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Leadmine
08-14-2005, 08:49 AM
I'm looking for opinions on wheelweight/linotype alloy. I have large amounts of both wheelweights and linotype that I would like to alloy for pistol and rifle bullets. The pistol bullets are 357 mag, 45 Colt & ACP at standard velocities and the rifle bulllets are 6.5,30 cal, 8mm, 45 cal and others at 1700 fps or less. Should I use one alloy for rifle & pistol or make different alloys? I have about twice as much wheelweight as I do lino. What do you think?? How would you mix it? Thanks!

Willbird
08-14-2005, 09:29 AM
OK you asked hehe, here it comes.

I's use the WW, maybe air cooled for some things, water dropped for most, and oven heat treated for the things you find water dropped not hard enough for.

the Lino if it is in lino strips I would just save, there MAY be some guy out there with a Lino machine making type to sell, but I doubt it, it's value will only go UP.

People will be reading about linotype for many more years and it will take on an aura of magic.

It's best feature was that it was readily avail, it IS quite hard, but probably has far more tin than you really want or need....the avail lead people to try it for things, the hardness allowed them success...BUT IMHO it was also directly responsible for many of the widely accepted "limits" to cast bullets in rifles, IE 2000 fps and of course not using them on game because they don't expand, in fact Lino ones will even shatter quite easily on impact.

You could sell the lino now for at least a buck a pound, more if you played your cards right, you can get more WW for Free, or maybe pay .05 to .10 an lb depending on the situation.

Your definition of "enough" bullet alloy changes drastically once you get a 20lb pot and run 500 or more bullets per hour, your pile that was more than you thought you would ever need will be GONE :-)

Bill

XBT
08-14-2005, 10:29 AM
I have had good results using a linotype / wheelweight mix in both rifles and handguns. For rifles I use a 50/50 mix and for handguns I use just enough linotype to make them cast well, usually about 20%. I really like the way linotype casts and would use straight lino in my rifles if it didn’t cost so much.

The rifle boolits are shot in the 1800 FPS range, and are used for informal target shooting and plinking. I shoot the handgun mix in .38/357, 9MM, .44 mag., .45ACP, and .45Colt. It works well in all of them.

I mix the alloy right in the casting pot. Everything has been pre-cast into small ingots beforehand, so I just drop it in as needed.

My main trouble encountered while casting is getting good fillout of the mold, so I use the lino to help in that area. It has been my experience that adding lino to nearly any alloy will make it cast better.

Good luck, Jim

NVcurmudgeon
08-14-2005, 10:34 AM
I load my cast boolits to moderate velocity, pistols at 700-1000 fps, and rifles at 1400-2000 fps. Air cooled WW work just fine.

Sailman
08-14-2005, 11:00 AM
I have been using linotype for rifle bullets for many years. It is my opinion that linotype is the best alloy for rifle bullets. It may not weigh quite as much as wheelweights but when it cools in the mold the bullet will be larger in size than other alloys. The intent of the linotype alloy was to have minimum shrinkage of the metal when it went from a liquid to a solid. Because of this attribute you will get the largest size bullet you can cast in a mold. Wheelweight bullets will not be as large as a linotype bullet cast in the same mold. An additional bonus is that the bullet will be harder than a wheelweight bullet.

The bottom line to all of the above is; a linotype bullet will be a harder, larger, easier to cast, and better looking bullet than a wheelweight bullet cast in the same mold.

Leftoverdj
08-14-2005, 11:15 AM
I'm looking for opinions on wheelweight/linotype alloy. I have large amounts of both wheelweights and linotype that I would like to alloy for pistol and rifle bullets. The pistol bullets are 357 mag, 45 Colt & ACP at standard velocities and the rifle bulllets are 6.5,30 cal, 8mm, 45 cal and others at 1700 fps or less. Should I use one alloy for rifle & pistol or make different alloys? I have about twice as much wheelweight as I do lino. What do you think?? How would you mix it? Thanks!

Straight WW will do what you want to do. IMHO, a 5-1 mix will do it better. Twenty pounds of lino to 100 of WW seems to improve casting quality and increase hardness a couple of points. It's been my basic alloy for many years and is closely comparable to the WW+2% tin that I have used when the lino supply is short.

"Large quantities" is very much relative. I use about 250 pounds of alloy a year and am not comfortable without a five year stockpile. WW has not been a problem, but I would not feel I had a lot of lino unless I had over 500 pounds. Got about 200 now, and that's the best shape I have been in for years.

Bass Ackward
08-14-2005, 01:16 PM
I'm looking for opinions on wheelweight/linotype alloy. I have large amounts of both wheelweights and linotype that I would like to alloy for pistol and rifle bullets. The pistol bullets are 357 mag, 45 Colt & ACP at standard velocities and the rifle bulllets are 6.5,30 cal, 8mm, 45 cal and others at 1700 fps or less. Should I use one alloy for rifle & pistol or make different alloys? I have about twice as much wheelweight as I do lino. What do you think?? How would you mix it? Thanks!

Leadmine,

Complex question. The answer? Depends on your application, guns, caliber and your ability to reproduce your mix. (Hardness tester) I like error proof formulas. I use WW and then simple math to get to 2% tin. I mix several batches and then pull one from each batch to fill the pot. Always the same.

The correct mix only has to solve problems at a specific pressure level to work. If you shoot higher pressures, you may need harder bullets. ACWW +2% Sn can be good for me up to 34,000 psi in most calibers to include handguns. So it really depends what you have in abundance and / or what you have to pay for now or see paying for in the future. Remember, lino doesn't eat anything.

buck1
08-14-2005, 01:37 PM
I see air cooled WW covering all your handgun needs. and water droped WW for the rifles.
As for the lino.. Save it for future high pressure needs, ...............or send it to me and I will take care of it for you!! LOL!
....Buck

JohnH
08-14-2005, 02:24 PM
Has anyone used any of the WC820 pull down from Pats Reloading? Is it for practical purposes the same stuff that Bartletts is selling in new powder?