50/50 mix

[Goatwhiskers]

Have read often of mixing WW and pure 50/50, usually to make the WW go further. Is this mix equally as useful for rifle bullets, regular and PP, or would it be best for low velocity loads like pistols? Reason for asking is I learned I can go by the recycler and get pure lead bricks, 25lb, for $1/lb. I have a fair supply of WW and about 50/60lb of stick-on, thought about adding to the supply. GW

[captaint]

Not being a higher velocity rifle shooter (I only shoot 38-55), it seems, based on what I've read, the rifle guys like their alloys harder. Like straight WW's OR WW's & Linotype mixed. Some guys shoot straight Lino boolits for higher velocity. It helps to add gaschecks, but we still have the issue of skidding, etc. Mike

[swheeler]

Goatwhiskers; you can air cool that alloy for an 8-9 bhn, if you need more water drop it from your mold and they will age to around 20BHN, about the same hardnest as linotype but not brittle.

[badgeredd]

If a guy water drops the 50/50 mix, he'll have a good boolit for rifles up to about 2400 fps. Put another way, the alloy will generally out shoot straight COWW up to about 40,000 psi peak pressure and makes a better alloy for hunting. As stated above the pure lead removes some of the brittleness of straight COWW. Actually I prefer a mix of 60/40...COWW/pure lead. Adding about 2% tin to the mix gets you a easilly poured and malleable alloy when it's water dropped.

Edd

[runfiverun]

i'd be all over those lead bricks for a buck a lb.

cutting the ww alloy with pure is how i generaly adjust my fit.
for rifles i add soft lead untill i get the nose scuffing i want in the rifling and the on target results will show the difference.
i then make up a batch to those numbers and cast a bunch for that mold.
it's time consuming to get started but in the long run i have a grundle of boolits
better suited to each rifle.

[Nose Dive]

50/50 is nifty... but i cheat up with some tin pellets. Makes me feel smart and boolits shiny.

I water drop ALL into ICY water for fun. I do not know for sure if the water temperature differntal really does one darn thing for Brinnels in 30 days..... But am gonna test to see.

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two

[Goatwhiskers]

Went to the scrap yard, can't buy the stuff from the front door, said I could buy pipe but I didn't even ask what the minimun buy would be, knew my Ranger couldn't hold it. My local junk guy can get it, reckon it's a back door deal. I'll wait till he brings me some more. Just can't get my babbit shims tested. GW

[DukeInFlorida]

I use 50-50 alloy for all my pistol bullets. It has nothing to do, per se, with making any lead last longer. The hardness with 50-50 alloy is what is needed to get slower speed pistol bullets to work properly.

When running rifle bullets, I go with straight wheel weights, either air cooled, or water dropped, depending on the speed and the gun.

Some rifle bullets even get made (by me) in pure lino, which is pretty darn hard.

I suggest that you look at the Glen Fryxell book on the subject:
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm