How much linotype do I need?

[ChuckS1]

I'm a relative noob when it comes to casting, only having started about a year ago for my handguns. Last fall I bought a CZ 527 .223 with a 1:12 twist and have decided to try my hand at cast bullet loads. I have an RCBS 22-055-SP mold, gas checks and 20 lbs of linotype.

So the question is how much linotype do I need if I plan to keep velocity below 2500 fps? My first impression is that I don't need pure linotype (but it sure casts shiny boolits, no frosting), but then again I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with just water-dropped WW alloy either. Somewhere there's a happy medium and I'm hoping you guys who've "been there, done that" might pass on some advice and opinions on how much linotype is needed/recommended.

Thanks in advance.

[Calamity Jake]

Cut your lino 75% with WW(75%WW-25%Lino) that makes them about 15-16 BHN.
Apply gas checks and size leaving off the lube then oven heat treat @425° for 1 hour and ice water quinch then lube in the same sizer or pan lube.
This is what I do for my LAR15 in .223 with 1 in 12 twist

[w30wcf]

ChuckS1,
I have had very good accuracy at 2,600 f.p.s. with a 45 gr. g.c. bullet in the Hornet using nothing but air cooled. w.w. + 2% tin at about 12 b.h.n. The reason is the lower sectional density.

For your 55 gr. bullet, I would bet a 50/50 w.w./ lino mix would work just fine. No heat treating required. Straight lino would be aok, but is harder than needed.

w30wcf

[felix]

22 boolits do not need a lot of antimony, mostly because the twist is typically slow and the boolit diameter is small enough not to require much torque to spin. ... felix

[sagamore-one]

If I remember correctly... mix lino with pure lead 50/50 and you get Lyman # 2 alloy which is considered by many as the cats meow for cast rifle boolits.
The suggestion of 75 -25 ww - lino sounds about right to me.
More important is the lube... There are several good ones. I use Lyman # 2 alloy with 50/50 alox /beeswax lube for all my cast rifle loads, 22 hornet, 223 rem, 243 Win, 308, 30-06, 35 Rem, 35 Whelen, and 45-70. No leading problems yet.

[AZ-Stew]

I think Calamity Jake has just about the right recipe, except that he forgot to tell you to wait at least 48 hours after the heat treat procedure before lubing and loading. It takes about two days for the heat treated boolits to reach almost all their hardness. After three days they won't get much harder.

Regards,

Stew

[Echo]

I would guess that, if using a Lyman or Lach/RCBS lube/sizer, the boolits should be sized & lubed dang soon after heat treating... Haven't done it myself yet, but will one of these days...

[mikenbarb]

I use Lyman #2 alloy for all the boolits I shoot in both my rifles and pistols. Heres Lymans mixtures for making 10 pounds of thier #2 alloy which is approx 15 BHN.
9 pounds of WW's,
1 pound of 50/50 bar solder.
Or,
4 pounds lino type,
1 pound 50/50 bar solder,
5 pounds pure lead.
The content of Lyman #2 alloy is 90% lead, 5% tin and 5% antimony.