Straight Linotype too hard for CAS??

[Dalton Masterson]

Howdy gents. I finally broke into my Linotype stash, and melted down some ingots, casting just a few bullets along the way. They are extremely hard, but they look very nice.
Will they be too hard for CAS use? Or should I mix in some pipe lead?
I have been using straight wheel weights for my cartridges for the last year or two, and pipe/soft lead for my roundballs. I just figured I would start using up my Linotype, and didnt reallize it would be quite that hard.
Thanks. DM

[Singing Bear]

To err on the safe side, mix it in with some of that soft lead or even some wheel weights.  Save that soft stuff for your round balls.  I sometimes go 1:10 lino to wheel weights, but I mostly save the lino to cast bullets for my "magnum" loads.  Less leading at H110 velocities.   

You can also ask your club's match director.  Seems individual clubs have their own rules about certain things.  Our club allows any lead bullet so long as it's loaded to CAS velocities.  YMMV at your club.   

[Adirondack Jack]

For CAS, WW is just about right.  Lino will need to be pushed pretty hard to get it to obdurate properly.  About half lino and half scrap drain pipe (pure lead) would be perfect, IMHO.

[Dalton Masterson]

Thanks guys. I was just melting it into ingots and cast a few bullets while they were cooling, and dang they were hard and sharp. Couldnt even get my fingernail into them. I will mix them. Thanks again. DM

[clehfeldt]

Linotype works fine provided the bullet is 1 to 2 thousands over grove diameter, it is just a waste of good linotype is all. Wheel weight is all you need.
Carlos El Hombre

[Noz]

Linotype is so hard that if you are not planning on pushing bullets up into the 2000fps range it's a waste.  I had almost 100lbs of it that I gladly traded for pipe lead.

[Dalton Masterson]

Well, I probably have close to 200 lbs of it. A friend needed fishing weights, so he traded me all the Lino for weights when he needed them.
I wont be getting rid of it, but will just keep melting my stash of wheelweights. Thanks. DM

[w44wcf]

Dalton,
Since w.w. have about 2 to 2 1/2% antimony, and lino, 11 - 12%,  a mix of 4 1/2 lbs of lead and 1 lb. of lino would come very close to w.w. with the added bonus of close to 1% tin for better castability.

Have fun!
w44wcf

[Charlie Bowdre]

w44
sent u a PM.
Dutchy

[Wills Point Pete]

 When a soft lead bullet hits the steel target it flattens out. Assuming that the target is angled properly the bullet then hits the ground at the base of the target and goes nowhere.
A very hard bullet hits the target and shatters. The larger parts can fly anywhere. I have never been hit by a soft lead bullet fragment, I have been hit by many hard cast bullet fragments.
I make a habit of asking to see the bullets of Pards that hit me with frags. The ones that fragment, I can never scratch them with a thumbnail.

[Dalton Masterson]

I agree with ya there Wills Point Pete! I really like my dead soft round balls, as I can usually go out and pick them up afterwards. Great big blobs of lead justa layin there. DM

[Delmonico]

The only thing I use lino for is 22 cal bullets, nothing else fills the mould worth a darn.  Understand if you can get them close to 3000 fps the explode as good as any store bought bullet.