Lynotype + ? = Usable Casting Alloys

I'm new to the sight but have viewed it many times in the past. I have several hundred pounds of Lynotype lead that I wish to use for casting bullets. I've cast bullets in the past, a long time ago, but never used Lynotype lead before. Does anyone know of formulas to use for adding pure lead or wheel weights to Lynotype. I looked through a few threads but didn't see anything specific. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

P.S. i also tried to become a paying member but the only payment option given is PayPal. Are there no other options or do I have to get a PayPal account?

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Originally Posted by twinscrewcanoe

I'm new to the sight but have viewed it many times in the past. I have several hundred pounds of Lynotype lead that I wish to use for casting bullets. I've cast bullets in the past, a long time ago, but never used Lynotype lead before. Does anyone know of formulas to use for adding pure lead or wheel weights to Lynotype. I looked through a few threads but didn't see anything specific. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

P.S. i also tried to become a paying member but the only payment option given is PayPal. Are there no other options or do I have to get a PayPal account?

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Welcome to the Forum. What are you planning to cast for. Add 4 pounds of linotype to 15 pounds of soft lead and you have a good pistol alloy..

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Originally Posted by dondiego

Welcome to the Forum. What are you planning to cast for. Add 4 pounds of linotype to 15 pounds of soft lead and you have a good pistol alloy..

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I am casting for pistol and rifle. Thanks for the info.

I often mix 25% linotype to 75% wheel weights for my rifle alloys. For pistol loads you could use a 1 to 4 mixture of lino to pure lead. I have found that straight wheel weights will also work just fine for most pistol loads.

Linotype and pure lead in any mix is excellent for shooting pistols at paper. The more linotype you add the harder the bullet. The only problem is Linotype has a lot of antimony and needs some tin for toughness or in high concentrations it can become brittle. For rifle and anything shot at critters I always add an additional 2% tin or pewter.

There are a number of alloy calculators out there so start plugging in numbers and see what kind of harness you get. Then look at the tin / antimony ratio. For rifles and game I like mine close to 1:1.

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P.S. i also tried to become a paying member but the only payment option given is PayPal. Are there no other options or do I have to get a PayPal account?

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If you join Team Boolits, when you choose your level of participation and pick "order" it will give you a payment choice under the paypal option or contact via private message (PM) No_1 and he can help.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?33573-No_1

And welcome aboard.

I cast some 9 pounds of ww + 1 pound of Lino and with my Lee tester air cooled had a bhn of 14 and water cooled was 30.

The chart came with my Lyman mold. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...hart.3536/full

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Originally Posted by 243winxb

The chart came with my Lyman mold. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...hart.3536/full

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I've been using "Formula B" for many years with consistent results casting excellent bullets for match rifle shooting in the 1800 - 1900 fps range and for HV shooting running them upwards of 3000 fps [using slower twist barrels] with excellent sub 2 moa accuracy out to 600 yards. Only difference is I use pure tin. I then add 5 1/2 lb of pure lead and 1/2 lb (8 ounces) of tin to 4 lbs of linotype for 10 lbs of #2 alloy. I most often WQ those bullets out of the mould which give them a BHN of 20 - 22.

I also use other ternary and binary alloys for other shooting, especially with handguns and for plinking/cat's sneeze loads in rifles. In my opinion adding linotype to COWWs to supposedly "sweeten the alloy" by adding tin is a waste of both alloys. Doing so adds way too much antimony with the linotype to an already too rich antimony alloy (the COWWs). Antimony will combine with tine, up to about 5% of each, to form the submetal SnSb which will stay in solution in the lead even during solidification. All the excess antimony will not stay in solution in the lead and will harden before the lead giving spots of frosted grey speckled appearance on the surface of the bullet. That balance of antimony to tin at 5% each is what makes #2 alloy such an excellent alloy. #2 alloy is certainly not needed for all bullet applications but when the best cast rifle bullet possible for the best accuracy at medium or higher velocity is needed #2 alloy is my go to.

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Originally Posted by twinscrewcanoe

I'm new to the sight but have viewed it many times in the past. I have several hundred pounds of Lynotype lead that I wish to use for casting bullets. I've cast bullets in the past, a long time ago, but never used Lynotype lead before. Does anyone know of formulas to use for adding pure lead or wheel weights to Lynotype.

>>>SNIP

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If I had excess Linotype, I'd mix it 3 to 1 (Pure lead to Lino) for pistol ammo and I'd heat treat that for Rifle. BTW, 3 to 1 comes out to be 96-3-1 which is very similar to WW. To get a little more into the weeds, if you had some Tin, I'd add 2% for a final alloy of 94-3-3 which does cast remarkable better, but it's not necessary.

Linotype is a wonderful casting alloy. I cast very easily and makes really sharp castings. It was developed to be just that. It is expensive compared to pure lead so most people add pure lead to linotype to make cheaper and/or softer bullets. Mixing it with wheelweights or purer lead reduces the tin content. That raises the melting point, makes it softer and makes it less easy to cast flawless bullets. People can successfully cast pure lead so you can mix as much softer alloy with your linotype as you want.

Tim

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Originally Posted by dondiego

Welcome to the Forum. What are you planning to cast for. Add 4 pounds of linotype to 15 pounds of soft lead and you have a good pistol alloy..

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Did you mean the other way around? I shoot a lot of 3-1, lead/lino. Makes a very good bullet for all the service calibers. You can water drop that for harder bullet. Only rifle stuff I shoot is 45-70 & they dont need to be very hard for thjat.

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Originally Posted by fredj338

Did you mean the other way around? I shoot a lot of 3-1, lead/lino. Makes a very good bullet for all the service calibers. You can water drop that for harder bullet. Only rifle stuff I shoot is 45-70 & they dont need to be very hard for thjat.

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I was trying to say to have a 4 to 1 lead to linotype ratio. I might have not been clear on my post.

I would do like Larry said and use formula B to make Lyman No2. Use the 90-5-5 Lyman No2 for high pressure/velocity rifle stuff and magnum handgun projectiles. Further mix the Lyman No2 1/1 with pure soft lead for 95-2.5-2.5 for the rest of your handgun projectiles.

As long as you keep the ratio of less than 3 parts antimony to 1 part tin regardless of lead balance you will not have brittle boolits. Linotype is already in balance of 3 to 1 so cutting it 50/50 lead/lino or even 75/25 lead lino will still be balanced alloy.

I always heard to get hardball for rifle boolits (92-2-6) which. Is one of the hardest of bullet alloys. Is to mix pure lead to Lino (84-4-12) in a 50-50 ratio. 5 pounds to 5 pounds. It’s exactly half of Lino.

I always heard to get hardball for rifle boolits (92-2-6) which. Is one of the hardest of bullet alloys. Is to mix pure lead to Lino (84-4-12) in a 50-50 ratio. 5 pounds to 5 pounds. It’s exactly half of Lino.

I need to cast some hard buckshot for deer. If the buckshot deforms, patterns go to pot. I have a lot of soft lead, need to purchase some linotype and or Antimony to add to the pot.

I just went through the worst nightmare of my life with some kind of contamination in lead ingots I got from a deceased friend, had some kind of white flaky stuff come to the top and it gummed up the pot to the point to where the RCBS pot would not even work properly. I set the whole mess aside, will read on this site how to flux off what I am assuming is zinc. Maybe I should just cast boat anchors with the contaminated alloy.

Forget linotype. Buy monotype / foundry type instead for the same price. They have 2-3x the tin and antimony and are very consistent. Linotype often has blank spacer bars that can be anything so unless you only use the pieces with type the alloy is unknown

Instead of 1:1 lead:linotype a pound of foundry type and 3 pounds of pure lead will give you BHN 15 with almost twice the amount of tin as hardball so it can be used for hunting.

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Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe

If I had excess Linotype, I'd mix it 3 to 1 (Pure lead to Lino) for pistol ammo and I'd heat treat that for Rifle. BTW, 3 to 1 comes out to be 96-3-1 which is very similar to WW. To get a little more into the weeds, if you had some Tin, I'd add 2% for a final alloy of 94-3-3 which does cast remarkable better, but it's not necessary.

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Depending on what you want the bullets for, IA 4-1 lead/lino for most handguns applications. It cast great, doesnt really need any more tin.