Can it be possible to

victorj19

Cast bullets too hard?

I don't have a hardness tester. I cast quite a few 38s, 45s and 30 cal using about 2 ounces linotype per pound of cleaned up wheel weight lead. I can't score them with my thumb nail. Any negative eforts if I use them in reloads?

I'm going to have to save up for hardness tester. Do the one from Lee work reasonably well.

Thanks,

Jim

charliemeyer007

Short answer never to hard for paper, a little softer for hunting helps. Adding lino adds tin to make up for to much antimony in the wheel weights. I shot straigt bullets of each. Hard to find lino these days.

andrewsw16

They will always be softer than the steel rifling, so you aren't going to harm the barrel. That means target shooting will be okay. If you are going hunting, it depends on your target. Something big or dangerous might be better shot with a hard bullet to get the penetration you want. If it is something softer, then a softer bullet will allow for some more deformation in the animal.

perry shooter

When I first started casting Bullets I had a cheap supply of Linotype as well as Monotype Instead of trying to get the same MIX every time I used both of these metal alloys STRAIGHT . Never had any problems with straight Linotype in tens of thousands of bullets. How ever Monotype.
if dropped from the mold just as it turns solid will Actually break into parts or crack off small parts. So bottom line it will not hurt
to use straight Linotype, but Monotype might Fragment if it hit bone or hard object.

bpost

Your addition of the lino, with its tin content to the WW makes them very hard. You have a good bullet, ready to drive at warp speed without leading.

mrbruce

Ya gotta love those hard cast bullets, sure beats digging lead out of the barrel if it's to soft..

TaiChi

Is it possible to tin the barrel using straight 50/50 bar solder bullets? They come out the mold real pretty, all edges filled out and hard as a rock. We shot some 44 mags thru 4 phone books, recovered the bullets and loaded them again.

machine gun moran

When I was young, I bought .45 Auto bullets from a caster who cast them so hard that they would shatter just about like glass whenever they hit rocks. I would often find the part of the bullet behind the lube groove as just a disc that had fractured away. The bullets were always about .001 over, and only left a grey wash in the barrel.

Twowings2U

My buddy and I just rec'd a couple of Lee testers from Midway--only 53.00 ea.---special--usually 80.00
After looking at at several brands, we decided on Lee. It is exactly the same method that the Brinnell(sp?) test is done.

I was going to build my own but couldn't find a microscope of the right
power of magnification..
The Lee tester is a perfect combination of size of Indenter ball, pressure of spring load and the softest lead nearly fills the field of view of the scope---which can be easily read to the nearest .001",
and still gives a measurable indentation at a hardness of 35?

Jerry

victorj19

Thanks all. At least I don't have to melt all the bullets and play with the mix.

For lino I just keep watching Ebay for it at a reasonable price. Picked up 20 pounds for about $35 not long ago.

Picked up 15 lbs of virgin lead for $7.50 at an estate sale today.

When I get a tester, I'll be able to mix up some batches that aren't really really hard and save some of the lino while not have to worry about casting them too hard again.

Jim