Anew batch of bullets hardness test?

[DCB]

When you make a new batch do you check the hardness as soon as they cool or do you wait?
Thanks Dave

[mdi]

Most of the time I don't check bullets that I've made. When alloying and making ingots I'll test "plugs" of the alloy (small slugs cast at the time of smelting/mixing often cooled for a day). Then I'll mark the ingots.

[ukrifleman]

I always leave newly cast bullets for a week to let them cure before testing hardness.

ukrifleman

[DCB]

That may be the reason I am always getting bullets that are soft. need more time to cure.
that makes sense I have been leaving out a step. Ill mix up a batch and make ingots and then make bullets?
Dave

[LenH]

I have tested bullets from 10 days to 2 weeks later to find they have hardened. This was with #2 alloy and waiting a while after casting does make a big difference.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

When I feel the need to test 'em.
I check at 1 hour after cooling,
Then again at 1 or 2 weeks,
then again right before I load them.

Recently, I loaded some batches of ammo. Some boolits were 4 years old, some were 9 years old, some were 2 years old.
I was quite surprised in some of my BHN measurments...and those lead me to discover a bad habit, which seemed to give my hardness anomalies.

[mehavey]

If they're binary (lead/tin only) or #2 ( 90/5/5) air-cooled, they'll be stable/permanent hardness almost real-time.
Other "unknown" mixes/proportions will change over considerable time

[Conditor22]

from TATV