I guess age/hardness is a big deal

[BBQJOE]

I poured a mess of lee 356-124 2r's a month or so ago.
They dropped @ 7bhn using a saeco.
I started shooting them about 2 weeks later @11-12 bhn. Double lubed 45-45-10.
A fair amount of leading was present. Not ribbons, but lots of particles.

I fired about 60 rounds of the same yesterday, returned to my bench to scrub out the inevitable lead, and there was nothing but a few crumbs!
A month old and They're right at 16 bhn now.
All I can say is YAY!!!

[gray wolf]

I have also been disappointed trying to cast and shoot the same day or the same week.
The bullets not only harden over time, they also grow a little in size. The new softer bullets tend to size a little smaller ( no spring back as they exit the sizing die ) but the hardness should be taken into consideration also. So for me I must use a different sizing die (I don't have one ) also the load needs to be adjusted for the softer bullets.
bottom line for me is to water drop ( I hate doing it ) or oven age at 250* for an hour and let cool to hasten the hardening, or oven heat at 450 for an hour and quench ( size first )
I also don't have an old toaster oven. So while there are things I could, I can't for the lack of a few items. So I find something else to do and let the bullets do there thing.
Two weeks can be a long time

[runfiverun]

I get as far ahead in my casting as I possibly can.
I have this winters/next springs rifle boolits sitting waiting for weight sorting and loading already. [they are checked and lubed]

I try to cast something at least once a week, even if it's only 2-3 hours worth,
it adds up pretty quickly.

[Cane_man]

or oven heat at 450 for an hour and quench ( size first )
I also don't have an old toaster oven.

is there a health concern if you heat the boolits to 450 in the kitchen oven?

[41mag]

is there a health concern if you heat the boolits to 450 in the kitchen oven?

Yea you had better do it while your wife isn't going to be home, or you just might get lead poisoning, but not from the lead in the oven.....

[plainsman456]

:bigsmyl2:

[Harry O]

I have a bunch of truck wheelweights that cast at about Bhn 11 the day I cast them (air dropped into a towel). About 2 weeks later they are Bhn 13. A month or two later it will gain another 1 or 2 Bhn. I usually cast a bunch of them and let them sit for a while before sizing and lubing them. I have tried sizing them immediately, because it is so much easier than when it is harder, but as someone else said, they change size when they change hardness.

[NSP64]

I size and lube as soon as I make them (water drop). A little bigger never hurt.