Well that escalated quickly.

Chainsaw. · January 23, 2017, 11:56 PM

Got a new lee 125 grain truncated cone mold, fired up the pot and got to work. Dropped in a 5 pounder of lead that I THOUGHT was ~10bhn, I figured it might be a good time to try a little linotype to firm em up a hair. So I knock off about a pound with the splitting wedge and drop it in the pot. Get to casting, all going well, water quench, cool, there about a hunnerd, good test foder. Chuck a couple in the PC jar and then in the oven, Im impatient. Take one over to the hardness tester......24!!!??? What in the......how the.....wow...well.

??

FrankenMauser · January 24, 2017, 03:49 AM

Been there.
Done that.
Last time I fired up the pot (multiple posts about that debacle here, last year), I ended up with a bunch of BHN ~20 bullets that were supposed to have been roughly COWW (BHN ~12).

And, about 9 years ago, I cast over FIVE HUNDRED bore-rider bullets for my .444 Marlin single-shot, from a single-cavity brass mold (heavy!), only to discover that I had used pure Linotype instead of the intended (softer) alloy.

Mike / Tx · January 24, 2017, 01:45 PM

Yeah it happens every once in a while. When I do that I usually just set the whole batch aside and add it to other alloy as needed. Always pays to go slow and do a little check on things when working up a new batch.

MarkCO · January 24, 2017, 01:56 PM

While I am not a bullet caster, I do work on materials a lot.

Lead hardness has to do with grain size in some degree. There are several things which can affect grain size...cooling rate and impurities being two of the more common ones. Smaller grains is going to result in a harder bullet.

Take an Oregon Trail bullet, test it, clean it, melt it and recast it.

Chainsaw. · January 24, 2017, 05:25 PM

I am wondering how much the water quenching added to the hardness.

Chainsaw. · January 24, 2017, 09:59 PM

4.6#s of pure fixed that mess right up. Now at 12.5 bhn.

January 23, 2017, 11:56 PM	#1
Chainsaw. Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2015 Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain. Posts: 1,774	Well that escalated quickly. Got a new lee 125 grain truncated cone mold, fired up the pot and got to work. Dropped in a 5 pounder of lead that I THOUGHT was ~10bhn, I figured it might be a good time to try a little linotype to firm em up a hair. So I knock off about a pound with the splitting wedge and drop it in the pot. Get to casting, all going well, water quench, cool, there about a hunnerd, good test foder. Chuck a couple in the PC jar and then in the oven, Im impatient. Take one over to the hardness tester......24!!!??? What in the......how the.....wow...well. ?? __________________ Just shoot the damn thing.

January 24, 2017, 03:49 AM	#2
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Been there. Done that. Last time I fired up the pot (multiple posts about that debacle here, last year), I ended up with a bunch of BHN ~20 bullets that were supposed to have been roughly COWW (BHN ~12). And, about 9 years ago, I cast over FIVE HUNDRED bore-rider bullets for my .444 Marlin single-shot, from a single-cavity brass mold (heavy!), only to discover that I had used pure Linotype instead of the intended (softer) alloy. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

January 24, 2017, 01:45 PM	#3
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	Yeah it happens every once in a while. When I do that I usually just set the whole batch aside and add it to other alloy as needed. Always pays to go slow and do a little check on things when working up a new batch. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 24, 2017, 01:56 PM	#4
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	While I am not a bullet caster, I do work on materials a lot. Lead hardness has to do with grain size in some degree. There are several things which can affect grain size...cooling rate and impurities being two of the more common ones. Smaller grains is going to result in a harder bullet. Take an Oregon Trail bullet, test it, clean it, melt it and recast it. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

January 24, 2017, 05:25 PM	#5
Chainsaw. Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2015 Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain. Posts: 1,774	I am wondering how much the water quenching added to the hardness. __________________ Just shoot the damn thing.

January 24, 2017, 09:59 PM	#6
Chainsaw. Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2015 Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain. Posts: 1,774	4.6#s of pure fixed that mess right up. Now at 12.5 bhn. __________________ Just shoot the damn thing.