Why NOT quench?

[Lavid2002]

I have heard .45ACP bullets need not be quenched for light target loads...but why NOT quench them? If it will help prevent the possibility of leading why not do it? I really dont mind dropping the boolits into a bucket, it actually seems easier to drop them into a bucket rather than worry about accidentally dropping one onto another boolit on a dry cloth and deforming it.

Thanks
-Dave

[AZ-Stew]

Drop onto cloth, roll boolits back with sprue knocker stick, giving you a chance to look for obvious faults, close mould, cast, wait for sprue to cool, open mould and drop boolits onto empty space on cloth. Repeat. Can't be easier. DON"T drop them on top of each other. Push them into a pile at the back of your cloth (towel) padding after each cast, leaving a big empty space for the next boolits to drop from the mould.

Dropping into a bucket means you have to have the bucket near the casting pot. Bad choice, unless you like visits from the tinsel fairy. Yes, boolits splash when dropped into the bucket. If the splash water makes it to your casting pot, POOF! Tinsel Fairy! BTW, just because they fall into a bucket of water doesn't mean they won't bang into each other at the bottom of the bucket.

If you MUST have tempered boolits, go find yourself a yard sale toaster oven. See: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=42870 Be sure to read all the posts under that thread so you get the full story.

Safer and more uniform, since all boolits will be the same temp when they hit the water. With water dropping, your hardness will change depending on how quickly multiple boolits fall to the water from a gang mould after the cast. You want them to be uniform.

Another question is why you think you need hard boolits. I just shot a bunch of the Lee RN TL 230 gr boolits from both my Ruger Blackhawk and a Winchester M-94 carbine using 8.5 gr Unique with good accuracy and no leading. They were cast of straight air cooled WW. No tin, no nothing added. I'm sure they launched faster from the Winchester than they will from your auto-pistol. You don't NEED harder boolits, so why go to the trouble to make them?

Regards,

Stew

[DLCTEX]

If you get the mould up to temp and get a steady casting rhythm going you can have consistent hardness. Who cares if the hardness number varies a number or two for your use? Set up to avoid splash to the pot and drop away. Try a hundred and see if you like the results. You can always melt them if you don't like the results. Don't drop any rejects back into the pot, though!

[Lloyd Smale]

try them both ways and see what your gun prefers.

[Bret4207]

Why not? Why not just keep things simple.

[armyrat1970]

In most cases excessive leading is caused by sloppy boolit fit to bore. You can drop boolits with straight linotype, which has a BHN of around 22. If you have sloppy boolit fit to bore, a smaller boolit than what you need, you will get leading. Many think boolit hardness will cut down on leading, but that is often not the case. Boolit fit to bore is the most important factor with a cast boolit. You should always try to go at least .001 to .002 over groove size.
Many cast with air cooled WWS with no leading problems. If your boolit is not filling the grooves, you will probably get leading to some extent with any casting alloy. Depending on how hard you push 'em, the leading may increase.

[epj]

I water drop as a matter of convenience. The water bucket is sufficiently far from the pot that splashing is not a concern. There is some advantage in harder bullets for autoloaders in that there is less chance of bullet nose deformation as the round is chambered. This may be more of an issue in some guns/bullet designs than others.

[Lavid2002]

Ok guys, Ill try air dropping and see what I get...Ill also pop a few in the water and see how they turn out.

Thanks : )

-Dave

[Shiloh]

I water drop everything. As stated, get a steady rhythm going and stick to it. I cull them later.

Shiloh

[Lead Fred]

I also quench everything. I have a metal bowl I fill 1/2 way with ice, the pour water in until the ice is covered.

I have a 4x4 across the top of the bowl which I use to tap the mold handle on.
The boolits drop the 6 inches. The bowl is two feet (arms length) from the pot.
Ive never splashed water that far yet.

[Blammer]

I really don't think quenching or not will matter for the 45acp.

One question I have is why not drop them on top each other? I do it all the time, that's why I call it making a "pile" of boolits, I'm dropping them out of the mould a whopping 4 inches onto the rest of them. Haven't had to reject any for "dents" yet, and likely never will.

[HeavyMetal]

I water drop for two reason: It allows me to handle the boolits sooner and the drop through the water acts as a cushion.

Blammer mentions he's never culled because of dents. With bevel base boolits dents are very unlikely to cause a problum.

Move to a flat based boolit like the 429421 or 358429 and denting on the edge of the boolit base becomes a real possiblity.

By water quenching I keep a soft rag or old t shirt on the bttm of the containier and, if casting a lot, I will add a soft cloth to make a layered cushion as I cast and, in my opinion, reduces the denting caused by handling and such.

Everybody learns as they go with casting and with 45 boolits I quench for quality not for hardness.

[Bkid]

What about heat treating in a oven to get a consistant hardness. Not saying you need it though. I think you are fine for 45 just droping on a towel and pushing to the end as mentioned.

[shooter75126]

I tore an old white tshirt in half, cut a 2 inch slot in the middle, and I tie it around the top of my drop bucket with a bungee cord. The bullets hit the shirt, and the weight of the bullet rolls it to the middle and into the water. No splash out of the bucket. I'm using a 3 gallon bucket filled about 3/4 of the way with water. I water drop all of my bullets.

[Ricochet]

It's both easier and perfectly safe to water drop in a bucket on the floor, with the pot on the bench.

[bbailey7821]

I use a five gallon bucket on the floor. I've never had any problem with splashing. I also have experienced far less leading problems in my lever gun at the higher velocities that it produces in 44 mag.

[Dennis Eugene]

I water drop everything 'cause I'm just lazy I guess and it is easier than any other way. I cover my water with a layer of styphome peanuts and it does not splash. Even if it did splash and hit my pot the water will almost never cause a steam explosion due to the fact that it will never make it below the surface of the lead with out boiling off almost instantaneously. I been doing it this way as long as I've been casting and don't figger on bothering to try anything else.

[44man]

Heck, I even drop pure lead balls in water, soooo easy!

[HammerMTB]

I don't water drop a lot of boolits cause I don't need to and a softer boolit will obturate easier.
I air cool .40 cal 175's, a buncha .44 cal weights, and both .45 ACP and .45 Colt boolits. Oh, .45/350's for the .45/70 too.
I haven't had a leading problem with any yet. when velocitys are high enough to warrant it, I use a gas check. The .45/70 is PP'd

[HangFireW8]

I have heard .45ACP bullets need not be quenched for light target loads...but why NOT quench them? If it will help prevent the possibility of leading why not do it?

Too much hardness can increase the chance of leading. 45 ACP requires almost exactly the hardness that Wheel Weights deliver air cooled (with or without a little added solder).

Another factor is that the water quenched boolits will loose their extra hardness over a few years.

If you like water quenching and it works for you and your gun, go for it. I do it myself, but not for every boolit, just those that need it.

-HF