# 2 lead/ mixed it as to the Lyman formula and

[Willyp]

I keep getting a harness of 14? Will these get harder ove time? I f so,how long? I am trying to get bullets for hunting and don't want them over hard!

[steve817]

Is that on your ingots or your bullets? I have seen a chart that would answer your questions but can't seem to locate it. I'm only going from memory here so take it for what it's worth. It will harden by one or two points on the BHN scale over the first 48 hours and then slightly more over the next several weeks.

Hopefully someone will be along to set us both straight. What did you use to come up with your mix?

[sqlbullet]

They will age harden, but for that alloy only a little. That alloy's "stable" hardness is commonly accepted as a BHN of 15. Over the next few months they may drift up a bit towards 15, but I doubt they will get more than .5-1 BHN point harder.

[Char-Gar]

Do you have an actual honest to gosh Brinell testing machine and foundry fresh laboratory grade metals? If you do, you should get the hardness reading you wish. If you don't then 14 is probably as good as you are going to get for you and your equipment and metals. Also the difference between 14 and 15 doesn't mean squat when it comes to cast bullet shooting in real guns.

[R.M.]

That seems awfully hard for hunting.

[bangerjim]

I think the chart reference above is somewhere on lasc/us.

12-13-14-15.........who really cares! It is close enough for government work. If you powder coat all your boolits, you will not worry about hardness anymore......just be in the ballpark.

bangerjim