Freezing fresh Cast Bullets to speed age hardening

[Leadmad]

Hello Folks
Heard this a while back and just wondering if anyone has tried this ? Normally my bullets cast from Range scrap take about 3 weeks to get max hardness of +/- 14.5 brinnel and usually around 12 - 12.5 brinnel 24 hours after casting, I don't water drop or quench my bullets but have tried in the past with up and down results so if there's some science behind freezing them after casting would like to hear if anyone is willing to share

Thanks in advance

Steve

[Dusty Bannister]

I believe that when cast bullets are put in the freezer you slow or nearly stop the normal molecular movement in the hardening or softening process. So however hard or soft the bullets are at that time, they remain nearly the same while in the freezer. I am unable to spare the time to search through the books to find the actual printed reference at this time though.

It is not surprising that you have some inconsistent results with water dropping your cast bullets from the mold as tempo, ambient temp and alloy temp will be variable as you cast. While you can do it you way, oven heat treating and quenching is generally more consistent or at least consistent within that batch.

[472x1B/A]

Hello Folks
Heard this a while back and just wondering if anyone has tried this ? Normally my bullets cast from Range scrap take about 3 weeks to get max hardness of +/- 14.5 brinnel and usually around 12 - 12.5 brinnel 24 hours after casting, I don't water drop or quench my bullets but have tried in the past with up and down results so if there's some science behind freezing them after casting would like to hear if anyone is willing to share

Thanks in advance

Steve

Leadmad, not knowing where you had heard this, there was a member here that would stake his life to this procedure. He went by ' My Friend Is .410 '. If you are interested in this idea I think you can contact him at the Vandenburg AFB ( Calif. ) Rod and Gun Club website. The last I knew he went by that same handle there too.

[Dusty Bannister]

Here is the thread that might clear things up a bit.
Please read the entire thread.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?116495-Age-hardening-and-the-gift-of-patience&p=1271545#post1271545

[Oklahoma Rebel]

I have read of putting them in the oven at around 200 degrees, for 12-24 hours I think, will accelerate the natural hardening process, might as well make some jerky while you're at it! ( just kidding, lead+jerky=sick)

[therealhitman]

My method is to let them age harden at a normal rate by casting waaaaaay more then I can shoot each month. Just size, lube and stack 'em away until you run out of space. Eventually I am gonna have to quit casting or just give away a half ton of boolits.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

As I understand it, a boolit (ternary) alloy age hardening is a matter of a crystalline structure growing.

Honey crystallizes the fastest at cellar temperature about 58º.

While I don't know what temperature will grow the crystalline structure the fastest in boolit alloy? I'd expect that it is NOT, the colder the faster.

That would make for some interesting experimentation.

[472x1B/A]

Here is the thread that might clear things up a bit.
Please read the entire thread.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?116495-Age-hardening-and-the-gift-of-patience&p=1271545#post1271545

Thank you for the link DB. I knew there was a thread on this very topic.

[Leadmad]

Thanks for the info Dusty Bannister and all that have commented, Got caught out short and was hoping to try something new but its all good. Im just glad I did not jump the gun so to speak and stick them in the freezer or would have been waiting longer, normally I have plenty in reserve and will be working on making another stockpile over the next few months