casting & sizing boolits

[copdills]

Hello Pards:

is it ok to size your boolits right after you cast them, I water quench mine and only cast handgun calibers that don't go over 1200 fps , reason I ask I saw something in another post that made me think it may effect hardness of the boolits
Thanks copdills :castmine:

[xr650]

It is my understanding that you want to size them soon after quenching, as they will age harden.
I also understand that sizing softens the surface taking away the age hardening.

[Tom W.]

I size and lube mine as I get the time. Never gave it much thought, but then again I'm not as picky as some... I DO like to have several boxes in my component cabinet ready to load.

[Calamity Jake]

If your casting with WW or harder alloy and not going over 1200, you don't need to water drop.

[crowbeaner]

I cast mine fairly hard and size them when I get time. They may or may not age harden ( kinda like me), but that's how I do them. Your velocity is low enough that water quenching probably isn't necessary. If you want to drive them at warp 2 you might however.

[copdills]

Thanks pards:

the reason I water drop LOL its just easier for me , I have noticed they are easier to size just after casting compared to waiting a few weeks to do it , also I am sizing with a lee sizer and not lubing right away, I have some lubed and ready to go , I am using lee alox right now to lube my handgun boolits

Thanks for the input

copdills :castmine:

[Maven]

You may want to look at some of the articles that Dennis Marshall, Jr. and Glen Fryxell (separately) have written about CB alloys, their properties, and hardening them via heat-treatment or quenching.

[lordgroom]

Maven do you have any links to specific articles?

[Firebird]

A lot of Glen's articles can be found here (http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm) at the LA silhouette club and also a few here (http://www.leverguns.com/articles/Default.htm) at the lever guns site and here (http://www.sixguns.com/crew/index.html) at the old sixguns site (no longer updated).

[dardascastbullets]

Hello Pards:

is it ok to size your boolits right after you cast them, I water quench mine and only cast handgun calibers that don't go over 1200 fps , reason I ask I saw something in another post that made me think it may effect hardness of the boolits
Thanks copdills :castmine:

There is no problem with sizing your bullets right after you cast them. Let them age harden (if they are cast of a proper alloy) after sizing if that is your wish. It's really your preference. I agree with the other poster in that it sure is nice to have a stash of bullets ready to load.

Matt