I am getting ready to cast my first bullets this morning (up to now I've just casted my WW into ingots) From everything that I've read on here, cast lead bullets take some time to reach maximum hardness. That being the case, how long after casting before I can reload my new bullets? Also, if I water quench them does that take some time off of the waiting process?

Thanks

I've never water quenched bullets, never liked having water around the casting setup, but then I'm only loading for the revolvers.

As far as how long I like to wait til they've cooled off enough to handle. Actually by the time I tumble lube them with Lees liquid alox and let them sit overnight their ready to be stuffed into hulls, unless I'm putting on gas checks and that takes a little longer.

Perhaps some of the folks that do the rifle thing can help you out explaining longer wait times.

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that I am casting 158 GR SWC .38 bullets in a Lee 6 cavity mold and I'm using straight WW that I melted into ingots last week with nothiing additional added to the allloy. I plan to use them in a S&W revolver.

I'd shoot them after they cooled enough to handle and were lubed. At the velocities your going to be shooting them out of a 38 it doesn't matter about the hardness with WW.

Thanks. And just in time for my lead to melt and get started.

My ex local caster recommended a 3 week curing time for his bullets to fully harden but added that low pressure loads e.g. .38 Special, .44 Special, .45 ACP and Colt can be used after 7 days. He included a "cast date" tag in each box of bullets that he sold. Not having done the research on this subject, but knowing that cast bullets have a curing period, I just went along with his advice. Wasn't a problem since I always keep a two week supply of everything that I shoot anyway. Would just load the bullets and put them on the bottom of the stack.

Straight WWs make good bullets but I believe that a bit of tin (2-5%) added make excellent bullets as tin will cause the WW alloy to fill the mould better resulting in fewer rejects and more consistency in weight. Just my dos centavos.

I just got done casting about 300 bullets and ended up with about 40 or so rejects. I noticed that the lead wasn't properly filling out the mold so I added some plumbers tin (solder) and I think that did the trick. My initial rejects were probably because the mold wasn't hot enough. I'm gonna start adding tin like you said and hopfully that will lower the number of rejects.

it will definately help 1% is usually sufficient
if you are going to water quench. you will want to size them within aday or two
then let them sit at least a month. to fully harden.
also you will want to shoot these all at about the same time as they will start to lose their quench
and soften up. the opinions vary on what time frame these start to soften.
as will heat treated bullrts.

when i make bullets i make the alloy also to fit what i am going to use them for. i.e.

4%sn 6% sb 5/5 2/4 then they are what i make them as sometimes some of my bullets will sit
for 3-4 years before i use them.

Dam that means I've been doing it wrong all these years!!!! :) Heck if mine sit a day before they are loaded there lucky!!! I guess mine harden up as loaded ammo!!:rolleyes: Does it really make that much difference?

I have been wrong also. I have been known to cast, load, and shoot in the same day. Better check the backstop and see if the bullets are OK.

. . . Does it really make that much difference?
Only to a world class shooter trying to establish a new record.:D

Bigfoot,
You better wait a bit before shooting those new-cast bullets! Bet they are liquifying before they ever reach the target.:D

Just joshing. . .

i have cast loaded and shot in the same day also, with hand guns especially at 25 or 50 yds. eeh
if shooting rifles at 45000 psi you really notice a difference if things are not done correctly.
if you keep things under 1600 fps you can get away with a lot of things and not have too big
of a problem.
if you are going for 22-2300 fps things really change. everything matters.
and if you are going over 2400 fps everything matters a lot, techniques change, rejection rate goes up
and other things are applied. [paper patching among them]

Bullets cast from wheel weights and air cooled will age harden (BHN 9 increasing to 12) over a week of two, quenched will initially harden over a day (or two at most) and then begin age softening slowly over a few years. No real hurry to shoot them.
Tin content in excess of antimony content will lead to age softening 1-2 BHN the first week then more slowly of the next month.
The application of the info is in sizing - softer bullets are easier to bump up if desired but may deform more easily than harder bullets. Quenched bullets will work soften with sizing so I use a die a thou over to just lube 'em. When I drop a soft bullet I hope it lands on the rug and not the concrete floor.
We shoot 'em when we need 'em, sometimes it's a job just keeping up with my wife's demands.

LOL. Thanks.

Back when I was casting 405gr bullets for my 45-70 schuetzen rifle I used straight Linotype , dropped from the Lee mold I'd check them for complete fill out then pick them up with tongs & place them upright a small oval aluminum jello mold with about a 1/2 inch of Javelina Alox lube in it & pull them out to cool already lubed and ready to be sized & loaded.