Casting bullets lead mixture

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

I have several 60# soft lead ingots. I was wondering what amount of linotype lead should I add to cast 45lc bullets. I was thinking about a 50/50 mix but not sure. I do not have a way to check the hardness of bullets. Thanks for any help.

 

[rcmodel]

50/50 is way too hard.

I'd try 4-1 and see if you get complete mold fill.

If not, go 3-1.
That will give you enough tin to just about match wheel-weights, but might be getting too hard for proper obturation at .45 Colt pressure..

You should be able to scratch a .45 Colt bullet with your thumb-nail.

rc

 

[Jim Watson]

Linotype is 84-12-4 lead-antimony-tin.
If you mix it with pure lead 50:50 you will come out 92-6-2 which is what most commercial "hard cast" bullets are made with.
You could probably use less linotype if you were going to load standard .45 Colt, 850 fps or less.

 

[USSR]

VINTAGE-SLOTCARS,

You describe it as "soft lead", which doesn't really give us an idea as to it's BHN hardness. Assuming it is pure lead, an alloy of 4/1 (pure/linotype) as rcmodel suggested, will give you a BHN of 11 which in my estimation is a good place to be. Hope that helps.

Don

 

[jmorris]

What I do is start soft and try and drop bullets the weight of the mold, adding harder alloy and stirring until I get there.

Pure lead will drop 240 gn from a 230 mold and silver solder will drop at 211 gn (and be quite hard).

I coat now so it's not as important to keep from leading but in general the lighter your bullets cast the harder they will be. IIRC pure lynotype was around 220 gn but don't quote me on that.

Could give you some reference and you can cast and weigh them from your mold(s) to know where you want to drop them. A little "certified" lead would help to give you a solid benchmark to match.

 

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

Thanks guys, I knew I could get great answers. I'm an old shooter but new to casting. Thanks!!!

 

[hollywood63]

Here

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

 

[30Cal]

I'd put the linotype aside, or trade some of it for wheel weights (clip on ones). Lino is hard to find and goes at a premium. And you certainly don't need it for 45LC.

I'd be using 50/50 wheel weights and soft lead, and add just a dab of tin to get the moulds to fill out.

 

[243winxb]

The alloy may be different when comparing Cowboy to Ruger loads in a 45LC. What will you be loading?Target loads or maxed out Ruger loads?

 

[Don McDowell]

Drop 1 lb of 50-50 solder into 9 lbs of your lead, that will be plenty hard for anything you can reasonably run out of a 45 colt.
Way back in the 70's Speer sold a swaged lead 250 gr swc bullet for the 45 colt, it's also the bullet they made the +P data for the #9 manual with. Shot a couple thousand of those things with the +P 2400, and 296 loads.
So I guess that was probably the long way around to barn to say that if your alloy fills the mould well, and drops out at a reasonable diameter, use it as is.

 

[dragon813gt]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

This is an invaluable tool if you're mixing your own alloys. It makes some assumptions so it's best it you know what you actually have to start w/.

 

[VINTAGE-SLOTCARS]

My cast loads will be target loads for my Ruger and S & W 25-5. I like 9 gr of unique for punching holes in paper. I only use Hornady jhp for "Ruger Only" loads to keep loads easy to identify. Again Thanks for all the knowledge you guys have given. My first cast bullets in a Keith design would flatten out slightly when sized with heavy leverage. This is how I figured out the 60# ingots were too soft alone.

 

[243winxb]

92-6-2* as said above. To soft and you get skidding or slump.