For years I've done lineotype casting, either from the scrap shop or, more normally, picked up from (my own) berm. Lineotype isn't available around here, at least from the scrap shops, so wheel weights it is...

I already know that the dropped weight is different, but these are practice round, and I'm already standardized on a below max load with max bullet weight, within the caliber, so I'm OK there.

But, I fire a polygon barreled pistol, and I wonder about the accuracy, and a bit less about the safety. I will note that the wheel weight rounds don't really require the sizing die, although they've gotta be lubed... The lineotype did.

Comments?

B.E., The following is excerpted from "The Fouling Shot," #164 (July-August): "Bullet diameters and weights will vary considerably depending on the...alloy used. This variation can be as much as 1/2% on the diameter and 8% on the weight.... Of the most commonly used alloys, wheel weights (.5% Sn, 3% Sb, 96% Pb) will produce bullets having the smallest diameter and heaviest weight.... Linotype will produce the largest diameter and lightest weights. Other alloys of tin and antimony, with antimony content above 5%, will produce bullets with diameters and weights falling between those cast from wheel weights and linotype." [P.164-14] Hope this helps!

You didn't say what caliber you are shooting nor at what velocity. Normally your alloy change would result in as cast bullets about .001 smaller than lino, maybe a little more in a .45. You probably sized the lino bullets that much so it doesn't much matter.

WW alloy maybe with some tin added works fine in most pistol loads. You might run into some trouble with really hot 9mm loads. Nothing dangerous, just loss of accuracy and/or leading.

In general, I cast for all of the handguns I own; 9mm, .357, .40, .44, and .45. These, with the exception of the .44, which is used in an old Charter Arms Bulldog, are all practice bullets, and so aren't pushing the envelope in any way.

I can verify the weight and size differences, and since I expect all applications to be below 1K FPS, I'm not expecting any leading problems.

I am a bit worried about the .40, though, since the USPc has the polygon bore, and while the lineotype castings were accurate, I wonder about the WW. Safety isn't an issue, so far as I know.

We'll see, I guess.