Hard vs. Soft

[Lead melter]

Alright, I'll be the one to open the Pandora's Box again. Here's the question; in your collective opinion, am I making my boolits too hard? I ask this from a standpoint of learning experience by trial and error.
My usual alloy consists of one third linotype, two thirds lead {each by volume} plus 2% tin by weight. This has been a decent alloy, and casts really nice boolits. Since I don't yet own a hardness tester, my calculations based on percentages of antimony, tin, and lead in the mix figures up to abou 15-16 BHN. But, since I don't exceed 1600 fps on any load yet, my gut tells me I may be a little too hard for optimum results.
Case in point. A few days ago I molded some Lee C312-185-RN slugs for my 7.62X54R. I deviated from the standard mixture by using one part previously described alloy, and one part lead, again by volume. The result was a softer boolit, but accuracy was still great with no leading.
I have cast some Lee C309-150-RF boolits of plain lead, again with good accuracy and no leading.
My muzzleloader loads consist of Lee 45 and 50 caliber hollow base Minie boolits, coated with liquid alox. Same story..good accuracy and no leading.
I've used Lee ALiquid Alox, RCBS rifle lube, SPG lube and a mixture of my own with no leading in any rifle barrel. With revolver and pistol barrels I get some leading no matter the alloy or the lube. I have just accepted that as the nature of the beast.
What do you think? Should I go softer since no boolit gets run hard down my barrels? Stay with the hard alloy and take no chances? Jump through hoops with a dead cat wrapped around my neck and pray for the best? Here's your chance, take your best shot.
I know some of you will say "50/50 WW/lino", but WW is darned near impossible to get in my locale. Exide Batteries grabs ALL the WW around this joint.

:???:

[mag_01]

I think praying will help it certainly wont hurt ---- If you are running 1600ft/sec or less a softer alloy is fine ---- Not a perfectionist but my casting runs ---soft --- hard-- and very hard. As no mix is repeated to perfection. Light loads soft boolits and heavy loads very hard boolits. I don't think the cat wrapped around your neck will help but who knows. ---- Mag_01

As one of our great philosophers said ----Get Her Done -----:castmine:

[MT Gianni]

What you will want is a repeatable alloy for the next 20 years or so. Nuch more if you are 25 not as much if you are 75. How are you getting your current mix and do you see it continuing? [silent answers ok]. You need to tailor your speeds and shooting to your alloy. If you don't see your stocks as continuing get some ww alloy even if transportation costs are involved. Gianni

[grumpy one]

If your linotype is good rather than depleted, one part lino and two parts lead gives 1.3% tin and 4% antimony - which is pretty much WW with a sensible amount of added tin to make casting easier. It should test at about 14-15 BHN air cooled, after a month's aging. I can't see why you would be adding the 2% tin unless your linotype is depleted - which the stuff I buy from scrap dealers always is. Even so, I think you are wasting tin unless you are willing to pay a lot more for a small advantage in ease of casting. My current favourite alloy is 1.3% tin and 5% antimony, and it casts like water that has wetting agent added. I used 3% tin, 5% antimony when I first started casting, but once I got over the initial klutzing around I found I was wasting tin.

Many people on this site are using the same alloy you are, air cooled, for general purpose rifle bullets, and aren't having any problems. With fairly fast powder (say SR4759) and a good gas check, it should be good for 1800 feet per second. It can be driven quite a bit faster with a slow powder. I won't get into the question of whether it can be driven even faster with heat treatment, since there is evidence on both sides of that - just ask Bass Ackwards, who likes 14-16 BHN for high velocity bullets.

[Bret4207]

If I had access to linotype, more than the 25 or so lbs I have, I'd be saving it for something special. Try wheel weights, maybe with a bit of tin added for casting ease. Works up to 1500+ for me if water quenched right from the mould.

[JohnH]

According to Lyman, lino and lead at 1 to 1 will give you right at 15 BHN. I agree with grumpy one, your alloy should be running in the 12 BHN range and be very like WW. I was driving a very similar alloy to 1700 fps in a 38-55 with no trouble and shoot it using the Lee 312-185 at 1500 in my Nagant with no trouble. Boolit fit and barrel condition is everything. I see no reason you can't soften it a bit if you want, but if it's leaving your barrel lead free, why change what is working. As grumpy one also said, you can do without so much tin. It is doing little to make your castings better and is costing you extra.