I have some bullets that I want to heat treat. What do you use for lube to do the size job before the heat treatment. The bullets were cast out of wheel weight and shot lead. I used 5 pounds of ww and 1 pound of shot. I also used about 1% added tin from lead free solder. I have also thought about casting some heavy .308 soft nose bullets for hunting. A pure lead nose with a ww shot tin body that is heat treated. Thanks Kurt

I have some bullets that I want to heat treat. What do you use for lube to do the size job before the heat treatment. The bullets were cast out of wheel weight and shot lead. I used 5 pounds of ww and 1 pound of shot. I also used about 1% added tin from lead free solder. I have also thought about casting some heavy .308 soft nose bullets for hunting. A pure lead nose with a ww shot tin body that is heat treated. Thanks Kurt

Kurt: Run them through your sizer at the diameter you want them at without any lube (back off the lube pressure screw).
I attach my gas checks at this time. Do your heat treating and then lube them using a sizer die a thou or two larger than the one you initally used so you do remove any surface from the bullet. Allow them to rest for a few days before using them as the hardening increases after a day or two. Eventually they will soften a bit but they are still considerably harder than they were as cast.

If you use pure lead for the noses you can follow the same process as pure lead will not harden noticeably although slightly impure will harden a very small amount. Not enough to affect your intentions.

Hi 244HandH -

I'll add to BCstocker's reply only to note that it's the ARSENIC in ww's that allow heat-treat hardening to work.

That's important because TIN & SHOT are both MUCH more expensive than ww, and are a waste of time & money for you to add to your melt.

Matter of fact, adding the shot makes it a softer alloy PLUS being more expensive & ww's already have enough tin in them for good castability. Tin's other purpose is to harden PURE lead a little, so heat-treating makes that a waste.

regards,

I have some bullets that I want to heat treat. What do you use for lube to do the size job before the heat treatment. The bullets were cast out of wheel weight and shot lead. I used 5 pounds of ww and 1 pound of shot. I also used about 1% added tin from lead free solder. I have also thought about casting some heavy .308 soft nose bullets for hunting. A pure lead nose with a ww shot tin body that is heat treated. Thanks Kurt

You didn't have to do any of the above; wheelweights are just fine. The lead/tin/antimony/arsenic content of wheelweights is sufficiently effective for just about any hardness you might want. Adding a tiny bit more of tin may improve castability if you're having bullet quality problems.

Using your oven and a temperil indicating crayon, a half hour soak prior to quenching at the below temperatures should give the following approximate hardnesses with WW:

410 12 bhn
420 15 bhn
430 17 bhn
440 23 bhn
450 29 bhn

For best results, hardness has to match the operating pressure of your load.

When you are done with the hardening process store them in the freezer as that will slow down the age softening process.

God Bless: Leon