Linotype question

[bikerbeans]

Hi,

I picked up 25 pounds of "linotype" that has 12% antimony & 4% tin. Concentrations are from a "nuc" tester at the scrapyard so they are correct. Any idea what hardness I would get with a water dropped bullet using this alloy?

thanks

BB

[bikerbeans]

Nevermind! My first search I mis spelled linotype.

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/linotypealloy.htm

[fryboy]

it's slightly tin rich and fairly hard as it is leaving me to suggest that water dropping may or may not help , lino straight is a waste for most of our shooting ...keeping in mind that i have no idea what you plan to use it for ( well except for boolits of course ) it's perhaps best straight in lil 22's - anything else i'd add something softer to it , a good for instance is what is termed hardball alloy , again too hard for most our uses but 50-50 lino-pure lead makes hardball alloy, 3-4 parts of lead to one part lino is a pretty decent fake wheel weight approximation but ...it's your lead use it or waste it as you wish

[knifemaker]

Knowing what you are going to use it for would help alot. If you going to cast boolits for pistol shooting, I would combine that 25 pounds of lino with 75 pounds of pure lead for a good all around pistol alloy. It you are going to be using it for rifle boolits with a gas check, the 3 to 1 is still pretty good unless you plan to shoot very high velocity. If you are going to be shooting something else, you need to come back and advise us so that you can get better infromation as to alloy mix.

[bikerbeans]

High velocity gas checked plinking bullets for a 375 H&H & a 416 Rigby.

BB

[randyrat]

Mix it with 50% Wheel weigh alloy and water drop it to harden. You'll have an extremely good alloy and plenty sufficient for your purpose.

[detox]

High velocity gas checked plinking bullets for a 375 H&H & a 416 Rigby.

BB

Plinking with African big game rifles?

[btroj]

Why not? A 20 at 1850 is quite pleasant to shoot. Accurate too.

I don't plink with higher velocity loads. Yet

[bikerbeans]

Plinking with African big game rifles?

I don't consider it a proper rifle unless the bore is .430 or larger.:wink: Since I can't afford airfare, let alone the trophy & guide fees of an African safari my two CZ550s are dedicated to my amusement at the range.:D

BB

[Larry Gibson]

High velocity gas checked plinking bullets for a 375 H&H & a 416 Rigby.

BB

If you WQ it out of the mould you'll probably get a BHN in the 28 - 30+ range. That alloy will be a bit brittle. At a minimum I suggest you add 20 - 30% lead and then WC for a BHN in the 24 - 28 range. randyrat's advise is also good.

However, What I would do is add about 120% lead; that would leave the alloy with 4+% antimony and about 1.5% tin (this is off the top of my head but an alloy calculator would be best to use). I would then add 1.5 - 2% tin for a very good alloy with a AC BHN in the 15 - 17 range and WQ'd BHN in the 22 - 24 range. That is almost identical to the alloy I use for my top end loads in my 375 H&H (270 gr cast at 2300 fps) and 450-400-70 (400 gr cast at 2300 fps). Additionally using 120% +/- lead stretches that linotype out to make many more (more than twice as many) bullets.



Larry Gibson

[williamwaco]

High velocity gas checked plinking bullets for a 375 H&H & a 416 Rigby.

BB


YIKES! That doesn't sound like "plinking" to me.
That sounds like elephant loads.


.

[leadman]

Pure linotype does not gain harness in my experience. LASC article confirms this also. There is no arsenic. If you mix it with lead shot or clip on WW it will gain hardness when water quenched or heat treated.
The only boolits I cast out of Lino are in my Lyman 22 cal. mold.

[Defcon-One]

Lyman #2 will match most of the advice above pretty close. I love it in my rifles with gas checks.

25 lbs. Linotype
67 lbs. COWW Lead
7.6 lbs. 50/50 Solder

That will get you darn close to 100 pounds of 5% SN, 5% Sb, 90% PB. If you don't want that much Tin, which makes it cast better and makes the alloy less brittle, then skip the Solder.