bullet casting.

[tim56]

I usually use old wheel weights to cast my 303/308 44 and 45 bullets but iv found a bag of linotype at the back of my garage and have a pile of pure lead piping.
What percentage linotype to lead would be a good starting point for a 245 grn .429 cal bullet to use in a Marlin 1864. ?? I tried 50/50 but found them very brittle
and although they cast ok i only made a few and only shot 5 which weren't accurate. I only use 5.5 grns of GM3 powder so not hot loaded by any means. Was
thinking of starting at 10 per cent and scratch testing in comparison to shop bought. Whats your thoughts.?? Tim

[TALL]

pistol bullets - 10%,
rifle bullets - 20-25%,

[tim56]

Ta. Will start at 20. Can always add more.

[enfield2band]

Not knowing the tin content of any smelted lead was always a problem so Started of with a small amount of tin and worked it up until I got the results I wanted.

It was hit and miss and time consuming so I started doing a drop test.

I put a bullet of known hardness at the bottom of a tube and dropped a weight on it and then measured it with a micrometer. When I was casting I would do a few and do a drop test on a couple and did this until I had a similar hardness to the one I was using as the example.

[thibben]

Tim56

Think you will have to do as suggested - bit of suck it and see.

Does not take much Linotype to change the hardness so 10-20% would. Be a good starting point.

If you do a dig on the web you will find quite a lot of information. One thing to be aware of is some alloys change hardness over time (which can range from days to months) so testing a cast bullet might not indicate what it will be when you get round to using it.

Think you will find your old wheel weights had some arsenic in them which means you can heat treat bullets after casting should you so wish (caveat: from memory !)

Brgds Terry

[enfield2band]

Tim56

Think you will have to do as suggested - bit of suck it and see.

Does not take much Linotype to change the hardness so 10-20% would. Be a good starting point.

If you do a dig on the web you will find quite a lot of information. One thing to be aware of is some alloys change hardness over time (which can range from days to months) so testing a cast bullet might not indicate what it will be when you get round to using it.

Think you will find your old wheel weights had some arsenic in them which means you can heat treat bullets after casting should you so wish (caveat: from memory !)

Brgds Terry

Hi,
I have never heard of lead/tin alloy changing hardness. Copper age hardens as well as work hardens.

If you have any information about lead/tin alloy hardening it would be interesting to see it.

Wheel weights are made of zinc now. It shrinks unevenly when it cools and is not suitable for casting bullets.

Atb