Somewhere in the Carolinas years ago we toured a very old shot tower where they used to manually pour the lead through a screen. It fell a long way to the bottom into water. Very dangerous because melted lead and water can explode. Very cool to see
WTW, thanks for the upload. I remember many years ago visiting Valley Forge, PA with my family. I remember seeing "shot towers" where the Continental Army used to make lead bullet for future delivery to the British Army. Looking forward to more. Thanks
Where I live in Bristol UK, in a road called Tower Hill was the very first shot tower, the company was Sheldon bush and patent shot company. They invented the process. The old tower was still there into the 1970s when the local authority saw fit to knock it down and replace it with some cheap shopping outlets. A new tower was then built in the centre of Bristol and remained in use for some time after. It is now used as offices .
Bruce the bullet hound ! He's fast,he's streamlined and snazzy. With an unerring accuracy for biscuits and beef jerky 😉🤣 ..you can't not love a basset hound.!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Somewhere I read (years ago) that the lead shot created during the drop from the top of a shot tower varied in size to some extent, and they ran the "dropped shot" through a series of sieves to sort it into the variety of shot sizes that had been produced. The drop sieves at the top of the tower controlled sizing to some degree but couldn't control things enough to accurately assure final shot size. Good thing the EPA and OSHA wasn't around way back in the day... We would have been reduced to fighting the British with slingshots and stones!
Here in the Badger state we have Tower Hill State Park where in 1832 they built a shot tower into the sandstone bluff next to the river. The old shot tower has been restored and is open to the public. You can see how they made shot 100 years ago. It hasn't changed much. Because their shallow pit mines resembled large badger holes early lead miners in the state where called badgers. That name stuck an hence we are the Grand Old Badger state... sorry Bucky it's not all about you.
Lead slugs are swaged. They start with lead wire a bit smaller than the slug. This wire is cut to the proper length to be the right weight. These lead slugs are feed into a press where they fill holes in one half of the swage die. Then the other have of the swage die is pressed down against the first half. Then the press opens and the completed slug is ejected. One half of the diesel is the outside shape of the slug, the other half is the inside of the slug, the base and the hollow cavity that is in the base.
@@BullseyeBenR yes, you can buy the die sets for most any bullet you want. You buy the lead wire, jackets or on some bullets just the lead wire. Slug too probably. You may need a stronger press for some designs. RCBS started out by washing bullets for his own use. In fact the RCBS stand for Rock Chuck Bullet Swage.
Remington shotshells are still among the best especially in target loads. What you didn’t mention is that the STS hull and Gun Club hulls are among the best for reloading. Many get 8 reloads out of Remington hulls. There isn’t many shot towers left in the USA.
Not very far from where I grew up. I was just down in that area last week. I have seen home made shot makers. Work on the same principles. I was in Little Rock at a gun shop. They had Remington 410ga 1/2 oz #9 shot sub sonic ammo. I think it said 650 fps.
I grew up in Dubuque IA and it still has the shot tower used to make lead balls for the Civil War. It is a local historical site now. Used to be able to go to the top and look at how far the drop was to make the shot.
I wouldn’t want to be breathing lead fumes every day. All the paint and welding fumes I’ve sucked in are probably worse, something about lead makes me nervous.
I wish Remington would make 20 gauge #6 steel shot again and I’m not sure if they stopped making it or if they still do somewhat but I can’t find it anywhere. Here in Nebraska on most public hunting grounds, you have to use non-toxic shot for upland game and I like #6 shot the best for pheasant and so does my Ithaca model 300 20 gauge. Federal makes some but I don’t like their shotgun loads for birds. Winchester has some pretty good #4 steel shot loads for pheasants but they only come in 3” shells and I’d rather have 2 3/4” but have had to use the 3” shells these last couple of years.
The reason why lead are chosen is for their low melting temperature, which saves a lot of energy processing them. This was true even when lead mines were rare, and they only get cheaper now. Molten lead have energy so low that they solidify as they fall, indeed
Doubled, because the EPA closed all the lead smelters in the USA, so all the lead goes to China to be smelted, then is shipped back.. Biden is heavily invested in China and shipping, coincidentally enough 😢
@@mikecollins8241 yes bb's as used in bb gus are different now. Back before BB guns there was leadshot sized bb. BB gun bb's are sintered steel. The steel is ground up and mixed with binder then formed into balls. Some are copperplated, others are just covered with a lube/rust inhibitor.
Awesome video my man, ive had a Remi 11-87 police for a long long time. I've got the extension on it, it absolutely gets down son😂 always has been my baby. Some people don't like them tho, I don't no why, o well, it works very well for me🫡🇺🇸💪
To be technical it doesn’t dry, it’s freezing!
Always cool to see in factories, keep it up!
@@chevyon37s true
Somewhere in the Carolinas years ago we toured a very old shot tower where they used to manually pour the lead through a screen. It fell a long way to the bottom into water. Very dangerous because melted lead and water can explode. Very cool to see
The real danger is the fumes, as the towers were so high that the danger of explosion was basically nonexistent.
Nice. My dad managed the "shot tower" operations for Olin/Winchester in East Alton for years. Fascinating process, thanks for sharing.
Awesome. Thanks for watching
That’s very interesting! Thanks for giving us a behind the scenes peek of the process. I’m always curious to see how things are made!
Thanks for watching
WTW, thanks for the upload. I remember many years ago visiting Valley Forge, PA with my family. I remember seeing "shot towers" where the Continental Army used to make lead bullet for future delivery to the British Army. Looking forward to more. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Where I live in Bristol UK, in a road called Tower Hill was the very first shot tower, the company was Sheldon bush and patent shot company. They invented the process. The old tower was still there into the 1970s when the local authority saw fit to knock it down and replace it with some cheap shopping outlets. A new tower was then built in the centre of Bristol and remained in use for some time after. It is now used as offices .
Bruce the bullet hound ! He's fast,he's streamlined and snazzy. With an unerring accuracy for biscuits and beef jerky 😉🤣 ..you can't not love a basset hound.!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Somewhere I read (years ago) that the lead shot created during the drop from the top of a shot tower varied in size to some extent, and they ran the "dropped shot" through a series of sieves to sort it into the variety of shot sizes that had been produced. The drop sieves at the top of the tower controlled sizing to some degree but couldn't control things enough to accurately assure final shot size. Good thing the EPA and OSHA wasn't around way back in the day... We would have been reduced to fighting the British with slingshots and stones!
Thanks for the tour Adam 👌.
Cheers 🙏✝️💛!
That's why they call him the Mr. Rogers of the woods, great to see the process.
😂😂😂
Bruce, such a nice guy.
The sound effects of the machinery is appreciated😂
Another great show brother God bless keep up the good work
Thank you my friend 😊❤
Good to see Bruce!:)
We used to go past a Factory in Atlanta that had the tower. Dad told us about it.
This is a question I've had in my mind, thanks for answering it
Here in the Badger state we have Tower Hill State Park where in 1832 they built a shot tower into the sandstone bluff next to the river. The old shot tower has been restored and is open to the public. You can see how they made shot 100 years ago. It hasn't changed much. Because their shallow pit mines resembled large badger holes early lead miners in the state where called badgers. That name stuck an hence we are the Grand Old Badger state... sorry Bucky it's not all about you.
These are really fun videos. Seriously
Thanks for watching
Heck yeah!
Bruce is a good boy.
Do lead slugs next
Lead slugs are swaged. They start with lead wire a bit smaller than the slug. This wire is cut to the proper length to be the right weight. These lead slugs are feed into a press where they fill holes in one half of the swage die. Then the other have of the swage die is pressed down against the first half. Then the press opens and the completed slug is ejected.
One half of the diesel is the outside shape of the slug, the other half is the inside of the slug, the base and the hollow cavity that is in the base.
@@leonhart2452 so it’s pressure formed like a press
Just a shower head with bigger holes.
I do my own slugs. I haven’t started to mold my own shot yet.
@@BullseyeBenR yes, you can buy the die sets for most any bullet you want. You buy the lead wire, jackets or on some bullets just the lead wire.
Slug too probably.
You may need a stronger press for some designs. RCBS started out by washing bullets for his own use. In fact the RCBS stand for Rock Chuck Bullet Swage.
It is cool, & i believe this technique is actually long standing unlike how a lot of rifle & pistol ammunition now.
Remington shotshells are still among the best especially in target loads. What you didn’t mention is that the STS hull and Gun Club hulls are among the best for reloading. Many get 8 reloads out of Remington hulls. There isn’t many shot towers left in the USA.
That’s cool to see I like making it myself it patterns better smacks harder way cheaper to
Back in the day they used shot towers next to a river for cooling the lead
❤❤❤
Nice info
That's cool stuff! 😊
Melted lead is already dry, and it solidifies as it cools. Solidifies not dry!
Cool dude!!
👍
What’s really wild is that this is basically done the same it’s been done for centuries.
Thanks for sharing this video!👍
Interesting to say the least!
Thanks for watching!
Small electric drippers are available for private shot making .
Thanks 👍
He sure is pretty they are especially beautiful when they are puppies and they step on their ears
Who Tee, the BB is a .17 cal. It is comparable to size #1 shot. In fact I reload shot shells w/BB.😉
Very interesting! Surprisingly it ends up in tiny ball shapes
Not very far from where I grew up. I was just down in that area last week. I have seen home made shot makers. Work on the same principles. I was in Little Rock at a gun shop. They had Remington 410ga 1/2 oz #9 shot sub sonic ammo. I think it said 650 fps.
A guy named Dupont made the shot for the Revolutionary War soldiers in Delaware. The shot tower was filled with water.
Did you get to see how the corelock ammo is made that's really cool
Yup
Hey Bruce!
Any liquid will turn spherical as it’s the most compact shape mother nature makes.
👍WTW Thanks
Thanks for watching
👍👍
👍👍
Never would have guessed, cool
I grew up in Dubuque IA and it still has the shot tower used to make lead balls for the Civil War. It is a local historical site now. Used to be able to go to the top and look at how far the drop was to make the shot.
Wow, awesome
👍💪👏🏻💪👍
I thought the tower had water in it for chilled shot?
I use to make them at my uncles fun to do
I live by Winchester and my dad was explaining that to me
Had no ideer !
I have been making my own shot for 35 plus years. I built my own tower with smelter on top 😅😊
How tall is the tower for dropping the shot? It's always interesting to see how things are made.
I think 4 stories
Cool.
👍👍
My dad made winchester bullets for 40 years
The more you know 😄
Cool video and information 👍🇺🇸
I always wanted a basset hound and I would name him Fred after Jerry Lee Lewis in Smokey and the Bandit
I’ve always wanted to see the process of making ammunition
I cast my own bullets, but how do they make steel shot?
Cool tour. Hope you got some souvenirs.
It’s not drying, it’s cooling
Next time you down there, check if they are making .35 Rem...
@@bartsimpson6767 they are
Appreciate the info . Had no clue that was interesting Thanks
Thanks for watching
Sounds like you need to help mom get the kids to bed 😂
Actually filmed early in the morning 😂
I wouldn’t want to be breathing lead fumes every day. All the paint and welding fumes I’ve sucked in are probably worse, something about lead makes me nervous.
I figured it was droped some way,,, in water......but no air cooled
PizzA
PizzA
I wish Remington would make 20 gauge #6 steel shot again and I’m not sure if they stopped making it or if they still do somewhat but I can’t find it anywhere. Here in Nebraska on most public hunting grounds, you have to use non-toxic shot for upland game and I like #6 shot the best for pheasant and so does my Ithaca model 300 20 gauge. Federal makes some but I don’t like their shotgun loads for birds. Winchester has some pretty good #4 steel shot loads for pheasants but they only come in 3” shells and I’d rather have 2 3/4” but have had to use the 3” shells these last couple of years.
The reason why lead are chosen is for their low melting temperature, which saves a lot of energy processing them. This was true even when lead mines were rare, and they only get cheaper now.
Molten lead have energy so low that they solidify as they fall, indeed
Can you measure the caliber of each shot # and give results on diameter of the pellet size? Maybe there is an easier way but I'm Just ignorant.
You can just look it up..😮
Seems the cost of shot shells for target shooting has tripled in the last 10 years
Everything has tripled
Doubled, because the EPA closed all the lead smelters in the USA, so all the lead goes to China to be smelted, then is shipped back.. Biden is heavily invested in China and shipping, coincidentally enough 😢
BB size shot is round balls of .177 diameter.
BB's are made of steel, so they're made with a different process..
@@mikecollins8241 yes bb's as used in bb gus are different now. Back before BB guns there was leadshot sized bb.
BB gun bb's are sintered steel. The steel is ground up and mixed with binder then formed into balls. Some are copperplated, others are just covered with a lube/rust inhibitor.
@@leonhart2452
They still use the BB measurement in fishing weights I believe.
This video is highly triggering to ducks.
Awesome video my man, ive had a Remi 11-87 police for a long long time. I've got the extension on it, it absolutely gets down son😂 always has been my baby. Some people don't like them tho, I don't no why, o well, it works very well for me🫡🇺🇸💪