Author Topic: How to cast HARD bullets that retain hardness indefinitely? (Read 887 times)

Naphtali · « **on:** February 26, 2006, 10:02:55 AM »

I want to cast bullets in lots of 1000 with the following results.

1. Brinell hardness 17-22, all bullets being ±1.5 points of one another.

2. Bullets to remain at the hardness indefinitely -- that is, 24 months after casting, the bullets are ±1.5 points of the Brinell number they were 2 months after being cast.
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Please identify a casting alloy (elements and percentages by weight) a Brinell hardness between 17 and 22?

What -- exactly -- must I do after casting to stabilize the bullets, for uniform hardness as well as for hardness range, for storage of up to 2 years?

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** February 26, 2006, 12:38:52 PM »

Buy you some linotype. I've been using it for 20 years and it meets all those criteria.

Naphtali · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2006, 12:55:12 PM »

Bill:

Linotype -- does it shatter on impact with heavy bone or tree stumps?

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2006, 03:06:34 PM »

lynotype will not shatter at handgun velocites unless your shooting it into a steel plate. It holds up alot better then water dropped ww bullets do. My favorite alloy is 5050 ww lyno. it tests out at about 17 bhn and ive shot bullets through both shoulders of 1200 lb buffalo with it.

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** February 26, 2006, 06:11:13 PM »

As Lloyd said the only thing I've seen shatter or shear it is steel plate. I once had one of my bullets I picked up on the range that had hit almost exactly half on and half off a steel plate. It sheared that bullet just as neatly in half longitudially as you could if you cut it in a lab. The half I picked up looked like new other than the rifling on it. All lead bullets I've ever seen shatter on steel. If you shoot stell plates you'll notice that on the ground in front of them.

I've shot them into about every thing and even hit rocks with them in dirt banks and never seen one shatter other than when hitting steel.

Naphtali · « **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2006, 06:30:51 PM »

My error. I assumed you knew I was loading a .45-90 M1886. Velocities will be in the 1800-1900 ft/sec neighborhood -- if I can avoid shatter.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2006, 10:58:55 PM »

at that kind of speeds your going to want to use a good hard bullet. Id probably stil use lynotype as most failures ive seen with it are above 2000fps. What youll find with penetration is as soon as you deform the bullet nose in anyway penetration suffers and at those speeds your going to want a good quality lube like lbt blue and if your shooting black powder out of it thats all out the door as you then want to use pure lead with a good black powder lube.