Home-made Shotmaker project.

Floating Chamber · Visitor

Is anyone interested in pooling thoughts, expertise and materials in this project?

I am looking for advice in pattern-making, aluminium casting, simple lathe-turning skills, sheet-metal bending, supply of 'old fashioned' four-coil hotplates, similar to those fitted to the 'Belling' bed-sitter type stove seen in Curry's.

The aim is to pool resources and manufacture lead shotmakers (for private use) similar in design to the 'Lyttleton'.
They are not 'rocket-science' in design, but cost a lot to import from the States - more so with postage, import duty and evil VAT. Around 400 quid.

All homeloaders will have noticed the soaring price of lead/cartridges. Shot can easily be made from scrap lead and printing type.

see below:

Our shotmaker and collection tank.

FC

john5 · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 101 Location: lancashire

i keep telling you alan ,take my phone number..........there is too much for me to type on a forum (no disrespect) i am just lazy ,.......i could help you with certain things that your asking , shot making has got to be a real consideration as the price of lead has hit an all time high ,...i would like to think i could produce at least number 5 shot , but i am uncertain from what hight i would have to drop the molten lead ,.from a 2,3, 4 ,5 story biulding ?,............

notblackbarthonest · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 156 Location: NORTH

Are homeloads (bullets im talking)that much better than modern factory ammo?

john5 · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 101 Location: lancashire

[quote="notblackbarthonest"]Are homeloads (bullets im talking)that much better than modern factory ammo?[/quote]
what sort of bullets ? all lead can only be practicle for you , as i doubt you have swaging capabilitys to produce jacketed rounds , as for being better than a factory round ,or cheaoer in the short term , i doubt that as well

notblackbarthonest · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 156 Location: NORTH

223 or 22-250 i know they will be cheaper,especialy the 22-250 what work out at £1.25 a bang! at the minute,but what i was more interested in was accuracy.

Floating Chamber · Visitor

O.K. Guys, (and here I apologise to John5, I will ring you soon!) there is no reason why homeloads can't match factory loads. BUT and it is a big but there are a lot of factors involved! As John rightly points out, swaging can be one of them.

I am a homeloader of Shotgun cartridges, not metallic, but I did proof-read and edit the manuscript of a Reloading book in 1997 (just after the Dunblane outrage) to remove all references to 'weapons'. At the time it was known as the 'Malfatti Document'.

I strongly advise you to obtain a copy of it. It explains everything!

'NOBEL SPORT Handloading Manual' by Rene Malfatti.
(ISBN - 2-9511505-0-4)

Winchester · infant Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 222 Location: COVENTRY

wy111 · Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject:

john5 · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 101 Location: lancashire

[quote="notblackbarthonest"]223 or 22-250 i know they will be cheaper,especialy the 22-250 what work out at £1.25 a bang! at the minute,but what i was more interested in was accuracy.[/quote]
buying bullet heads and reloading your high powerd rifle is a good idea , i do it for my .223 &.243 ,.....my reloads "out perform" factory ammunition
but please dont think you can "cast" lead for a .22/250 , you will injure your self ,.high volicity rifles like the 22/250 have to have jacketed projectiles , like floating chamber has said ,read up about it ,......
as for shot gun cartridges , different ball game , i reload for eleven different gauges , some like puntguns are easy , that is done on kitchen scales and i am using black powder ,loading for black powder rifles is also not critical , but for nitro loads ,.........keep sharp and never exceed specified data ,......floating chamber ,.......told you before to give me a ring ,.....i know i can help with the manufacture of your shot maker , got laithes , bending equipment ,etc hmmmmmmmm

Floating Chamber · Visitor

John,
Promise I'll phone! Looking forward to it!

FC

john5 · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 101 Location: lancashire

[quote="Floating Chamber"]John,
Promise I'll phone! Looking forward to it!

FC[/quote]
belling was a large employer in this area not too long ago , instead of using electric heating elements to make your lead molton , what about propane ?,i thought that gas would be the easiest heat source to control ,
also when i paid a visit to the local scrap merchant the other day , i noticed that he had lots of "old lead pipes" , the "knuckles" where joints had been made had been cut off ,....i asked why and he said ,"because of the tin content ,.it is not worth as much as lead",.now question for you FC
,those knuckles , would it be the "right alloy" combination for shot making ?, has tin got the same specific gravity as lead ?,........i know it has a lower melting point , so would it /or is it, desireable to use this alloy especialy while it is so easily obtainable ,.......

fortune · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: Bullets

[/quote]
but please dont think you can "cast" lead for a .22/250 , you will injure your self ,.high volicity rifles like the 22/250 have to have jacketed projectiles [/quote]

THIS IS NOT CORRECT!
Ok we generally use a 22-250 for high velocity and as such they need a jacketed projectile. But there is no reason why you can't use a cast lead bullet safely. Lyman make /sell bullet moulds that make cast lead tips for use in 22 cal rifles. (These could be safely used in a 22-250 but the ammo would have to be loaded using a fast burning powder to a much-reduced velocity, as the rifling would strip lead as off of the bullet as it went through the twist at excessive velocity. This sort of round would have a specific use that goes against the ideal of high velocity but it could be done.

john5 · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 101 Location: lancashire

[quote="fortune"][/quote]
but please dont think you can "cast" lead for a .22/250 , you will injure your self ,.high volicity rifles like the 22/250 have to have jacketed projectiles [/quote]

THIS IS NOT CORRECT!
Ok we generally use a 22-250 for high velocity and as such they need a jacketed projectile. But there is no reason why you can't use a cast lead bullet safely. Lyman make /sell bullet moulds that make cast lead tips for use in 22 cal rifles. (These could be safely used in a 22-250 but the ammo would have to be loaded using a fast burning powder to a much-reduced velocity, as the rifling would strip lead as off of the bullet as it went through the twist at excessive velocity. This sort of round would have a specific use that goes against the ideal of high velocity but it could be done.[/quote]

try it ,.......

Floating Chamber · Visitor

This post was for the possible manufacture of a shotmaker.

I am getting confused; there are so many quotes and full stops, I've lost track. Wink

Here goes:

The original .22-250 was a Wildcat round. IMO it ought to stay that way with the recommended powder charges/ bullets, the latter ranging from 50 to a max of 60 grains.

Next, wiped soldered joints aren't the best alloy for making lead shot. The alloy does what it is supposed to do and makes a 'paste'. It does not run like wheelweight lead.

Shot larger than 2.5mm needs to be the correct alloy and dropped about 180 feet; lettered shot is 'headed'.

I too have a cheap source of propane, and I have used it in shot production. I find it messy and a pain. The electric shotmaker is just like using a stove; no burners, no excessive heat, no mess. Within 10 minutes the aluminium pot is pouring shot. My missus does our domestic accounts and I can assure you, after making half a ton, the electricity bill hasn't made her go ballistic! (The lamp outside is a bit dim, though! 8) - just joking!)

FC

john5 · infant Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 101 Location: lancashire

So, clean lead , no to gas. o.k ,.... I can help with some of your required components, just pass on the drawings of what part,i f any you want me to make ,....I was not trying to derail your thread.

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