Linotype Ingots ..

[Anthony333]

Hi fellow casters... i went to my local scrapper and ask about lead.. its 2.20 kilo ( $1 lb ) so i have a look and find a bin of Lino :-) instead also at $1 lb :-)
I have mostly range lead whish is 99.9 % hard cast boolits... do i need to make the hardcast any harder ? I believe that i can run the LIno as is for high velocity loads ( .357 Magnum ) is that true ?

I really need to develop an alloy to use my 170 grain .357 at about 800 fps...
Was thinking of Keith Elmer alloy ?

Is linotype used mainly to harden a soft plummers lead alloy ?

There are large ingots and the slices of letters / spacers... i hear the ingots are better ? If so, i willbuy all the ingots ( maybee 50 kilos ? ) maybee more... i plan to shoot for the next 35 years ...lol... think i may need it !

Oh, and there is about 2 tons of the thin stuff :-)

As u can see i am a newbie :-) thx for your help

[Defcon-One]

I'd buy as much as you can. It is great stuff and at $1.00 per pound, you can't loose.

FYI: Hardball, like in hard cast bullets, is made by mixing 50% Pure Lead (Plumbers Lead) and 50% Linotype.

Linotype = 4% Tin, 12% Antimony, 84% Lead.
Hardball = 2% Tin, 6% Antimony, 92% Lead.

I like the strips because it is easier to weigh them out and add what you need to the mix, but ingots work too, just melt them down and cast them into smaller ingots. With the strips, you can recognize them instantly and always know what you are getting. Ingots are not always what they appear to be.

It is pretty hard stuff, the strips will crack and break if bent over on themselves. The ingots will Ring like a bell when dropped on a hard surface. Linotype is great for casting rifle bullets as is.

Sound like a great score to me and No, you do not need to make the hard cast any harder!

[Hardcast416taylor]

In all seriousness my friend, buy all that you can afford of this lino in whatever form it is in! As you can see this type of lead is getting more rare than wheel weights to find. Down the road you could swap some of this for other types of needed lead. A great find and the price is decent as well.Robert

[357reloading]

if i win the lotto i will fly to geelong AU. wow what a great price.

[letsmeltlead2693]

if i win the lotto i will fly to geelong AU. wow what a great price.

If you win the lotto, you can make boolits out of gold. I make sinkers but if I won, I'd make cast gold or tungsten sinkers.

[citizenal]

If you win the lotto, you can make boolits out of gold. I make sinkers but if I won, I'd make cast gold or tungsten sinkers.

I dream of this, I must admit sometimes,:p the Boolit part.

[stubshaft]

In all seriousness my friend, buy all that you can afford of this lino in whatever form it is in! As you can see this type of lead is getting more rare than wheel weights to find. Down the road you could swap some of this for other types of needed lead. A great find and the price is decent as well.Robert

+1 - Buy it and you can alloy with it , sell it and trade it.

For a 800fps load in the magnum you can use pure lead or a 1/20 mix.