Question on water quenching

[sharktown]

I'm sure that this question has been asked in the past but I'm just looking for input here.
What brinell hardness can I expect using straight weelweights and water quenching? I have been doing this for years but have never had my bullets checked for hardness.
Is it a good idea to size right after the water quenching or 1 - 2 hours later or does it matter at all? The bullets seem to get harder over time (6 months to a year) but that's only my observation.

Thanks -
Sharktown

[44man]

I'm sure that this question has been asked in the past but I'm just looking for input here.
What brinell hardness can I expect using straight weelweights and water quenching? I have been doing this for years but have never had my bullets checked for hardness.
Is it a good idea to size right after the water quenching or 1 - 2 hours later or does it matter at all? The bullets seem to get harder over time (6 months to a year) but that's only my observation.

Thanks -
Sharktown
That can not be answered because of the difference in WW's across the country. Mine will harden to 22 BHN but I have boolits that were sent to me that will refuse to harden.

[NuJudge]

It also depends on what temperature they were quenched from.

[sqlbullet]

It also depends on what temperature they were quenched from.

There is some debate on this. I have observed this phenomenon in my testing, but others have not. I do not know what accounts for the differences.

[mpmarty]

I don't water drop WW and neither do I size them. Squirt, shake, rattle and roll.
My local WW metal seems to harden up nicely when air cooled. Takes a while but that's OK.

[sharktown]

Thanks for the replies - I wanted to learn something from the casters who have more experience on this issue than I do.

Sharktown

[44man]

As far as sizing, I size almost nothing so it does not seem to matter when I lube and run the boolit through the sizer.
I would say if you have to size more metal, do it sooner rather then later. The skin doesn't seem to matter much but if you disrupt metal past the depth of the rifling you will soften too deep.

[USSR]

Just checked mine that were done years ago - 18BHN, FWIW.

Don