I used my Lee Hardness Tester the first time. Lead which I knew to be wheelweight tested in a common range, around 11-14 BHN. Apparently I was doing something more-or-less right. With extremely soft lead--easily scratchable, or stick-on wheelweights--and type metal, the rod would not rise flush with the top of the die. The dimple made by the partially raised rod measured outside the number range supplied with the instructions; that is, off-the-scale hard for type metal and off-the-scale soft for soft lead.
Given my inexperience there may well be an operator problem, but I thought I would ask.