Recommendations for alloying lino and ww

[Patrick L]

So as I posted, I scored some nice linotype. I don't want to waste it, I shudder to think that people cast straight linotype bullets!

My usual alloy that serves all of my needs (pb pistol up to 1200-1300 fps, gc rifle up to about 1600 fps) is simply wheel weights plus about 2% tin. That's it. It does everything I want to do, shoots well, and doesn't lead.

What would be a good ratio of linotype to WWM to accomplish the same thing and achieve similar performance?

[JimB..]

Clip on wheel weights are not consistent, but safe to assume .5% tin and 7%-8% antinomy.

Adding lino to cowws will drive up the antimony.

I’d suggest selling or trading the lino for tin, or just hoard it until you need to harden up some sowws or pure lead.

[dtknowles]

I am not surprised you WW +2% tin is working well for you. That is a wonderful alloy when you don't need pure Linotype. I don't think alloying WW with Lino is a good plan. You would need to go 50/50 COWW/Lino to get to 2% tin and you would have way too much antimony. Better to go 50/50 pure/lino, that would be more like your COWW with 2% tin.

[kevin c]

Clip on wheel weights are not consistent, but safe to assume .5% tin and 7%-8% antimony...

I thought 3% was more typical?

[Sasquatch-1]

If it shoots good why mess with it? I have Lino on hand and never use it. I do use pewter on occasions to help with fill out. I would stay with the wheel weights and I would only add Pewter (tin) when the bullets don't fill out nice and crisp.

[Patrick L]

How about lino/ stick ons? I thought they were more like pure?

I'd hate to NOT use this magnificent gift. Then some poor slop will be posting the same question here after I die and he ends up with it:violin:

[JimB..]

I thought 3% was more typical?

Depends on the age of the wheel weights I suppose. I had some ingots tested earlier this year and I think they had 6%, so I assumed they were normal, but who knows. I’m also 1,000 miles from my notes right now, so could just be a memory problem.

[FISH4BUGS]

I have used 5 lbs ww to 1 lb linotype forever with Magma lube for all my handgun (and subgun) bullets. I have never leaded a barrel in almost 40+ years of casting/reloading.
Works for me.
That's all I need.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

It's a luxury to have both ww and lino. But you need pure and some pewter too. I batched quite a bit of Lyman #2 for rifle boolits with pure, pewter and lino type. Use one of the alloy spread sheets and shoot for 2% tin and 2% antimony. Your valuable stuff will go far then.

[kevin c]

Stick on wheel weights are considered close to pure. 3# SOWW mixed with 1# Lino (84% Pb, 12% Sb and 4% Sn) should give you an alloy around 3% Sb (same as COWW?) and 1% Sn, slightly less Sn than your preferred mix, and minus the bit of arsenic in COWW that's useful for heat treating. Might work quite well as is, or you could add more tin for fill out as needed.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

For Lyman #2
0.5 Pewter
5 Lino
7 Pure

For 2.5/2.5/95
0.25 Pewter
2 Lino
8 Pure

[Larry Gibson]

I would not mix lino and COWWs. It "sweetens neither. It only exacerbates the antimony to lead ratio both have. The COWW + 2% Tin alloy you are using will suffice extremely well for 90% of cast bullet shooting.

With the lino I suggest to use it to make #2 alloy as mentioned. That is about the best alloy, even better than straight lino in my limited experience......

[Patrick L]

Well thanks for the replies. Problem is, I don't have much in the way of pure lead, and wasn't planning on buying any.

I guess maybe I'll try some straight lino rifle bullets some day. Might be good for the . 223.

[Markopolo]

or you could swap some a member here for some of it. soft lead for Lino to make great alloy... they you will get a better use out of your alloy.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

There is lots of pure lead out there. You just have to poke around. Scrap yards, wtb add on craigslist etc.

[Sasquatch-1]

I guess maybe I'll try some straight lino rifle bullets some day. Might be good for the . 223.

The club I belong to has a cast bullet registered shoot for rifles on a monthly basis. A couple of the shooters cast straight Linotype with great success.

[John Boy]

Scroll down , several Linotype alloy recipes ... http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[Roger Kehr]

John Boy,

thanks for the link

[ShooterAZ]

Mixing Lino and COWW's is OK to do, I do it all the time. I mix 25% Lino with 75 % WW's for an air cooled BHN of around 15. Water dropping it will get you up around BHN 22. This has been my "go to" target rifle alloy for many years. Hunting alloy is a different matter though.

[fredj338]

Yeah tin isnt adding to the hardness of the bullet much. I personally dont add tin unless the alloy is casting finicky. I use mostly range scrap & 4-1 ratio with lino gives a very good alloy, about like ww with 1% tin added. As noted you can water drop for harder bullets.
Back in the day I usefd to get lino for 25c/# from a local print shop. I cast all my bullets out of lino then. I wish I would have bought a pallet & sat on it. I still have maybe 100# of it, but i get by just fine with range scrap 2-1 with clip ww for most handgun needs.

[Rapier]

If you want a very good alloy with WW and Lino, you could try Carlton Shy’s alloy, the Cast Bullet Editor for The Silhouette and the IHMSA News, a 50 year caster and author of over 200 magazine articles and several books on casting, before he passed.
70% cleaned clip on WW, 20% Linotype and 10% Chilled Lead Shot, fluxed well in a large alloy pot. Poured into ingots or muffin tins for a pour pot makes very consistent bullet weights and fills out very well. If water dropped is very hard at 23br and if powder coated will do 2,600 to 2,800 fps without any gas check and will shoot .3 inches at 100 out of AR with no fouling or leading. It holds to micro grove rifling in a Marlin, like a railroad track, my 444 with a scope, shoots 1” at 200 meters.with a 210g Lyman, in front of witnesses, and has won many lever action cowboy matches to boot.

[farmbif]

if you go through the Lyman load manuals and the Lyman cast bullet manual there are certain loads that are for bullets cast of Linotype. might use your Lino for some of those loads.

[Buck Shot]

I keep hearing a few folks refer to the "antimony to lead" problem. Can someone tell me what that is? I thought antimony was desirable for hardening the alloy.

[zymguy]

Mixing Lino and COWW's is OK to do, I do it all the time. I mix 25% Lino with 75 % WW's for an air cooled BHN of around 15. Water dropping it will get you up around BHN 22. This has been my "go to" target rifle alloy for many years. Hunting alloy is a different matter though.

whats the hunting alloy?

[samari46]

All I ever used was wheel weights with 2% tin. Never leaded a barrel and does shoot very accurately in my Moisins. Bought some hardball alloy from a place in New Jersey many years ago. Between that and some tin I picked up and about a pound of antimony I'm good. But truth be told the wheel weights with 2% tin has served me well. When I used to mine the pistol berms, many shooters shot the hard cast 45acp 230 grain round nosed bullet. When separating the bullets I mined, would always save the 45 RN's and melted them separately into ingots. Still have a couple 5 gallon buckets left from the berms. Frank