The ringing sound of a dropped lead muffin

[SlowSmokeN]

I was able to get a bunch of lead from a indoor range. I smelted it down into muffins but have no idea of the BHN and have no real world experience to compare it to.

I dropped from about chin level and it had a nice ring to it. I have nothing to compare that ring to as this is the first time I smelted lead.

I took a #2 lead pencil and tried to make an indent, but the pencil just kept breaking and not making a indent.

I used a carpentry pencil I bought from Home Depot and the same thing happened. Lead just breaks and no indent is made.

I use my thumb nail and push in as hard as I can and I am able to make the most smallest indent that I have to really look for.

What does this tell me about this lead? Can I assume I am around 15BHN?


Thanks

[caseyboy]

Sounds to me like it is harder then soft. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[runfiverun]

i drop from about a foot off the ground.
it's hard to tell some apart though with a bit of tin in it and ww's is hard to judge side by side.
a tink and a tud is the difference [i don't know music notes though]
if you could guesstimate what was shot at the range you'd have a starting guess point.
but i'd have to say you got quite a bit of commercial cast in that batch.
was there a lot of jackets in the mix?
a lot of 22's.
powdered alloy?
my best guess would be somewheres between 10 and 15 bhn.
make some boolits and shoot them.

[stubshaft]

i'd tend to agree with having commercial cast in there. I can barely put an indent in 12BHN with my thumbnail.

[SlowSmokeN]

Thanks Casey Boy [smilie=l:

I would say their was maybe 10% jackets. A lot big chucks of lead as they just fused together.

There is a .22 bullseye league there every week so I know there is a lot of .22

I am still a couple of mouths out from actually casting boolits, but trying to get a jump on smelting ingots.

[imashooter2]

I've been shooting nothing but range scrap from a couple of different indoor ranges for a long time now. My scrap measures 12 - 14bhn air cooled and 20-24bhn water dropped. This is based on samples pulled from many different buckets collected over a better than 5 year span. The conventional wisdom of range scrap being almost pure soft lead doesn't match my experience at all.

[SlowSmokeN]

I've been shooting nothing but range scrap from a couple of different indoor ranges for a long time now. My scrap measures 12 - 14bhn air cooled and 20-24bhn water dropped. This is based on samples pulled from many different buckets collected over a better than 5 year span. The conventional wisdom of range scrap being almost pure soft lead doesn't match my experience at all.

I love real world experience as I have none when it comes to this. This gives me a great idea of where I am at.

For 9mm would you air drop or water drop?

Thanks

[imashooter2]

For 9x19 full power loads, I would water drop and size as large as would chamber easily.

[runfiverun]

yes..
sorry, it's the best answer i can give.
i use air cooled ww's and some soft mixed in my 9mm's.
but i also use a 125 rnfp boolit sized to 358.

[SlowSmokeN]

It is going to be just target loads. 124g round nose, 4g Unique. I am getting the barrel slugged on Monday.

[mold maker]

Of over 2600 lbs of range lead consisting of FMJ, JHP, a few SWC and various shotgun loads, it all reads 12-14 BHN, with the majority at 12. With a little added tin it casts and shoots great.
For rifle I use 50/50 range and COWWs w/1% tin.

[letsmeltlead2693]

Wouldn't it dent if you dropped an ingot regardless if it was hard or soft lead?

[randyrat]

I'd be happy to send you a WW ingot or two to compare...I have done it for a while but I still need to compare sounds of ingots to be accurate. How about you pay shipping $5.15 and I'll send you some samples and a WW ingot so you have one to compare. PM if interested.

[454PB]

Wouldn't it dent if you dropped an ingot regardless if it was hard or soft lead?

Not if it has enough antimony. It will actually break a corner off.

I have some ingots made of linotype/monotype mix, and they will shatter if dropped from shoulder height onto concrete.