Questions of timing...

[Giggidy]

As I await the delivery of my LAM II at some point when my backorder is fulfilled, and think about the joys of turning the 30 pounds of range scrap I picked up yesterday into shootable rounds, I'm curious how you all approach casting, sizing/lubing, loading, and shooting...or at least the timing part of it.

I've seen some people talk about waiting after casting to size and lube. I've seen people talk about waiting a few days after that before loading their rounds. So, how do you approach this? Are you a cast 'em, size and lube 'em, and load 'em in the same day type of person or do you let your boolits age harden a week or so before sizing and lubing, then let the lube set up before loading, etc?

[Phoenix]

Honestly I never even think about it. I just do what needs done then do something else that needs done. I am never in a hurry as I have tons of prepped cases, lots of cast. I dont let my stocks get down low enough to worry about it. I would says cast, lube whenever, size whenever, relube whenever. load whenever. I don't think I have ever done even half those steps in one day. There isn't much thought that goes into it about timing. When I need something to do I just look at the large pile of containers with unfinished stuff and pick something. I am not normal by any means. I think my hobby is more about brass, lead, loading than shooting makes it hard to keep loading when you don't shoot much. I can shoot handguns but my more powerful rifles beat me up too bad. I have a lower spinal injury that is now a scar tissue issue. Stress and shocks to the body can have repercussions that last the rest of the day so I don't get to do what got me here as much as I used to.

[I'll Make Mine]

I've read a number of opinions that you need to wait a week or more after casting before you size, because many alloys containing tin grow slightly as they age; if that happens after sizing, you'll have oversize boolits (and if you're inconsistent on the timing of your sizing, you'll have different levels of oversize). Can't say I've tested it myself; I have yet to size any of my castings (will be doing so soon, I've finally got all the pieces in place to start loading my own cast boolits).

[Charlie Two Tracks]

You'll have to smelt that range scrap down first and then proceed. You really don't want to do that in your casting pot. I usually cast up 20 lbs minimum of boolits and after they have cooled, I size them or not. Some can be used "as cast". I then pan lube the higher velocity ones and use 45-45-10 lube for the slower ones. But that's just me. You can do most of this stuff as you see fit and as it works out for you. A rifle round may be different than a low speed .38.

[waksupi]

If you water quench, you better plan on sizing within a day, or you put a LOT of stress on the sizer. For aircooled, it takes a few weeks to reach full hardness.