Reloading to replicate another caliber?

WARNING!!!

Do Not, repeat DO NOT melt down car batteries for casting bullets (or casting anything else for that matter)!!!

There are some VERY toxic and nasty chemicals in there and some nasty things created in the melting process

In fact, one thing ive heard is that both the main content and the dross/slag produced can offgas some particularly nasty gasses that are heavier then air, which means they can hang around in a low spot for long time... making them dangerous for a lot longer than you might think. And some of the solid things produced arent very friendly either.

Also, i hear that due to modern battery physical and chemical construction, the lead is hard to get to, the yields will be low, so even in a "post apocalyptic scenario", the effort required vs the yield output just isnt worth it

Car battery lead often contains arsenic, so melting that lead can mean youre burning / vaporizing arsenic.... from what i understand... and thats only part of the danger

TL:DR - CASTING WITH OLD BATTERIES IS BAD JUJU
 
TR1Hemi said:
Might be easier in the long run. Apparently there is some nasty stuff in newer batteries. They are as heavy as batteries back in the day, but I understand that it may not be "just" lead, some research is going to be needed.
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That is correct. Check your local parts stores to see if they will buy your battery cores. Then stop at the tire shop and see what they do with their old wheel weights. about half of the newer wheel weights are zinc instead of lead also, but you can sort those out. I have what looks like a small bowling pin that is lead and weighs about 18 -20 pounds. They came from a pharmacy. The bottom is hollow and were used to transport radioactive medicine. My apologies to the OP if I sidetracked your thread.
 
TR1Hemi said:
I have a bunch of old car batteries, in the qounset. I should get around to breaking them down and getting into casting, some target loads in the GP100 or Super Blackhawk might be fun.
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You should visit a few local estate sales that list reloading equipment. I see cast bullets all the time at a local auction. I even bought some. Just in case I decide I need to go that route. Pennies on the dollar & a lot less work.
 
I shoot all year, but generally it is with a 22lr or some other rimfire. I own several centerfire rifles, and load for them all. I find an upper node that is accurate and stop there. I have went beyond, and cannot remember a single time accuracy improved at top velocities. I've had several 300 WSM's and every single one shot the most accurate right at 2950, and the crazy thing it didn't matter if I was shooting 165 or 180 grain bullets. Back in those days Nosler Accubonds were all I hunted with, and they never let me down, not a single time. The tips would decay if they sit in loaded ammo for a long time, but as far as lethality they always worked. I know guys that buy a rifle, work up load after load, get it shooting amazing, sell it and start another project. I am the polar opposite. When I get my hands on a rifle that will truly shoot accurately it has likely found its permanent home. There have been exceptions making upgrades in my opinion to more effective rounds, but working up loads is not my favorite hobby. Squeezing the trigger and watching fur fly, or hearing steel bang at distance gives me those warm fuzzy feelings. I am a firm believer in not trying to make a cartridge do what it is not designed to do. I believe that can be extremely dangerous. When I was young and indestructible, I didn't think about it as much, but seeing a couple of rifles have catastrophic failures when other people made grave judgments in error has made a believer out of me. I have a rifle or two that does perform best a little above published data with no heavy bolt lift, no marks on brass, and primers looking fine load after load, but I have tons of published data, and that is where I start, 10% below maximum and slowly work my way up. This is old news to many of you, but if there is a young me out there, listen to us old farts, and it could literally save your life. You should have seen the CZ that blew up in my friends face, I wondered how he even lived.
 
Well fellas, guess I'm right there with most of you, handgun stuff is simple for me I find something that shoots well and stick with it =10 mm I like it and 45 acp like it usually in a 1911 frame . Rifle -hmmm , many different calibers which I like to have at least 2 of each that way that caliber doesn't get lonely it's gotta have a friend. I load for accuracy if that means it's different than published load data oh well as long as It's safe, some are pushed a bit some not I don't want hard bolt lift or disappearing primers that's to hot but I do want all I can get out of a certain caliber/ barrel length. Guess it all depends on what it is and what I'm doing with it
 
TR1Hemi said:
Over the years I have read many stories about people hurting themselves, a bystander or destroying their firearm in pursuit of the absolute maximum velocity for that caliber and a particular weight bullet. If a published or slightly over, X caliber and X bullet weight at X velocity is not cutting it and you push it, why? Why not just buy a firearm in a cartridge that does that at published loads? IE, pushing a 308 to risky levels, when you could just get a 300WM?

On the flip side, I have been shooting pistols at a range and had people comment on a load that has a bit of a "bark", and asked what load I was shooting. And when I tell them it is a published but below MAX (Hodgdon, Nosler, Sierra, Speer, Hornady manual load), they ask why I load so hot for practice. Well if I wanted 380 performance out of a 9mm, or 40S&W performance from a 100mm, or 38special performance out of a 357, I would have just bought one those calibers. Also, you should practice with what you are going to use to defend yourself.

So why do we load trying to duplicate a caliber that already exists?

I reload for the savings (not $ wise but in rounds fired), which are not as great as they once were, the enjoyment of it, or for accuracy that I am not getting from shelf ammo.

There are legit reasons, your modern gun is much stronger than those that the caliber originally came in (45 Colt). Or the original chambered guns had a chamber blueprint error, hampering pressure levels, but factory loads have to be loaded to be safe in the short freebored rifles that exist (6.8 SPC I vs II). Or you are restricted by platform (AR15).
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I agree, just buy a faster weapon if that's what you need,
 
I'm adverse to recoil as I've gotten older and hot loads. I usually stay anywhere 1-2 grains below max. As an example I reload for Kirby Allen's 338 Allen Xpress pushing 300gr Berger with 104.2 gr RL33 @2972 fps. I could pass the magical 3000 fps if I went up to 116 grs with case max'ed out...safe is better.
 
Chas1 said:
I'm adverse to recoil as I've gotten older and hot loads. I usually stay anywhere 1-2 grains below max. As an example I reload for Kirby Allen's 338 Allen Xpress pushing 300gr Berger with 104.2 gr RL33 @2972 fps. I could pass the magical 3000 fps if I went up to 116 grs with case max'ed out...safe is better.
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The gunmakers here would know much more about this than me, but my logic would conclude that cartridges that are notorious barrel burners would last longer if an accurate node could be found a little under maximum. I run my 28 Nosler between 2950, and 3050 depending on the load, and generally stay at 2950 because I figured I might get a few more rounds before I needed to change barrels besides keeping my eyes and fingers intact. My ears are already ringing, but hey, I'm hanging onto what I got.
 
TR1Hemi said:
I have a bunch of old car batteries, in the qounset. I should get around to breaking them down and getting into casting, some target loads in the GP100 or Super Blackhawk might be fun.
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PLEASE do NOT do that! Using lead from old lead/acid batteries is extremely hazardous to your health!
There are additives in those lead plates such as cadmium that are extremely toxic to humans.
This is not just my opinion, it is documented fact.

Ed
 
Heading out to the range for a Schuetzen match today. Plain based lead bullets only. Shooting a 32-40. The fact that the case says 30/06 is irrelevant. 165 grain cast lead bullet over 7 grains Titegroup for about 1100 fps.
 
The title to your question holds a big keyword "Reloading" most people doing this are only "Reloaders" they do not understand their rifle, components or pressure signs. They only read published data and go off of that with no regards to any of the major factors that go into proper handloading. A "Handloader" is an experienced loader that uses tools that measure pressure on brass like a micrometer to read case head expansion, they also understand effects of each component and how pressure is built such as burn rate, bearing surface of a given projectile, tolerances of the chamber in their rifle, etc. having said that I do load my rifles to full potential getting speed and accuracy. My 30-06 is running 180gr bullets at 3000fps which is 300 win mag speeds and accuracy is around .360" at 100yds. Modern propellants and components have come a long way.
 
I think most here all agree quit trying to nake a magnum out of a 30-30. probably the easiest way to get more velocity and safest is not cutting barrels off. I've shot a 260 for 26 years in the game of highpower and when I started there was'nt load data for the 6.5-08[260] so I just started conservatively and watched for pressure never finding loads that were too hot that were also accurate anyway. At the 200 yd line a hot load or heavy bullet is not needed so many years ago I switched to 85 gr sierra;s of 90 gr speer tnt with very mild loads around 34 to 36 gr of something in the 4895 range these short light bullets are easy to make an accurate load for and these mild loads let brass last forever. I am still shooting some of that brass I started with in these very light loads, I am sure some of this brass I have loaded over 150 times. now and then a neck will crack and recently the neck tension is gone on some of it but it still works and if the bullet is not in the 10 ring it is not the rifle or loads problem it;s mine. when we go to 300 yds a 120 over 40 gr of 4350 works good and always accurate then at 600, 140's with 42 gr or alittle less of 4350 always works and never too hot. its kind of interesting that the 6.5 creedmoor fellows seem to use about the same loads. These loads are always accurate from barrel to barrel, I at least set my barrel back once a year and have had at least 15 new barrels on the same m70, now a ruger precision because we can now use a scope and I don't have a magazine for my pre64 m70 to use in rapid fire, always reloaded with stripper clips for rapid fire but can't use them with a scope in the way. These fellows talking about cast bullets have a new rabbit hole to fall in and I let the young men next door shoot my 1903 with some cast bullets a while back and they were a great hit due to the lower recoil and with some effort I think a person can get a couple of minute accuracy at 200 yds with 1903's or 1917 enfields and gas checked bullets probably better in a scoped modern rifle and you can use pistol primers way easier to get than large rifle primer
 
R. Cram said:
I think most here all agree quit trying to nake a magnum out of a 30-30. probably the easiest way to get more velocity and safest is not cutting barrels off. I've shot a 260 for 26 years in the game of highpower and when I started there was'nt load data for the 6.5-08[260] so I just started conservatively and watched for pressure never finding loads that were too hot that were also accurate anyway. At the 200 yd line a hot load or heavy bullet is not needed so many years ago I switched to 85 gr sierra;s of 90 gr speer tnt with very mild loads around 34 to 36 gr of something in the 4895 range these short light bullets are easy to make an accurate load for and these mild loads let brass last forever. I am still shooting some of that brass I started with in these very light loads, I am sure some of this brass I have loaded over 150 times. now and then a neck will crack and recently the neck tension is gone on some of it but it still works and if the bullet is not in the 10 ring it is not the rifle or loads problem it;s mine. when we go to 300 yds a 120 over 40 gr of 4350 works good and always accurate then at 600, 140's with 42 gr or alittle less of 4350 always works and never too hot. its kind of interesting that the 6.5 creedmoor fellows seem to use about the same loads. These loads are always accurate from barrel to barrel, I at least set my barrel back once a year and have had at least 15 new barrels on the same m70, now a ruger precision because we can now use a scope and I don't have a magazine for my pre64 m70 to use in rapid fire, always reloaded with stripper clips for rapid fire but can't use them with a scope in the way. These fellows talking about cast bullets have a new rabbit hole to fall in and I let the young men next door shoot my 1903 with some cast bullets a while back and they were a great hit due to the lower recoil and with some effort I think a person can get a couple of minute accuracy at 200 yds with 1903's or 1917 enfields and gas checked bullets probably better in a scoped modern rifle and you can use pistol primers way easier to get than large rifle primer
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I started my son with a Ruger 77 in 260 and fairly light loads pushing 110 and 120 grain partitions with little recoil as he was very young, around ten. That kid was deadly with that little rifle on whitetail back in those days. He's busy now with family and career, but he's talking about getting back into hunting. He still has the same rifle, and I will load the same loads, and he will get the same results. Terrible trigger and all he can truly shoot. He makes all my rifles shoot better groups than I do, and he makes that little Ruger do things I cannot approach.
 

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