How much lino to use

[Ledhead]

I have about 35 lbs of various range scrap lead (predominately jacketed stuff) that I've already made into ingots. The RS lead seems to soft for my full power 44 so I need to harden them up a bit. I can deeply gouge the boolits with my thumbnail when they are air cooled and make a bur that I can feel with my nail when water dropped.

I have approximately 17 lbs of lino that I can use to bring up the BHN but would like to know about how much lino will I need to add to get in the #2 alloy range. A bit softer then #2 will work as well as my normal alloy is a 50/50 mix of #2 and COWW. TIA

[RogerDat]

You want to download Bumpo's lead alloy calculator http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

It is an Excel sheet that is set up to calculate alloy percentages and apply formula that yields BHN. If you don't have MS Excel then get the free Open Office Calc program the calculator works fine with that.

[RogerDat]

roughly speaking to get to Lyman #2 from linotype which is 4/12 you would need to bring the tin up with pewter to get to 12/12 then cut with lead by a little more than 50/50 to get the tin and antimony down to 5/5.

Easier approach is go for Hardball. That is Linotype cut 50/50 with plain lead. Your range lead is probably a bit harder than plain soft lead but doesn't sound like by a whole lot. Hardball is 2/6 and has a BHN of 16 while Lyman #2 has BHN of 15 but cast sweet with all that expensive tin.

Hardball alloy was developed for commercial casting to provide the hardness of Lyman #2 alloy at a lower cost. Using more antimony and less tin reduced the cost and the 2% tin was still plenty to provide a good flowing alloy. Half lino and half plain lead is Hardball and that should handle 44 mag bullets very well. You might try something like 40% lino to 60% range lead and see if it works out to save on the expensive linotype. Or if that lino availability or cost isn't an issue just go 50/50 and cast away. Think that would handle 44 mag up through rifle loads.

[fredj338]

Range scrap runs about 9-10bhn for me. I would cut it 4-1 with lino. If you want it harder, water drop them. I can run anything to 1300-1400 with that.

[marek313]

Everyones range scrap is different but usually runs around 9-10bhn like Fred said. 4-1 or even 5-1 would work. I usually mix everything to about 12bhn and when I cast for magnum or rifle bullets I just add maybe another 1lb right to my pot since I have some lino type left. I do water quench those and you have to let them sit for at least a week to harden before you can compare and load those. Plus if you powder coat you dont need it as hard neither. Dont make them too hard though or you'll lose accuracy. I tried straight lino in 357 mag and it wasnt accurate but I already read that before so it was just for my own confirmation.

[lightman]

Range scrap runs about 9-10bhn for me. I would cut it 4-1 with lino. If you want it harder, water drop them. I can run anything to 1300-1400 with that.

This is a pretty good place to start at. You might even be ok with less linotype. Lino is getting harder and harder to find. I would stretch it as far as possible.

[RogerDat]

Despite having provided the recipe for Hardball because it was consistent with the stated wish to "get in the Lyman #2 range" I would tend to agree with the other posters suggestion of trying 1 part linotype to 4 parts range lead. This would be roughly in the neighborhood of WW lead plus some tin. People have been sending 30-06 downrange with that WW + tin alloy for decades so should have a good chance of handling your 44 mag rounds.

I know a lot of folks swear by water dropping but I have gone with using alloy to control hardness, I think it is more consistent and repeatable, at least for myself. However water quenching can achieve hardness higher than would be easy with alloys alone. I just switch to powder coating Lyman #2 or Hardball for my own higher velocity needs. I did think I read where some arsenic such as WW's have is essential to the quench hardening. Is that true or does range lead water drop and harden by a large amount. Does it have arsenic already or is that not needed?

[JM7.7x58]

Ledhead,

I use these three tools to determine mixing ratios.

1. Staedtler Mars Lumograph Artist Pencils
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?75455-Testing-hardness-with-pencils

2. Bumpo628’s Lead Alloy Calculator
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

3. The alloy recipes on this page.
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm


In my area I have found a lot of old fishing lead at good prices. I had no way to test it. I bought some artist pencils for scratch testing. The fishing weight lead needed to be hardened up with Linotype for rifle and .357 mag loads, and it needed pewter/tin for better fill out when casting for .38 special.

I find the approximate hardness of my lead and Lino with the pencils. Find alloys in the calculator that match. Change the weights around in the calculator until I match the recipe I want to make.
It has been working for me.

JM

[bmortell]

in my 44 mag revolvers 3.5% antimony air cooled seems perfect up to full power, accurate, expands and recovered bullets look good, so id vote 3-1 range-lino. since diluting the lino's tin id probably divide the total weight by 100 and add that much tin to get around 2% total. my 44 rifle likes harder than normal but you could water drop if you need that

[marek313]

If I remember correctly you can water drop even without arsenic and get it to harden but it would take longer. Arsenic speeds that up but is not necessary. Since I water drop and I know I dont have a lot of arsenic in my mix I let my bullets sit for at least a week to allow them to harden and expend. They might gain some size too while resting but it shouldnt be much.

[RogerDat]

If I remember correctly you can water drop even without arsenic and get it to harden but it would take longer. Arsenic speeds that up but is not necessary. Since I water drop and I know I dont have a lot of arsenic in my mix I let my bullets sit for at least a week to allow them to harden and expend. They might gain some size too while resting but it shouldnt be much.Good to know. One thing I would think water dropping might have going for it would be if it creates a harder bullet without becoming as brittle. One can get pretty hard with antimony but can end up with bullets that shatter and lose all mass on hitting a bone in a game animal. Or become dust hitting steel targets. In extreme cases won't hold together from bullet spin imparted by rifling. Or at least so members report. May get a chance to test that in a 300 Wby Mag soon.

Hard lead hollow points don't expand either.