Sizing water quenched boolits

[Marineinthewoods]

Greetings from the Lone Star state.

If I water quench a boolit and then size it a couple days later does this completely render the water quenching useless?

Thanks

Marineinthewoods

[stubshaft]

NO - The only portion of the boolit that is softened is the portion that comes into contact with the sizing die, and that is for only a couple of thousandths in depth.

[BABore]

If you can't get to the sizing for a couple of days, put the boolits in the freezer. It retards or slows the hardening process. Let them warm to room temp when your ready to size them. Keeping the WD'd boolits warm for a few days will speed up the hardening process.

[crabo]

If you can't get to the sizing for a couple of days, put the boolits in the freezer. It retards or slows the hardening process. Let them warm to room temp when your ready to size them. Keeping the WD'd boolits warm for a few days will speed up the hardening process.

That reminds me, I put some in the freezer about 9 months ago. I guess I should get them out. They were in Ziplock freeezer bags.

[BeemerMark]

Size them before you harden them. Takes considerable more effort to run a really hard bullet thru the sizing die.

[madsenshooter]

Water quenched Beemer. Put your sizer after the mold, and before the water. You're going to need gloves to handle the bullets, hurry get em sized before they cool, then drop em in the water. Just joking a little Beemer, don't take offense. It might be fun to try for a couple.

[PacMan]

Like BaBore said. Only thing i will add is that if the size is real critical (revolver throat fit) if you wait to long to size and they harden much they will not only be harder to size (depends on how much you are sizing down) but you may also get spring back which can be as much as .007 in some cases.
Dwight

[swheeler]

Like BaBore said. Only thing i will add is that if the size is real critical (revolver throat fit) if you wait to long to size and they harden much they will not only be harder to size (depends on how much you are sizing down) but you may also get spring back which can be as much as .007 in some cases.
Dwight

I think you left out a zero there Dwight, .0007" sounds like a lot but closer.

[btroj]

Yeah, 7 thousandths is a lot! Heck, I have moulds I wish would have the boolits grow that much.
I just cast when I can and size when I can. I hate to over think things. Harder boolits are a bit harder to size but I am not usually sizing down too much so I don't worry it.

[geargnasher]

Let's not forget that antimony/lead alloys expand some as they age, also. If you size the day or the day after you cast, in a week they might be .0003-5" bigger, and as was mentioned that can play hoc with your fit if you size close for revolvers.

Gear

[Marineinthewoods]

I'm casting and loading these for a glock 22 with a wolf barrel and it was leading up quite a bit. I don't mind pushing a harder bullet through the sizer so long as I reduce the leading. Thanks for the replies.

Marineinthewoods

[geargnasher]

If it's leading, boolit hardness would be the LAST thing I'd suspect, unless you're pushing them hard enough to skid the rifling. You probably have an obturation issue due to boolits being too small for the grooves after they are fired out of the case. Check for case swage from an expander spud that's too short and too small for loading cast boolits. Your boolits should come out of the case .001" over groove diameter as a general rule, if you do this, match alloy to pressure somewhat, and use a good lube, you will get little to no leading in your Wolf barrel.

Gear

[Shiloh]

I cast a several pots of boolits at a time. They are lubed and sized as needed. There has never been as issue with sizing boolits that have been cast week, even months before.

How much or you sizing?? for me it is about .002 at the most.

Shiloh

[Marineinthewoods]

As cast the boolits are .403, I'm sizing to .401. I'm also going to try a different powder to see if the burn rate is part of the problem. I have some Accurate #2 I tried in my .45 with no problems so that's what I tried first I have unique and win superfield in plentiful supply that I'm going to try next. Hopefully I'll find a combination that reduces the leading problem.

Thanks
Marineinthewoods

[leadman]

A 40 S&W is a pretty high pressure cartridge so going with the slower powder may help. I found a BHN of at least 16 helped also.

You can always air cool the bullets, size, then oven heat treat them, then size and lube. alot of work but sometimes it pays off. Or add some rotometals superhard alloy to your lead.