bhn 15 q

[soldierbilly1]

I am making what I think is Lyman #2 and I am thinking the metal is a little soft. I can make a minor mark on it with my thumbnail. If so, is this a BHN of 15? My store bought Hunters Supply bullets will not mark at all! thanks for the advisement!

I am hoping the Easter Bunny will get me hardness tester soon!

billy boy

[RobS]

It's hard to say what you have there. Lyman #2 will dent with a thumbnail; as to a minor mark that is the subjective part as to one person's description vs another’s. I don't know about Hunter Supply's bullets but many retailers will use hard alloy to keep bullets from looking like they were thrown on the pavement when they arrive to you for your viewing pleasure.

A bhn tester will be a great present.

[williamwaco]

I have some Hunter Supply .375 bullets.
They are hard as a rock. Way harder than BNH 15.
They shoot very well.

[Bret4207]

It depends entirely on the make up of the alloy and the individuals thumbnail. Bhn is really a poor way of judging our alloys. If you made the alloy up according to directions and are sure of your components they you have #2 whether is dents with a finger nail or not.

[44man]

Easiest way to tell is to throw one one the floor. If it rings, it is steel and if it thuds, it is lead! [smilie=w:

[243winxb]

To soft, not BHN of 15.

[Bret4207]

To soft, not BHN of 15.

I don't know how you can possibly say that with out trying his sample against your own fingernail.

[243winxb]

I don't know how you can possibly say that with out trying his sample against your own fingernail.

I have a digital readout on my Electronic fingernail :kidding: Google "BHN of fingernails" [smilie=w:

[stubshaft]

I have a digital readout on my Electronic fingernail :kidding: Google "BHN of fingernails" [smilie=w:

Sounds like one of Waksupi's loob groove dealers.:kidding:

[462]

Sounds like one of Waksupi's loob groove dealers.:kidding:

Didn't know he had a dealer network. How does one go about applying to be a retailer?

[Cowboy T]

Those puns were so bad, they're actually good. Ugh....

OP: A BHN tester is your friend. Lee makes one that sells at Midway, Grafs, etc. for about $50. I use it any time I make up a batch of alloy. BTW, I've found BHN 15-16 to be just dandy for .357 Mag and, "very warm" .45 Long Colt.

[Lloyd Smale]

hard to control exact hardness when alloying. WWs vary in hardness especially if your like me and are to lazy to remove the stickons. Also if your using linotype to make your #2 it too can vary alot in hardness. Also hardness testers are an exacting instrument. I use mine more to get some kind of an idea what i have or to compare batches then i do to put an exact hardness on a batch of metal. that all been said most of my #2 runs between 14 and 16 bhn on my tester.

[Will]

I keep ingots of known material (IE pure, WW, #2 and Lino) then bang an unknown against them to determine its hardness. You can get pretty close by seeing which one dents the other.

[soldierbilly1]

Great suggestions all.
Instead of calibrating my thumbnail, looks like I will have to "invest" (Obama word here) in a hardness tester.
the 'nail test ain't cutting it!
thanks for the replies.
billy boy
BTW sounds like my fingernail squeeze is analog. I knew somthin was wrong.

[mroliver77]

Billy,
If you want to send a couple boolits in an envelope to me I would be happy to test them with my Lee setup. A PM will get you my address.
Jay

[Bret4207]

Great suggestions all.
Instead of calibrating my thumbnail, looks like I will have to "invest" (Obama word here) in a hardness tester.
the 'nail test ain't cutting it!
thanks for the replies.
billy boy
BTW sounds like my fingernail squeeze is analog. I knew somthin was wrong.

Just remember it takes 2-3 weeks for the alloy to reach it's more or less "final" hardness. That will screw up your readings if you forget it.

In the end, I strongly suggest you make up huge batches of alloy and learn to work with it instead of trying to make an alloy do what you think it should. Mr Gun and Mr Pressure are the final judges in this game. Mr. Bhn isn't even in the ball park.

[williamwaco]

I too like BNH 15 for plinking and target loads.
I find it very easy to mix alloys to the exact BNH I want.

I start with 60% scrap and 40% Linotype. Mix up about 2/3rds pot. After careful fluxing, I cast ten bullets. Weigh them and get the average weight. Add scrap to make it heaver and Linotype to make it lighter. Repeat until I get the exact bullet weight I want +/- a couple of tenths grain. Then I pour it up onto ingots. then repeat the process.

This will give me two piles of about 18 ingots each. I take 9 from each pile and remelt and recast them. Then repeat. This results in 36 ingots that are all exactly ( very nearly ) the same alloy. Bullets cast from any pot melted from these ingots will vary in weight less than the variance of bullets in a single pot.

Wait 24 hours and test BNH. I have never found it to be off more than 1 BNH from the expected hardness for my previously tested bullet weight. That is closer than I can measure with the Lee tester. I find that if I test 5 bullets from the same pot with one reading each at the tip and the base band, the 10 readings will vary over a range of about 1 BNH.