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| I really don't think there would be any advantage to it. I'd at least wait until the bullets reached ambient or room air temperature. |
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| That depends. If you water quench your bullets, then you must size them as soon as possible because as each day goes by they get harder until they reach their final hardness. So it's easier right away. Even air cooled bullet that have the proper alloys in them to harden them are best sized soon. You should size freshly cast bullets when they have fully cooled or the lube will melt on the, or they will cause the lube to leak from the sizer die if you're using a luber/sizer such as the Lyman or RCBS. |
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| That sounds reasonable, thank you.
Also, when water quenching, is it plain old water, or is it mixed--something like moose-milk?
............... Adam |
| | | Posts: 31 | Location: Ontario, Canada | Registered: 25 July 2007 | 
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| quote: Originally posted by ABrightling:
That sounds reasonable, thank you.
Also, when water quenching, is it plain old water, or is it mixed--something like moose-milk?
............... Adam
Well believe it or not some get crazy on the water. For example if it's winter and there's snow, they use snow. I just use cold tap water. |
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| Does rate of cooling have any effect on how soon the lead starts to frost over or is it all about storage?
I know some of the fishing jigs I've made before oxidized pretty quickly, but I thought that was because of storing them in a tackle-box instead of in large ziploc bags.
Does oxidation change the accuracy any? I am sure the paper target doesn't mind, but is there anything actually happening to the surface of the lead/alloy that would make it behave differently on the way down-range? |
| | | Posts: 31 | Location: Ontario, Canada | Registered: 25 July 2007 |
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| No it doesn't that I know of. You could spray them with WD40 before storage or maybe keep them in sealed containers. I don't think it hurts accuracy any, but I personally wouldn't want to run them through my barrel not knowing what abrasive effect the oxidization may have. |
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| I don't think it makes any difference with air cooled bullets although they will age harden some.
With bullets dropped from the mold, then size them the same day. They will get hard enough that you could break a sizer if it's one of the older models.
Personally, if I want the hardness of a water quenched bullet, I cast and let them air cool, then size to the diameter I want WITHOUT lubing. Then, I use a toaster oven that I "calibrated" to cook the bullets for one hour then quickly water quench them. Then, I can lube them at my leisure using a sizing die .001" larger than what I sized the bullets to.
I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit more work, but I feel I get better results doing it that way including a more even hardness.
Paul B. |
| | | Posts: 2814 | Location: Tucson AZ USA | Registered: 11 May 2001 |
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| quote: Originally posted by Paul B:
I don't think it makes any difference with air cooled bullets although they will age harden some.
With bullets dropped from the mold, then size them the same day. They will get hard enough that you could break a sizer if it's one of the older models.
Personally, if I want the hardness of a water quenched bullet, I cast and let them air cool, then size to the diameter I want WITHOUT lubing. Then, I use a toaster oven that I "calibrated" to cook the bullets for one hour then quickly water quench them. Then, I can lube them at my leisure using a sizing die .001" larger than what I sized the bullets to.
I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit more work, but I feel I get better results doing it that way including a more even hardness.
Paul B.
Too me the oven treatment is a PIA. If you use a luber/sizer then you have to do them twice. Water quenched is just as efficient especially if your run your pot and mould hotter. |
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| Star, while I will agree that oven treating is a PIA, I also feel I get much more consistant results, especially regarding accuracy. When I can get a 30 caliber bullet to consistantly group in 1.5 MOA at 200 yards and 2.5 MOA at 300 yards, I figure I must be doing something right.
For one thing, I'm usually doing a run of 500 or more bullets at a time. By the time I get those done, I use a single cavity for consistancy, I'm to wore out to do a run of lubing and sizing so I do the sizing another day and maybe the heat treat the next and the lube another day. I may only do 100 of the bullets so I can load up for the next range session. It works for me because I have nothing but free time. One of the better pleasures of retirement.
Paul B. |
| | | Posts: 2814 | Location: Tucson AZ USA | Registered: 11 May 2001 |
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| quote: Originally posted by Paul B:
Star, while I will agree that oven treating is a PIA, I also feel I get much more consistant results, especially regarding accuracy. When I can get a 30 caliber bullet to consistantly group in 1.5 MOA at 200 yards and 2.5 MOA at 300 yards, I figure I must be doing something right.
For one thing, I'm usually doing a run of 500 or more bullets at a time. By the time I get those done, I use a single cavity for consistancy, I'm to wore out to do a run of lubing and sizing so I do the sizing another day and maybe the heat treat the next and the lube another day. I may only do 100 of the bullets so I can load up for the next range session. It works for me because I have nothing but free time. One of the better pleasures of retirement.
Paul B.
Paul, I can do the same with water quenched so I have to disagree with you that one is better then the other. |
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| Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Paul B. |
| | | Posts: 2814 | Location: Tucson AZ USA | Registered: 11 May 2001 |
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| quote: Originally posted by Paul B:
Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Paul B.
I think not, what do you think I shot my small groups with? Water quenched, that's what.  |
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| starmetal,
have you ever read about what top shooters in the various competitions do? A friend named Mike Venturino casts all of his bullets over the winter and shoots them from box to box. Most of the people I have talked to at Quigley just cast when they start to run low. Ditto for a large percentage of the top shooters in BPCRS. Ditto for the top guys I used to shoot Schuetzen matches with. Double cavity moulds and everything. Do you compete at all? Just curious.
Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost... |
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