in my testing using gas check, it's not needed when I powder coat my lead cast bullets. The powder coat that I use, I've pushed them up to magnum velocities with my Henry Big Boy Steel chambered in 357 Magnum. The highest I've pushed mine, is up to 1700fps. I don't have a picture of the velocity on a chronograph, but the bottom picture was taken last fall using the Acme Hard Ball Lead alloy. I've ordered Hard Ball Lead Alloy several times from Acme Bullet Company. And every time....I've been a happy customer. Probably gonna place another order this coming November so that I can up the hardness of some wheel weights that I have. I have found the hardness of wheel weights to be from 14-16 BHN. By adding Hard Ball Lead Alloy to the wheel weights....I can have the BHN between 16-17. That is perfect for my semi-auto pistols, my revolvers and my Henry Rifles. I don't cast for my bolt guns or my M4 carbine rifle.

[Jdl447]

Nice, do you spray the powder or use a tumble method?

[ssonb]

I have found in my adventures in casting that for bare lead hi velocity shooting the certified hard Lyman..ect...ect...is best for ease and consistency. For practice medium hi velocity or lower scrap lead and powder coating works wonders....I tumble coat mine...Butter dish. black BBs and a 50\50 mix of Harbor freight Black and white powder for a dark grey color. I could not bring myself to have red ,green or even pink bullets, just me nothing wrong with it

[Rugerfanboy]

Nice, do you spray the powder or use a tumble method?

I tumble mine using cookie bowls (#5). I always clean the PC out and wipe mine out when I finish cause I don't want any moisture to get inside of he bowl. Plus, before I use my bowl for tumbling, I wipe them down with acetone (inside and outside). That way, I can put my hand inside of the bowl and feel how much static electricity is present. Most of the time, I can see the hair on my hand stand up. That's when the bowl itself is ready. I put very little powder inside and just a few bullets inside of the bowl and swirl them around. Pop the top and see how well the PC sticks to the bullets. Some days, the humidity is stupid high and I have to repeat the process a couple of time. When I know the humidity is high, I wash my bullets down with acetone cause it helps the PC to stick to the bullets. Once I get everything ready and I know the bowl is ready, I start the process of tumbling the bullets inside of the bowl. Swirl the bullets inside of the cookie bowl with powder coat for about 1 minutes. Pop the top and start taking the bullets out one by one and set them standing up on a cookie sheet that I have parchment paper on (none stick paper). Before I handle the PC bullets, I put on latex gloves and put a little PC on my finger tips. That way, my handling them don't take the PC off the bullet as I'm standing them up right on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Put them in my toaster oven that I only use for PC and set the temp to 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I don't preheat the toaster oven. Once done, I let them cool for about 2 minutes and the PC bullets come off the parchment paper with ease. Repeat and rinse. After I powder coat them, then it's time to re-size them again. The links below consist of the powder coat I use. Also, the sizing dies, and the push through bushing...which you can get what ever size you wish. Noe Bullet Mold company has some really nice things that us bullet casters can and will use...plus there prices are very affordable in my opinion. Lee Precision just didn't cut the cheese for me when it came down to bullet casting. I don't even use there casting furnace either....too cheaply made. Plus...they don't have a PID controller to regulate the temperature inside of the pot which is "very important".

Eastwood - high quality, durable and chip-resistant HotCoat powder colors
http://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder- ... ?limit=all

Bushing Push Through Size Die
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php? ... ps8bl58kq7

357-38Cal Bushings - Many Different Sizes
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=104_400