Does anyone cast or swage bullets from lead free material? I have read a lot about casting zinc. I have read less about swaging jacked bullets with powdered metal cores. I'm looking for an alternative to casting full bore 12GA slugs. Does anyone have any experience with producing similar big bore bullets?
Thanks
Keith

I would watch what I made 12 ga slugs from. For example zinc: it's much much harder then lead. You could possibly ruin your choke. Also using a lead casting mould to cast with zinc is very hard on the mould too. If the mould is aluminum or brass you will destroy it fast. Your zinc slug will be much lighter too then it's counterpart lead one.

Dave Corbin is the big talk in this field. He has his book and other data on his web sites, corbins.com, swage.com for study.

Lead was chosen for cheap. Now with the criticism... Lots of solid copper but loses to air resistance quicker, lighter. Tungsten is heavier, 20% or so, but costs. Corbin has it. You could put it into a copper jacket or "sinter" it... As said, zinc is lighter than most metals... Work at close range but... Then there is wood for vampires. Seriously, someone did and article in Guns years ago... 44 Magnum dowel loads...

I suspect Corbin has more on line than you think you need to know. Luck. Happy trails.

I don't cast so right now but have a number of presses. I could swage lead bullets but need a new press for other materials. Either way I'm starting from ground zero.

SmokinJ, if I cast I think I want to try a lead free solder. The gun is fully rifled heavy barrel bolt action. I looked at zinc but cannot find anyone who is in love with what they cast from the stuff.

iiranger, have you used the Corbin dies/press? That is the system I was looking at when I posted the question. Will a jacket slug with sintered core work as a game bullet or will it be too frangible? Does it even need a jacket? Especially bismuth; the stuff can be brittle is my understanding? What do you know about swaged tungsten performance? I wasn't aware you could swage it. I watched a friend shut down a lathe trying to turn it once.

I can't see anyone swaging bullets from other materials that are much harder then lead/alloys. You would need one heck of a press, for example, to swage copper bullets. I don't think you will be able to swage zinc.

I also would investigate the ingredients of the lead free solder you are talking about casting bullets from. The best alloys for cast bullets are the ones that have a good amount of lead in them.