WDWW versus alloyed hardness

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Is there any difference between a boolit WD to 22BHN or one alloyed with monotype to 22BHN?

[shooter93]

Brinell would be the same hardness but it doesn't take into account, elasticity, toughness etc.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

That is what I was wondering about. Same hardness but are they really the same.

[shooter93]

Not really Charlie...high antimony content like monotype tends to make a very brittle bullet.

[243winxb]

From Lyman
While antimony is used to harden the bullet, the mixture of tin is critical, for while antimony mixes with lead in its molten state, it will not remain mixed when it solidifies. If tin were not added, we would have pure antimony crystals surrounded by pure lead. A bullet of this type , while it feels hard , would certainly lead the bore and eliminate all potential for accuracy.. In a lead-tin-antimony mixture, the antimony crystals will be present just the same, but they will be imbedded in a lead-tin mixutre. As the bullet cools the tin will form around the antimony-lead keeping your bullets from leading the bore.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

This-{ Another thing to keep in mind...linotype alloy at 22 BHN and Lyman #2 heat treated to 22 BHN will have vastly different terminal performance. Which one is best depends on the individual situation. } was taken from KYCasters post in another section. I guess I don't know what terminal performance means. It must make a difference--- but what?

[shooter93]

Think of it in a hunting situation, 2 bullets of the same hardness but one being a great deal more brittle. The brittle bullet may shatter or come apart when striking a bone and fail to penetrate where as the more ductile bullet may mushroom perfectly and pentrate causing a better wound channel.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Thanks. That's an example that I can get through this thick head.

[Bret4207]

No, and 2 different samples of "WW alloy" may differ too. That's the one issue we'll probably never get around, knowing our alloys exact contents. Does it matter? Not if we observe what the guns say they need and work within what the alloy will do. If our noobs would get that message we'd see a lot less "I think I need HARDER alloy" posts. Make up a big batch of whatchagot alloy and learn to make it work.

[44man]

Take a boolit made from 50-50 WW's and pure and oven harden them. They can come out between 18 and 22 BHN and feel and measure hard. These are still ductile and very destructive for hunting. They also do not shoot as good and really need a gas check however they will not lead a good barrel even if PB.
WD WW's are very tough, take the rifling well and shoot good but they are still WW's.
For just shooting groups I will add a tiny amount of antimony and tin so WD will come out about 25 BHN. I just come up with a tougher WW.
Making just a hard alloy is never as good as just dumping WW's into water.
Hard and BHN are just relative terms and one BHN can cover a few thousand alloys, some good and some that are not worth the bother or expense.
I say I like hard but that is confusing too, I just want a tough enough boolit to resist sizing when seated and can take the rifling without skidding and that is as far as anyone has to go.
Some like AC WW's but you are back to needing a gas check and they don't shoot as good for me.
Some add tin to WW's but after years of testing I can't find a single advantage for spending the money.

[Bret4207]

44, nice to see you qualifying your terminology, thanks.