lead mix question

berryreed · March 15, 2013, 04:02 PM

I have purchased a lot of old Linotype lead. I have more of this lead than soft lead. I am making ingots for casting boolits out of each type of lead and want to know if I mix the Linotype ingots with the soft lead ingots 50/50 will this make a good boolit for my 45 ACP?
Thanks for your help.
BR

243winxb · March 15, 2013, 04:43 PM

50/50 Linotype/pure lead will make 15 BHN alloy, containing 2% tin & 6% antimony. This is a standard "hard ball" alloy used by bullet casters. A tiny bit hard for target loaded 45 acp. Great for full power loads.

berryreed · March 15, 2013, 07:54 PM

I am going to build a boolit trap in such a way that the boolit will hit steel and then end up in a layer of sand. I don't want my boolits so hard that they disintegrate when they hit the steel. My goal is to reuse them again and again. Will these be to hard for what I want them to do?
Thanks
BR

reloader28 · March 15, 2013, 11:21 PM

The lead bullets that I've seen hitting a steel plate all end up as little small disc's.
Basically disintagrated.

FrankenMauser · March 16, 2013, 12:39 AM

Mixing 1:1 for .45 Auto is a waste of Linotype.

2 parts lead to 1 part Linotype is more than adequate. Some people may even argue that 3:1 (lead to linotype) would be even better.

Mike / Tx · March 16, 2013, 07:09 AM

If all your looking to shoot is target then use just enough of the lino to get better fill out in your mold. Much more is pretty much wasted on the ACP.

As for a good easy to use trap that will keep your bullets more intact you might give the following a try.

See if you can find some screw on lid 5 gallon buckets. The snap on will work just more of a pain to use. Fill with very fine sand that has just enough moisture in it to pack good, but not clump when you squeeze a hand full together. As you fill the bucket with it put in about 4-6" at a time. In between adding use the hadle to raise the bucket up 6-8" and drop it on it's bottom to pack the sand. You don't have to get overly carried away, and you will see how its best to get a good pack with the sand your using. Once you get the bucket filled to the top you can hand pack the last bit to it is good and tight. You want enough to go to the rim but also allow the lid to screw or snap on. Sometimes they are recessed a bit and you have to leave an inch or so of room. Onmce you get everything put together you can use what ever to set the bucket up on it's side. I have used both a framed holder made with crossed 2x4's as well as an empty 55 gallon barrel. I set a couple of short 2x4's along the sides to keep it from rolling. THen just slap on a stick on target ot you can even use a stapler to put printed targets on the lid, then shoot away. Your ACP isn't going to go but around 6-10 inches in at 10 - 20yds and recovery of your bullets is easily accomplished using a piece of expanded metal or hardware cloth mounted in a 2x2 frame. I set mine up so that when I am dumping the sand out I can catch the bullets on the screen and the sand falls through into one an empty syrup buckets like you put out for cattle. A washtub will work just as well though, just something with a 2'" or so diameter to allow the screen to set atop and the sand to be emptied into it from above.

Using a paint scraper allows you to remove the sand easily in layers so that once you get to the area where you bullets are, they can usually be picked out pretty easily by hand. Once you get out what you put in stand the bucket back up and repeat the filling with the sifted sand. IF it dries out a bit I have found about 1/4 of a bottle of water usually will freshen it right back up. Too much however will make it mushy and also give you more penetration than you really want.

Hope this helps it works great for me shooting everything from .357 through my 454, but I DO have to adjust the range for the heavier loads.

dahermit · March 16, 2013, 07:29 AM

Quote:

I have purchased a lot of old Linotype lead. I have more of this lead than soft lead. I am making ingots for casting boolits out of each type of lead and want to know if I mix the Linotype ingots with the soft lead ingots 50/50 will this make a good boolit for my 45 ACP?

Linotype is the Holy Grail of the bullet caster. It is used to cast rifle bullets for cast lead bullet competitions. However, it is seen by many to be too valuable as an additive to other lead alloys to use it without alloying. Lead supplies are drying up, especially the most used alloy for cast bullets, the wheel weight. According to this site, a 50/50 mix would seem to be a good/excellent alloy, unless you want to heat treat for maximum hardness. Then, if you add some Arsenic (in chilled shot), you could get away with less Linotype. Be aware however, that there are several different "type" alloys (Electro Type, Monotype, two kinds of Foundry Type, etc. but people will erroneously call any Type metal, "Linotype".
http://www.lasc.us/castbulletnotes.htm

dahermit · March 16, 2013, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Mixing 1:1 for .45 Auto is a waste of Linotype.

I would think so also. With good bullet alloys drying up, we have to stretch it as far as we can.

berryreed · March 16, 2013, 09:08 AM

Just what I needed to hear. I will use the lino more sparingly, maybe try different mixes of it. I really like the bucket idea to save the lead.
Thanks for your advice.

BR

hdbiker · March 16, 2013, 09:24 AM

To streach my bullet lead supply,I mix wheel weights with soft lead 50/50 for .38 and .45 bullets.The bullets come out of the mold a little soft and heavy so I adjust my load accordinly.They feed and funtion perfect with minimal if any leading.biker

**Unclenick** · March 18, 2013, 03:53 PM

BR,

The one downside to diluting Linotype by more than 1:1 is getting the tin content below 2%. It's not critical, but 2% is usually the low end of the range given for best mold fill out. Lots of guys use straight wheel weights, which used to have about 0.5% tin, so it's not like you can't use a lower percentage, but it will generally be easier to get sharp corners and consistent weight if you go to 2% or more.

For the .45, I would dilute the Linotype with three parts plain lead, if you have a source, giving you 3% antimony and 1% tin. Then add 1% by weight of most any brand of lead-free plumbing solder (these are mostly 95% tin; just avoid any solder that says it includes zinc, which I've heard exists but have yet to find myself) to bring the tin content of your alloy back up to 2%. If you find some old 50/50 plumbing solder, then use a 2% addition by weight.

berryreed · March 24, 2013, 04:01 PM

Thank you! I will try that.

March 15, 2013, 04:02 PM	#1
berryreed Junior Member Join Date: October 4, 2012 Posts: 4	lead mix question I have purchased a lot of old Linotype lead. I have more of this lead than soft lead. I am making ingots for casting boolits out of each type of lead and want to know if I mix the Linotype ingots with the soft lead ingots 50/50 will this make a good boolit for my 45 ACP? Thanks for your help. BR

March 15, 2013, 07:54 PM	#3
berryreed Junior Member Join Date: October 4, 2012 Posts: 4	How much to hard I am going to build a boolit trap in such a way that the boolit will hit steel and then end up in a layer of sand. I don't want my boolits so hard that they disintegrate when they hit the steel. My goal is to reuse them again and again. Will these be to hard for what I want them to do? Thanks BR

March 16, 2013, 12:39 AM	#5
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,421	Mixing 1:1 for .45 Auto is a waste of Linotype. 2 parts lead to 1 part Linotype is more than adequate. Some people may even argue that 3:1 (lead to linotype) would be even better. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

March 16, 2013, 07:09 AM	#6
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	If all your looking to shoot is target then use just enough of the lino to get better fill out in your mold. Much more is pretty much wasted on the ACP. As for a good easy to use trap that will keep your bullets more intact you might give the following a try. See if you can find some screw on lid 5 gallon buckets. The snap on will work just more of a pain to use. Fill with very fine sand that has just enough moisture in it to pack good, but not clump when you squeeze a hand full together. As you fill the bucket with it put in about 4-6" at a time. In between adding use the hadle to raise the bucket up 6-8" and drop it on it's bottom to pack the sand. You don't have to get overly carried away, and you will see how its best to get a good pack with the sand your using. Once you get the bucket filled to the top you can hand pack the last bit to it is good and tight. You want enough to go to the rim but also allow the lid to screw or snap on. Sometimes they are recessed a bit and you have to leave an inch or so of room. Onmce you get everything put together you can use what ever to set the bucket up on it's side. I have used both a framed holder made with crossed 2x4's as well as an empty 55 gallon barrel. I set a couple of short 2x4's along the sides to keep it from rolling. THen just slap on a stick on target ot you can even use a stapler to put printed targets on the lid, then shoot away. Your ACP isn't going to go but around 6-10 inches in at 10 - 20yds and recovery of your bullets is easily accomplished using a piece of expanded metal or hardware cloth mounted in a 2x2 frame. I set mine up so that when I am dumping the sand out I can catch the bullets on the screen and the sand falls through into one an empty syrup buckets like you put out for cattle. A washtub will work just as well though, just something with a 2'" or so diameter to allow the screen to set atop and the sand to be emptied into it from above. Using a paint scraper allows you to remove the sand easily in layers so that once you get to the area where you bullets are, they can usually be picked out pretty easily by hand. Once you get out what you put in stand the bucket back up and repeat the filling with the sifted sand. IF it dries out a bit I have found about 1/4 of a bottle of water usually will freshen it right back up. Too much however will make it mushy and also give you more penetration than you really want. Hope this helps it works great for me shooting everything from .357 through my 454, but I DO have to adjust the range for the heavier loads. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

March 16, 2013, 09:08 AM	#9
berryreed Junior Member Join Date: October 4, 2012 Posts: 4	Good info Just what I needed to hear. I will use the lino more sparingly, maybe try different mixes of it. I really like the bucket idea to save the lead. Thanks for your advice. BR

March 15, 2013, 04:43 PM	#2
243winxb Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2011 Location: USA Posts: 1,730	50/50 Linotype/pure lead will make 15 BHN alloy, containing 2% tin & 6% antimony. This is a standard "hard ball" alloy used by bullet casters. A tiny bit hard for target loaded 45 acp. Great for full power loads.

March 15, 2013, 11:21 PM	#4
reloader28 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2009 Location: nw wyoming Posts: 1,061	The lead bullets that I've seen hitting a steel plate all end up as little small disc's. Basically disintagrated.

March 16, 2013, 09:24 AM	#10
hdbiker Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2012 Posts: 297	Alloying lead for bullets To streach my bullet lead supply,I mix wheel weights with soft lead 50/50 for .38 and .45 bullets.The bullets come out of the mold a little soft and heavy so I adjust my load accordinly.They feed and funtion perfect with minimal if any leading.biker

March 18, 2013, 03:53 PM	#11
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,057	BR, The one downside to diluting Linotype by more than 1:1 is getting the tin content below 2%. It's not critical, but 2% is usually the low end of the range given for best mold fill out. Lots of guys use straight wheel weights, which used to have about 0.5% tin, so it's not like you can't use a lower percentage, but it will generally be easier to get sharp corners and consistent weight if you go to 2% or more. For the .45, I would dilute the Linotype with three parts plain lead, if you have a source, giving you 3% antimony and 1% tin. Then add 1% by weight of most any brand of lead-free plumbing solder (these are mostly 95% tin; just avoid any solder that says it includes zinc, which I've heard exists but have yet to find myself) to bring the tin content of your alloy back up to 2%. If you find some old 50/50 plumbing solder, then use a 2% addition by weight. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; March 24, 2013 at 04:57 PM.

March 24, 2013, 04:01 PM	#12
berryreed Junior Member Join Date: October 4, 2012 Posts: 4	Thank you! I will try that.

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