AusVarmint

Hi
Wheres the best place to purchase larger sized shot from in Vic???
#2, BB, AAA's SSG's is the sizing I'm looking for??

This is for farming-- pest destruction/ferals. Pest bird destruction will be covered by super cheap clay loads. (whatevers on sale)

Looking for 20-30 kg per size per order and there is expected to be 4-6 orders a year depending on demand.

Is large shot able to be made at home from scrap lead??? If yes --- what equipment is required and how much roughly would it cost to setup??

thanks

later
P

I dont know about casting shot but there are kits around in the US to do this. The problem will be roundness of the balls from the home shot making kits. In practice shot used to be produced in tall shot towers to achieve the required roundness. If the shot isnt round then it wont pattern very well. Perhaps check some of the bigger US sites like Midway for clues on this.

If you are looking to cast round balls yourself and want to go the cheap and cheerful route then its not expensive at all. If you have a LPG gas stove and an small cast iron pot - not too large as lead weighs a lot. (BTW you can never use the pot for anything else after putting lead in it). Then all you basically need is a mould and ladle. Lee make an economical range of moulds which include the handles. Personally I wouldnt bother to cast sizes less then SG though.

There are ventilation, cleanliness and health issues when using molten lead so read up on this before going further. Check the Lyman site for some background info on this.

You can acquire scrap lead in a lot of places. I get mine from tyre outlets. If you cast then whenever you buy tyres you should always return home with a bucket full of wheel weights. There's one tyre shop I use where I exchange venison for wheel weights which works for both of us.

Joe

I'll ask the guy I work with when he gets back from long service. His Dad makes so much shot he has health problems from lead exposure