Harry O
07-17-2013, 04:30 PM
I have talked from time to time about the recipes for different Bhn's that I use. Here is a chart what I have spent the last 20 to 25 years working up. It is posted above my reloading bench. It was originally set up for WW with a Bhn of 9 to 10, pure lead of Bhn 4.5 to 5, and approx 200gr bullets, all air dropped into a towel. I checked every batch of bullets for Bhn after casting and refined the chart from that.
I used up all my car WW several years ago and was able to get a couple of hundred lbs of truck WW that go to Bhn 12 to 13 a couple of weeks after casting. That changed everything. Rather than change the chart, I just add or subtract depending on what I start with to get a final Bhn (see the notes on the bottom). If it is not what I want, I choose a different recipe and recalculate.
This works pretty darn close for me. Your mileage may vary.
Summary: Bhn vs melt mixture (read the notes
...........at the bottom of the page before using this)
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
Wheelweights + Solder
..............1#..........................2oz..... .15.3..very ductile
..............1.5#.......................2oz...... 13.4
..............2#..........................2oz..... .12.3
..............2.5#.......................2oz...... 11.7
..............3#..........................2oz..... .11.2
..............3.5#.......................2oz...... 11.0
..............4#..........................2oz..... .10.7
..............4.5#.......................2oz...... 10.5
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
Lead + Wheelweights + Solder
1#..........1#..........................2oz...... 10.7
1.5#.......1#..........................2oz....... 9.9
2#..........1#..........................2oz....... 9.1
2.5#.......1#..........................2oz....... 8.5
3#..........1#..........................2oz....... 8.0
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
(Lead = Wheelweights) + Solder
1#.........1#..........................2oz....... 10.7
1.5#......1.5#.......................2oz......... 9.5
2#.........2#..........................2oz........ .9.0
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
Wheelweights + Lead + Solder
1#.........1#.........................2oz....... 10.7
1#.........1.5#......................2oz....... 10.3
1#.........2#.........................2oz....... 10.1
1#.........2.5#......................2oz....... 10.0
1#.........3#.........................2oz......... 9.9
1#.........3.5#......................2oz......... 9.8
Lead......WW......Monotype…..Solder...Bhn
Lead + Monotype
1#...........................1#................... .18.5..(fairly brittle)
1.5#........................1#.................... 16.0..(slightly less)
2#...........................1#................... .15.3..(etc)
2.5#........................1#.................... 13.1
3#...........................1#................... .12.3
3.5#........................1#.................... 11.5
Lead......WW......Monotype...Solder....Bhn
Wheelweights + Monotype
.............1#.............1#................... 19.6..(fairly brittle)
.............1.5#..........1#................... 17.7..(slightly less)
.............2#.............1#................... 16.3..(etc)
.............2.5#..........1#................... 15.4
.............3#.............1#................... 14.6
.............3.5#..........1#................... 14.0
.............4#.............1#................... 13.5
.............4.5#..........1#................... 13.0
Lead......WW......Monotype...Solder....Bhn
Lead + (Wheelweights = Monotype)
1#.........1#............1#.................... 16.3..(fairly brittle)
1.5#......1#............1#................... .14.1
2#.........1#............1#.................... 13.0
2.5#......1#............1#.................... 12.2
3#.........1#............1#.................... 11.6
Notes: Wheelweights average about Bhn 9.0 to 10.0. With
..........WW that are harder, increase the calculated Bhn equally.
The lead used is pure lead of about Bhn 4.5 to 5.0.
This chart is for air-dropped bullets only (NOT water dropped).
Solder is between 50/50 and 60/40 (NOT lead free).
All hardnesses are for air dropped bullets of approx 200gr
..........Bullets of about 100gr will be about 1 Bhn harder.
..........Bullets of about 150gr will be about 1/2 Bhn harder.
………....The Bhn listed is right for bullets of about 200gr.
..........Bullets of about 300gr will be about 1/2 Bhn softer.
..........Bullets of about 400gr will be about 1 Bhn softer.
I used up all my car WW several years ago and was able to get a couple of hundred lbs of truck WW that go to Bhn 12 to 13 a couple of weeks after casting. That changed everything. Rather than change the chart, I just add or subtract depending on what I start with to get a final Bhn (see the notes on the bottom). If it is not what I want, I choose a different recipe and recalculate.
This works pretty darn close for me. Your mileage may vary.
Summary: Bhn vs melt mixture (read the notes
...........at the bottom of the page before using this)
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
Wheelweights + Solder
..............1#..........................2oz..... .15.3..very ductile
..............1.5#.......................2oz...... 13.4
..............2#..........................2oz..... .12.3
..............2.5#.......................2oz...... 11.7
..............3#..........................2oz..... .11.2
..............3.5#.......................2oz...... 11.0
..............4#..........................2oz..... .10.7
..............4.5#.......................2oz...... 10.5
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
Lead + Wheelweights + Solder
1#..........1#..........................2oz...... 10.7
1.5#.......1#..........................2oz....... 9.9
2#..........1#..........................2oz....... 9.1
2.5#.......1#..........................2oz....... 8.5
3#..........1#..........................2oz....... 8.0
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
(Lead = Wheelweights) + Solder
1#.........1#..........................2oz....... 10.7
1.5#......1.5#.......................2oz......... 9.5
2#.........2#..........................2oz........ .9.0
Lead......WW......Monotype....Solder....Bhn
Wheelweights + Lead + Solder
1#.........1#.........................2oz....... 10.7
1#.........1.5#......................2oz....... 10.3
1#.........2#.........................2oz....... 10.1
1#.........2.5#......................2oz....... 10.0
1#.........3#.........................2oz......... 9.9
1#.........3.5#......................2oz......... 9.8
Lead......WW......Monotype…..Solder...Bhn
Lead + Monotype
1#...........................1#................... .18.5..(fairly brittle)
1.5#........................1#.................... 16.0..(slightly less)
2#...........................1#................... .15.3..(etc)
2.5#........................1#.................... 13.1
3#...........................1#................... .12.3
3.5#........................1#.................... 11.5
Lead......WW......Monotype...Solder....Bhn
Wheelweights + Monotype
.............1#.............1#................... 19.6..(fairly brittle)
.............1.5#..........1#................... 17.7..(slightly less)
.............2#.............1#................... 16.3..(etc)
.............2.5#..........1#................... 15.4
.............3#.............1#................... 14.6
.............3.5#..........1#................... 14.0
.............4#.............1#................... 13.5
.............4.5#..........1#................... 13.0
Lead......WW......Monotype...Solder....Bhn
Lead + (Wheelweights = Monotype)
1#.........1#............1#.................... 16.3..(fairly brittle)
1.5#......1#............1#................... .14.1
2#.........1#............1#.................... 13.0
2.5#......1#............1#.................... 12.2
3#.........1#............1#.................... 11.6
Notes: Wheelweights average about Bhn 9.0 to 10.0. With
..........WW that are harder, increase the calculated Bhn equally.
The lead used is pure lead of about Bhn 4.5 to 5.0.
This chart is for air-dropped bullets only (NOT water dropped).
Solder is between 50/50 and 60/40 (NOT lead free).
All hardnesses are for air dropped bullets of approx 200gr
..........Bullets of about 100gr will be about 1 Bhn harder.
..........Bullets of about 150gr will be about 1/2 Bhn harder.
………....The Bhn listed is right for bullets of about 200gr.
..........Bullets of about 300gr will be about 1/2 Bhn softer.
..........Bullets of about 400gr will be about 1 Bhn softer.