Bullet Hardness

[bronko220002]

I normally cast my round balls and bore size conicals with pure lead. My question is for paper patch bullets and my revolver bullets what would be a good alloy mix lead to tin? I'm thinking 20:1 would be OK. I know some of you mix 40:1 and use in their muzzleloader with good success. Fill me in.

 

[edmehlig]

I’m pretty sure IdahoLewis used 40-1?

 

[X-ring]

I normally cast my round balls and bore size conicals with pure lead. My question is for paper patch bullets and my revolver bullets what would be a good alloy mix lead to tin? I'm thinking 20:1 would be OK. I know some of you mix 40:1 and use in their muzzleloader with good success. Fill me in.

I use 24:1 alloy for my 540 gr. PP but 30:1 should work well. 20:1 might work also. Mix up a very small batch of each alloy and cast a couple of dozen bullets of each......then head for the range for an enjoyable day testing! My M/L rifles get pure lead. My smoothbore M/L's get range scrap cast into round ball. X

 

[bronko220002]

X-ring I shoot paper patch in one of my caplocks but was using pure lead. I was thinking about alloying a few to try.
I also cast for revolvers and cf rifles with gas checks and wondering what a good tin to lead ratio would be.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

In my bp pistols, and revolvers especially, i only use pure lead or 40:1 lead:tin. The lower velocities is ideal for pure lead when hunting. Plinking or targets i feel like i have a little better accuracy with 40:1. Probably its just in my head tho.

 

[white eagle]

alloy hardness is a tough one
like you have seen everybody has their own mix
the reason being each gun is different and shoots different so you have to experiment with the alloy mixes, but that is what makes this fun and keeps it interesting